I’m reasonably certain Ben won’t mind me republishing his post today. Navagear readers ought to complete the survey too!

Almost 400 marine electronics users have already taken the survey announced here earlier this month, and Marine Technology Analysts (MTA) has done a little preliminary data crunching.  Users were asked to name up to three of their favorite sources and, while 152 outlets were named, the top 11 seen above appeared in 60% of the surveys.  MTA also tells me that some strong patterns are developing in terms of what users most desire from those sources, not to mention what they want in terms of products.  But more data would be great.  Please take a 10-15 minute break to fill out the survey today; chances are good that the effort will help the marine electronics industry, Panbo, and ultimately you.

Time for another Navagear feature at MadMariner. This time, I talk about the Seattle Boat Show and what it might mean for the recreational boating business.

Take a look, if only to spot my daughter’s first nationally published photograph!

Never mind the planned decommissioning of Loran-C , who’s going to keep my compass working?!? Bill Haimes has this item at Three Sheets Northwest:

The magnetic compass has been with us on the water for a thousand years or so. Recently, though, it has often been overshadowed by the near magic of GPS. For the serious sailor, however, it is the most basic and the most essential navigation instrument. When all else fails—the engine, the electrical system or the GPS itself—the compass still works, showing us the way to safety.

The availability of spare parts and service facilities for compass maintenance is becoming a problem. On Dec. 18 of last year, one of the major U.S. manufacturers notified dealers that it would cease production and support as of Jan. 1. Danforth, a mainstay of yacht navigation for more than half a century, has exited the compass business. Employees were laid off at the start of the normal two-week Christmas shut-down of the company’s plant in Gloucester, Mass.

Most compass repair facilities received leaked information about the pending closure several months ago and stocked up on parts. Negotiations are now underway to establish a source of aftermarket parts through a highly regarded shop in southern New England.

Read more

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.

Here’s another one of those Puget Sound Maritime items that, previously, you would have spotted here at Navagear.

While driving through Ballard the other day, I was somewhat shocked to see that Seaview Boatyard East was full of boats!

I thought we had a big recession on. What gives?

Click over to read the post at PugetSoundMaritime.com.

I’m sad, because I wrote several articles for Pacific Yachting PNW, and was sort of hoping to write a few more! In fact, the current (spring 2009) issue has an article I wrote starting on page 48.

Marty McOmber at Three Sheets Northwest has the story:

Seattle’s Pacific Yachting PNW—the American arm of a popular Canadian boating magazine—is publishing its final local issue this month, another sign of the economic troubles gripping the region’s maritime community.

Canada’s Pacific Yachting has been a staple of the B.C. boating community for four decades. Two years ago, the magazine’s publisher launched Pacific Yachting PNW to build on its already strong reputation and attempt to capture a bigger share of readers and advertisers south of the Canadian border.

But the publication isn’t disappearing entirely from Washington. Instead, OP Publishing, which owns both magazines, will send American subscribers the Canadian version of Pacific Yachting, but with a dedicated local news section covering Puget Sound and surrounding waters.

Click over to read the whole story.

I’m sad. The Offshore Store has been a great resource. I hope our buddies over there keep in touch as they move forward. Let Navagear know what you’re up to, guys!

Closing Our Doors
Friday, February 13th
All Inventory Must Go!
Due to a number of circumstances — not the least of which has been a remarkable drop in sales over the past couple of quarters — after nearly seven years of operation, we have decided to close The Offshore Store.

Friday, February 13, will be the last day that The Offshore Store will be open for retail business.

(more…)

JackRabbit Marine’s website seems to be down, and their blog, Ask Jack Rabbit, is just…gone!

Anybody know what’s up? I’ve sent an email to Peter James of Ask Jack Rabbit. Until I hear something authoritative, though, I’m stumped.

Olympic Boat Center is sort of a Puget Sound institution. Even non-boaters know the jingle: “We’ll make a boat nut out of you!” Heck, the URL is www.boatnut.com.

But alas…the economy, the price of fuel, and “consumer confidence” are conspiring to make it a VERY difficult year for boat builders and dealers.

According to The Seattle Times, “The parent company of Redmond-based Olympic Boat Centers, a seller of boats and yachts including Bayliner, Maxum, Meridian and Trophy, filed for bankruptcy protection along with several affiliates.”

You can read the whole story in the Seattle Times. It bums me out, and I’m not even a customer.