Chris Landry has a great article, with embedded video, over at Soundings Online:

Boaters who purchase an EPIRB can increase their chances of survival if they know how the device works and where it should be mounted on board.

"Know your safety gear," says Tom Rau, a retired Coast Guard senior chief and an authority on recreational boating safety. "Boaters must understand that boats do go down quickly and that they may not have time to energize the EPIRB or reach it, or they could be injured and unable to reach the submerged EPIRB."

EPIRB users need to read the product support manual thoroughly, says Chris Wahler, marketing manager for ACR Electronics, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based manufacturer of EPIRBs and other safety equipment. "And then it’s just as important to educate the crew that may someday be called upon to use that beacon in your absence," he says. "So understand how to deploy a beacon, understand its best operating orientation, and understand when the right time is to use a beacon. These are all very important things to get across to the crewmembers."

One of the mistakes EPIRB users make is holding the unit instead of allowing it to float freely, says Wahler. "It’s really better to tether it off and let it float and do its job. And give the beacon the best opportunity to communicate with the satellite by not putting obstructions in its way," he says. And once the EPIRB is on, leave it on until rescue arrives.

[Read more]

Captain Richard Rodriguez of the BitterEnd blog has this review of the app, and he’s also sponsoring a contest to give away several copies of the app.

Here’s an excerpt of his review:
——————————-

First off, I’m impressed. It is an exact representation of the 72 ColRegs, Inland Rules and Annexes.

In addition to searching and booklinks there are also HOTLINKS to other rules and definitions.

Now if the CG would allow this reference for onboard it would be amazing.

Spend a few bucks and get a copy or win one of the five we’re giving away here.

I’ve written before about refilling disposable one-pound propane cylinders that so many portable appliances use. That article is the most-viewed post on Navagear.com. It’s popular because the subject is relevant to a wide variety of outdoor recreational enthusiasts: backpackers, kayakers, hunters, boaters, you name it.

I’ve been refilling these handy green propane bottles without mishap for a couple years now. Recently I’ve assembled a much-improved refill adapter. I’m going to describe the refilling process in detail.

First, though, it’s necessary to protect myself with disclaimers and caveats refillors. Let’s keep it simple, shall we?

Under no circumstances should anyone ever refill disposable propane cylinders using the following method.

Find a well-ventilated area, outdoors, away from all sources of heat, flame, and sparks. Ditch the cell phone.

Assemble your tools: a propane refill adapter, a pair of needle-nosed pliers, safety goggles to protect your eyes, and a pair of medium-thick work gloves.

Take a standard 20-pound propane cylinder—the kind you see attached beneath barbecues—and turn it upside down on a table or platform of some kind.

Put on your safety goggles. Screw your refill adapter to the OPD valve of your propane cylinder. This is a left-hand threading, so you need to twist the adapter counter-clockwise to tighten it. Ignore the naysayers who warn that modern cylinders with OPD valves won’t permit liquid propane to be extracted using this method; it works just fine.

(more…)

[We’ve written about the Torqeedo line before. In fact, those earlier articles are consistently top-rated pages at Navagear, suggesting that there is a lot of interest in the product line.

Judging by the comments we receive, some folks even seem to think we are in the business of SELLING Torqeedos! Um, we’re a gear and gadgets blog. We write about stuff. So far, we don’t sell anything but advertising.

Anyhoo, on with the press release! —Tim]

Revolutionizing the standards for electric propulsion, electric outboard manufacturer Torqeedo offers boaters more power and range from the same battery supply. With thrust equivalent to a 9.9 hp gas outboard, the Cruise 4.0 R achieves an efficiency of more than 50%.

The innovative Cruise converts supplied battery power into propulsion, measured as speed times thrust after all losses. This includes propeller loss at a rate comparable to an 8 hp gas outboard in displacement mode. Extremely powerful, the Cruise 4.0 R recently pushed a well-stocked 24′ pontoon boat with 25" pontoons and seven people aboard at a recorded speed of 6.1 mph.

It operates on 48 V lead-gel, AGM battery bank or two high-performance lithium manganese batteries from Torqeedo’s Power series. An integrated board computer combines information from the motor, batteries and the motor’s GPS receiver, so boaters always know how much battery power and range is remaining. This information is easy to view on the remote throttle display, which also provides current speed, speed over ground and current power consumption in watts.

Perfect for boats on green lakes, pontoon boats, sailboats and catamarans, Torqeedo’s Cruise 4.0 R has a suggested retail price of $3,699. It comes with a cable set, fuse, main-switch, remote throttle control with integrated board computer and magnetic on/off switch and a link-arm for connecting to standard steering systems.

Founded in 2005, Torqeedo offers the most technologically advanced electric outboards on the market. Combining lithium batteries with leading-edge motor technology and propeller design, their award-winning outboards offer unrivalled strength and efficiency for superior range.

I just spotted a poster about this at the Port of Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Figured I would pass it along, although it’s a few months old at this point.

While I’m talking about fire extinguishers, though, let me take this opportunity to remind you to take a look at yours next time you’re on the boat. Check to make sure they’re fully charged, but beyond that, removed them from their brackets and examine them for signs of corrosion, and to make sure they haven’t expired.

