[We’ve had some local excitement around here with our resident orcas coming a bit further south than usual, and with salmon fishing going strong, it means lots of folks are out on the water. With cameras. This is a piece I just posted over at sister blog PugetSoundMaritime, and figured my Navagear readers might appreciate it as well. —Tim]

Christopher Dunagan has this item in his blog at the Kitsap Sun:

When killer whales swim really fast, it’s called porpoising. Some of the most dramatic orca photographs capture whales in mid-leap. If you haven’t had enough killer whale images the past few days, I’d like to share a video shot Friday by amateur videographer Arpad J. “Jay” Faher of Renton.

The resident whales, including members of J pod, were swimming north near Patos Island in the Strait of Georgia, heading toward the Canadian border. Jay said he and his wife Angela and son Dalton were aboard the whale-watch boat Peregrine, operated by Capt. Jim Maya. It was about the same time Friday evening that transient killer whales were seen in Bremerton’s Sinclair Inlet. See Saturday story in the Kitsap Sun.

Boaters are reminded that they must stay at least 200 yards away from killer whales, as required by federal regulations. Moving into the path of whales is not allowed. It’s not easy shooting video from a boat at that distance, as Jay can testify.

See original: http://pugetsoundblogs.com/waterways/2011/08/30/amateur-video-captures-high-speed-killer-whales/#ixzz1WcQ09sKz

A world leader in electric propulsion, Torqeedo takes it to the next level at this year’s Miami International Boat Show, February 17-21, in Miami, Florida. In the company’s slip #126 at the Sea Isle Marina & Yachting Center and in booth #R86 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, it will debut a solar electric inflatable yacht tender.

Powered by a Torqeedo Travel 1003 electric motor and a Power Film solar panel, the new Sea Eagle 10.6 SRRIK features a drop stitch floor, patent-pending drop-stitch outside keel and weighs only 93 lbs. The Torqeedo 1003 short shaft motor weighs only 19.6 lbs and its integral lithium battery weighs only 9.9 lbs. The bimini-mounted Power Film solar panel weighs less than 4 lbs.

More powerful and stronger than previous models, the Travel 1003 has a 520 Wh lithium battery, which can be charged with the 45 watt, 24V Power Film solar panel. While under power, the solar panel continues to charge the Torqeedo motor, significantly extending its range. Fully fresh and saltwater-proof, it can also be rigged for remote throttle with its removable tiller arm.

The 10.6 SRRIK delivers tremendous stability and razor-sharp turning abilities with its inflated drop-stitch external keel, giving the same performance as heavier floorboard models. This inflatable craft measures 10’6" x 5’4".  Its tube diameter is 15.5" and has a weight capacity of 1,200 lbs.

An introductory show special package of $3,995 will be available at the Miami Convention Center in booth #R69 or more information can be found at www.murrays.com/solar.

Hey, this isn’t a bad idea! I’d be willing to give these a try. On with the press release…

Keeping diesel, gasoline and oil from damaging a vessel’s surfaces and polluting waterways is now incredibly simple. The new, patented Chadd Padd® enables boat owners to be proactive, not just reactive. As a multi-purpose spill response solution, this reusable mat catches and contains fuel before it becomes a problem.

Providing 10" x 10" of fuel absorbing power, the waterproof Chadd Padd is anti-static treated and can hold up to 4.5 oz. of petroleum products. Made of the same material marinas are required to have for Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) requirements, the effective pad saves owners fines and the hassle of clean up.

The Chadd Padd can be used multiple times for a variety of applications. With a perforated, partial hole design, it accommodates most filler ports for refueling or adding oil. The pad can also be employed as a drip mat, in the bilge before pump-out or when working with hydraulic fluid. It’s even disposable, in accordance with applicable regulations.

The economical Chadd Padd has a suggested retail price of just $9.95 for a convenient 6-pack, while a roll of 36 pads is $34.95. Enter promo code EZFUEL8 at www.chaddpadd.com to save 10%. Larger sizes, greater quantities, dispensers, Wind Chocks and other accessories are also available.

Head on over to C2134 (upstairs, in Electronics Alley) to see a demonstration of an electronic fuel spill prevention device called, appropriately, the Fuel Spill Guard.

Ken Wallenberg gave me the run-down, and it’s a convincing display. These units, manufactured locally on Whidbey Island, provide both visual and audible warnings that your tank is full, and they also include overflow tanks for additional spill prevention. Very cool.

Check out the website at http://www.fuelspillprevention.com to see the product line, including options for single and dual tank situations.

This strays a little off-topic for Navagear, but it’s pretty dang cool. I still have hopes that fuel cell technology will make a big splash for sailboats and other displacement-type vessels with low horsepower-to-displacement ratios.

Anyway, check out this story from Science Daily:

Zero CO₂ is the world’s first-hydrogen powered yacht with a fully integrated laboratory to study pollution in the Mediterranean.

[Image courtesy of Université Joseph Fourier]

The objective of the Zero CO₂ project is to sail around the Mediterranean using a clean carbon-free auxiliary motor (gasoline powered motors are commonly used in yachts for all port manoeuvres). The yacht will be presented for the first time at the Paris Boat Show in December 2009.  A 12m craft built by the RM shipyard of La Rochelle, the yacht will be equipped with an electric motor driven by a hydrogen fuel cell, developed by CEA Liten of Grenoble.

