[This information provided by the manufacturer. —Tim]

The leader in electric propulsion, Torqeedo introduced a revolutionary drive at this year’s METS in Amsterdam, Netherlands, the Ultralight 402. With a total weight of 15 pounds, including battery, it’s the first viable motor for kayaks on the market.

Completely submersible and IP68-rated, it will operate even when fully submersed.  With a simple mounting ball it can be easily mounted onto most rigid hull kayaks.

The propulsive power of the Ultralight 402 is equivalent to a 1 HP gas outboard.  Depending on the type of kayak, it reaches a max speed between 5.0-6.5 mph for about half an hour.  At slow speed, the Ultralight 402 can drive a kayak for a range of 12-15 miles.

Its impressive speed and range are due to the latest technologies employed in the batteries and drivetrain.  The high-efficiency drivetrain converts 50% of stored battery power into propulsive power, measured after all losses including propeller losses.  The equivalent value for trolling motors amounts to some 20% while internal combustion outboards have even smaller overall efficiencies.

An integrated board computer combines information from the motor, batteries and a built-in GPS.  The kayaker has battery charge, speed and remaining range at current speed always under control.

The Ultralight 402 is the perfect choice for kayak anglers, family kayakers and sea kayakers. It allows for trolling, provides additional range, gives support against local currents and is helpful when kayaking with friends and family, who may prefer the convenience of an outboard.

Each Ultralight 402 comes with a motor mount, motor unit, lithium-manganese battery and remote throttle control with integrated board computer and magnetic on/off switch.  Torqeedo’s new Ultralight 402 has a suggested retail price of $1,799.

[It's that time again! Here's email from Michael Campbell of the Northwest Marine Trade Association. —Tim]

There are some things you can count on in life and one of those is the Seattle Boat Show.

The 62nd Annual Seattle Boat Show will take place January 23 – February 1 (indoors and afloat) at Qwest Field Event Center and on South Lake Union. Tickets went on sale earlier today at www.seattleboatshow.com.

The economy has been hard on the boating industry these last few months, but the Largest Boat Show on the West Coast will go on with 467 exhibitors, boat dealers representing over 195 brands plus literally hundreds of companies with accessories for boats of all shapes and sizes.

If you purchase tickets ahead of time, you will receive free parking, a free appetizer from Pyramid Alehouse across the street, a free pass good for the Seattle Streetcar, as well as a free one-year subscription to a boating magazine of your choice. All for just $10.

I hope to see you at the Show. Between now and then I will keep you posted as new information is available including the biggest selection of seminars at any boat show in America. The Seattle Boat Show is presented by U.S. Bank and GMC.

Happy Holidays,
Michael Campbell
Seattle Boat Show

The folks over at Rocna have created a new online resource, and it sort of straddles the line between anchoring reference guide and marketing vehicle.

I mean this in a good way, by the way. Marketing materials, at their best, inform the public about real-world problems, and then explain why the marketed product is an appropriate and effective solution.

Obviously, lots of marketing fails to deliver in one or more of these areas, by exaggerating or misrepresenting the problem, the product, or both! But Rocna’s new Knowledge Base, a kind of “Anchors and anchoring Wikipedia,” seems genuine. The Rocna folks obviously know a lot about anchors and anchoring.

Take, for example, the articles on scope versus catenary and windlasses. They are helpful and authoritative; genuine reference content. Of course, both mention the Rocna when an example of a good anchor is required. No stone (opportunity to plug Rocna) is left unturned, but that’s to be expected.

The article on the Spade anchor, however, is more like a list of flaws which the Rocna, naturally, overcomes. The article on the Buegel anchor tells us that “the Rocna is a far more sophisticated design”. Helpful information, no doubt, but clearly tending toward the marketing end of the spectrum.

Obviously, this is not the only resource anchor buyers should consult before making a decision. But they should consult it!

Longtime readers will remember that I was critical of some of Rocna’s online marketing efforts, but that later, I decided to purchase a Rocna anchor for my own boat. Let me say, for the record, that this Knowledge Base is an appropriate and powerful online marketing tool; good move, Rocna!