Also, it’s a good idea to make sure you (and the rest of the crew!) know how to remove and operate them.

Anyway, here’s the release from the Consumer Product Safety Commission:

March 12, 2009
Release # 09-151
Firm’s Recall Hotline: (888) 345-4407
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

Kidde Recalls to Replace Fire Extinguishers Due to Failure to Operate

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of product: Kidde XL Fire Extinguishers

Units: About 167,000

Distributor: Walter Kidde Portable Equipment Inc., of Mebane, N.C.

Hazard: The pressurized cylinders in the recalled fire extinguishers could lose pressure and fail to operate. In the event of a fire, this failure could put a consumer and property at risk.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: This recall involves the Kidde XL Fire Extinguishers with model numbers FX340SC, FX340H, FX340GW, XL5MR, FX210R, FX340SC-2, FX210W, XL2.5TCZ-4, E-340-3 and with manufacture dates between October 2007 and April 2008. “Kidde” and the model number can be found on the label on the front of the extinguisher. The manufacture year is on the bottom of the extinguisher. If your extinguisher is one of the listed model numbers and is marked with the year 07 or 08, contact Kidde to determine if you have a recalled extinguisher.

Sold at: Department, home, and hardware stores nationwide from October 2007 through April 2008 for about $35.

Manufactured in: Mexico

Remedy: Consumers should immediately inspect the pressure gauge. If it points to the red zone, contact Kidde to receive a free replacement extinguisher. If the gauge is not in the red zone, but you have questions about an extinguisher within the listed model numbers, please contact Kidde for additional information.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Kidde at (888) 345-4407 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.Kidde.com

[It's another MadMariner feature from a few weeks back. —Tim]

Boating safety authorities agree: you should create a float plan, and you should leave copies with trusted friends or family members. “We’re going cruising in the islands for a couple of weeks” does not constitute a float plan. The information must be comprehensive.

These days, float plan management goes well beyond a paper itinerary and the occasional telephone call. Social networking websites, such as Twitter and Facebook, properly used, can augment a traditional float plan. They can providing folks at home with real-time updates, and in an emergency, can give authorities access to concise, relevant information about your voyage prior to the emergency, while simultaneously reducing the record-keeping task burden placed on the folks following your voyage from home.

FLOAT YOUR PLAN

The term “float plan” can mean two slightly different things. An “operational float plan” is something you create for your own use, including waypoints, course headings, weather and tide forecasts, navigational notes, and other details.

The second type – the kind we’re concerned about here – is similar to an aviator’s flight plan: a brief description of your trip so that others will know how to locate you. If you do not check in with the holders of your plan at the scheduled end of your trip, they contact the authorities to report you overdue.

(more…)

Time for another Navagear feature at MadMariner! This time, it’s a new look at all the cruising wikis I could find. Longtime readers will recall Cruising Wiki Shoot-Out #1 from about 18 months ago.

A lot has changed since then…and yet all the contenders still have room for improvement. To be fair, I’m a fairly critical consumer of reference products, though.

Since Garmin says that there is “no certainty an offer would be made” to purchase Raymarine, but has nevertheless stated that any purchase offer would be in cash, I’m going to go out on a limb and make this newsworthy pronouncement:

If Navagear makes an offer to buy Raymarine, it will definitely be on credit. We just don’t have enough cash on hand to buy Raymarine outright. But we could hit up some relatives, take out a second mortgage, and try to get some money together, I guess.

So there it is: Navagear is considering buying Raymarine! Tell Reuters. Tell Panbo.

Of course, just like Garmin, there is “no certainty an offer will be made.” I’m just saying…

Panbo has the scuttlebutt, which I’ll quote below.

I’m not sure how to feel about this. As a consumer, I’ve got a boat equipped with lots of Raymarine gear, and I have mixed feelings about some of it.

And on the other hand, I’ve got my eye on some Garmin products, but I don’t have much experience as a Garmin customer. Is Garmin’s customer service is “better” than Raymarine’s? Would such a deal be a “win” for consumers?

This is starting to get serious!  While this Reuters article also notes Garmin’s disclaimer that “there was no certainty an offer would be made”, yesterday Garmin had no comment at all.  Personally I have no knowledge of this deal whatsoever, and can tell you that the product people I know at both these companies seem to be full speed ahead.  But I’m starting to monitor the financial news closely.  Somewhat strangely, the most complete and original reporting seems to be coming from a Reuter’s guy in Bangalore, India; his piece yesterday helped me understand why this acquisition might make sense for Garmin:  Foreign distribution and an “OEM footprint” (in case the boatbuilding business ever comes back to life).  But how would the product lines be “rationalized” and what would a big Garmin/Raymarine combination mean to the relatively little recreational marine electronics industry?  Let’s discuss.

It was only a matter of time before this occurred. I guess I should be grateful it took over eight months for me to make this simple mistake! Anyway, the most recent few items obviously belong over at PugetSoundMaritime.com. Sorry about that!