By the way, I have not had an opportunity to really “test” the Rocna, even anecdotally, but I’m happy with it so far. I spent one sleepless night ashore in Fisherman Bay last summer, when a bit of a front moved through, but in the morning the boat was right where I left it.

I’ve written before about how much I appreciate Rite in the Rain all-weather paper products. I used one for my log aboard Two Lucky Fish, and I carry another smaller one with me every day.

But today, we put a sheet to the ultimate test!

Here’s Blake, 7-month-old offspring of Navagear founder and publisher Aaron. Blake likes paper. He doesn’t write on it. He crumples it and gnaws on it. Sheets of normal paper last about two minutes before some conscientious adult feels obligated to fetch all the goopy bits from his mouth and throw them away.

The Rite in the Rain paper Blake is clutching in his right hand has been actively used for about half an hour.

Once he finally relinquished it, it looked…pretty good, actually! Great products.

[This information provided by the manufacturer. —Tim]

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL; DECEMBER 4, 2008.

ACR Electronics, Inc. is notifying dealers, distributors and customers that a small percentage of GlobalFix iPRO EPIRBs may not activate manually and is voluntarily issuing a limited recall notice.

Through its ongoing quality assurance processes, ACR had discovered that some of the witness seal tabs used in the manual activation of the GlobalFix  iPRO required the application of excessive force to put the switch into its correct position. The water activation feature works separately and is not affected by the manual switch.  According to ACR, the manual switch assembly will require re-working on a very limited range of GlobalFix  iPRO units shipped to market. No other ACR EPIRB units are affected.

(more…)

In case you couldn’t find just the right item on Navagear’s Holiday Gift Guide, maybe this will help.

It’s the VideoRay Scout, a Remotely-Operated Vehicle (ROV) with onboard video camera. Heck, this might just fill the gap until I can afford my own personal mini-submarine.

The Scout is VideoRay’s entry-level model, and includes the 8-pound submersible with color video camera, control box with 7-inch LCD color display, 130 feet of neutrally buoyant tether, manual, and tool kit. All components fit neatly in a watertight, rolling Pelican case that fits easily in the trunk of a car or in airline luggage compartments. The entire system, including case, weighs 70 lbs and costs around $6000.

Oh, what could you DO with a VideoRay? Um…lots of stuff! You know, look at things. Underwater things. I figure I need it to check anchor sets with my new Rocna anchor. Actually, Tim from gCaptain spoke recently with Brian Luzzi, Sales & Marketing Coordinator of VideoRay, and learned a lot about how these units are being used.

That’s where I found this great video, by the way. Thanks, gCaptain!

[This information provided by the manufacturer. —Tim]

After extensive research and development, Quick introduces its latest vertical anchor windlasses, the state-of-the-art Aleph and Dylan.  Designed for the harsh marine environment, these windlasses are constructed from heavy-duty materials for trouble-free operation in the most demanding situations.

For boats 22′ to 49′ in length, the innovative Aleph is manufactured from aluminum anodized in hard oxide.  Unlike common types of anodization, this method provides a hard oxide layer up to 50 micron thick.  This high-thickness increases surface area hardness and resistance to corrosion and abrasion while also providing a longer service life.

(more…)

That’s a somewhat inflammatory headline, ain’t it? So let me point out, right off the bat, that I’m engaging in a bit of hyperbole.

As regular readers already know, I love the Coast Guard, and I love the Vessel Traffic Service. Heck, in Puget Sound, VHF channel 14 is usually a lot more informative than channel 16!

But currently, VTS personnel don’t “see” Class B AIS targets on their plotters. Is that really possible?

Well, that’s been my experience while testing my own Class B equipment, and at the recent eNavigation conference in Seattle I was able to confirm that my experience is consistent with the current state of VTS technology.

According to Commander Brian Tetreault, chief of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Vessel Traffic Services Division, the VTS AIS base stations receive the Class B messages along with all the AIS messages. But the VTS system that processes these messages does not currently have the capability to display them.

“We hope to have this capability sometime in the next 6-12 months,” says Commander Tetreault.

At least that explains why Seattle Traffic couldn’t spot me during my testing, while the nearby ferry could. Thanks, Commander, for straightening this out!