Test pollution levels in the Mediterranean using a built-in laboratory

A scientific platform installed on the yacht by the University Joseph Fourier (UJF) and its technology transfer subsidiary, Floralis, will be used to collect scientific data on man-made pollution throughout the length of the 10 month trip. The yacht will travel around the Mediterranean coast as far as Turkey on a journey that will commence in March, 2010.

[Read more...]

“New gadget makes grilling easy, green!”

Wait, what?!

“Recyclable instant grill comes complete with foil pan, grill grate, stand and 100% natural charcoal for superior grilling and convenience.”

Hold on. You’re trying to tell me that a throwaway grill is environmentally friendly?

This press release comes out of Kirkland, a pleasant suburb of Seattle with its own marina on Lake Washington. Regular readers know that I usually go out of my way to help promote products by neighbors within the region.

But a disposable grill? Actually, I don’t have anything against a disposable grill, in principle. It’s just the strong ecofriendly marketing angle that makes me skeptical. I guess I need to be convinced on the “green-ness” factor.

Oh well, on with the press release!…

Kirkland, WA – (June 24, 2009) – The all-in-one BBQ and 100% recyclable portable grill concept that has taken Europe by storm is now available in the U.S., courtesy of P&M Products, LLC. The EZ Grill™, complete with foil pan, stand, grill grate and 100% natural instant charcoal (all recyclable), makes cooking meats and vegetables easy, natural tasting, eco-friendly and convenient – the perfect grilling solution for home or apartment use, campers, travelers, tailgaters and passionate on-the-go BBQ lovers.

“The EZ Grill is our way of sharing our love for grilling and the environment with the rest of the world,” said Phillip Swan, CEO for P&M Products, LLC. “Because we have such a personal connection to the BBQ experience, we are able to satisfy all the key benefits consumers are looking for nowadays: quality, convenience, affordability and sustainability.”

All the materials provided are completely recyclable, even the packaging, metal grate, stand and charcoal – which gives users a natural flavor without the additives, chemicals and fillers associated with traditional charcoal. EZ Grill’s all-natural ingredients include carbon from rice, corn and wheat stalks, corn starch for binding and mineral oil for ignition.

The EZ Grill, available in regular size (1.81 lbs) and party size (3.31 lbs) for $4.99 and $9.99, respectively, lights with just one match and consistently cooks for up to 1 ½ hours post ignition to ensure superior grilling quality and flavor.

The EZ Grill can be purchased at Winn-Dixie stores and at www.ezgrill.com; additional retailers coming soon.

Here’s another recent Puget Sound Maritime post I feel some Navagear readers might find interesting. Heck, some might find it offensive, one way or another. I normally avoid expressing opinions, particularly off-topic. But the more I learn about this, the more I fear we are literally “loving the whales to death.”

Mark Anderson is chairman of Orca Relief, and was founding executive director of The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor. He had something to say in Sunday’s Seattle Times:

Most people know it is illegal to harass marine mammals, but I would guess that readers may not know the simple pursuit of our local whales violates federal law. Both the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act specifically state that pursuit is illegal.

This makes sense. Can you imagine an endangered wolf population, being chased all day every day by tourists on all-terrain vehicles? The situation with our orca is not much different.

I agree. It’s not much different. I saw some orca while out on Two Lucky Fish last summer. How did I find them? Um, it was incredibly easy, because every whale-tour boat in sight was racing to the scene, and you couldn’t mistake the two lines of slow-moving boats, bracketing the whales between them.

My guests, visitors from Europe, were thrilled. So was I. But I was also a little bit sickened. These creatures have to put up with this all day long, every single day?!?

That’s not OK. An occasional, incidental sighting by one or two vessels is one thing, but the wholesale commercial pursuit of the orca is incredibly disruptive for them. Even, perhaps, “harassment” in a legal sense.

And it’s really a shame because a LOT of the customers aboard those tour boats probably consider themselves environmentalists! If only they understood the situation better, perhaps they would have chosen to spend their money elsewhere.

[Information provided by the manufacturer. Is there something wrong with me that I both (a) embrace ecologically friendly products and (b) resent the many "green" marketing campaigns now underway, which feel vaguely Machiavellian somehow? By the way, this isn't about Pettit, in particular. I just had Two Lucky Fish's bottom painted with Pettit Vivid, and I couldn't be happier with it. —Tim]

Green products are all the rage right now, and with good reason.  However, Pettit Marine Paint was developing its clean formulas long before anyone was talking about global warming or climate change.  The company has made a long-term commitment to the research and development of the highest quality, most environmentally gentle marine paints and coatings.

“Pettit has developed additives and formulations that leave greatly reduced chemical footprints, some with nearly zero trace,” said Pettit general manager John Ludgate.  “Riding the wave of the future with breakthrough technologies, Pettit will continually introduce innovative new products for a cleaner tomorrow.”

For example, with Pettit’s composite copper technology, the traditional cuprous oxide is replaced with silica, reducing the copper content by up to 40%.  The result is a copper antifouling that provides superior protection and is made from materials naturally found in the ocean.

Vivid Eco from Pettit is an antifoulant made with 5% metal-free Econea and is as effective as those consisting of 50% copper.  Biodegradable, Econea is non-corrosive to metals and is safe to use on aluminum and all other underwater metals.

Water-based ablatives, such as Petitt’s Hydrocoat, combine outstanding anti-fouling protection with safe and easy application. Hydrocoat is tough enough to withstand frequent trailering, launching and beaching.  Replacing harsh solvents with water enables painting in the Fall and indoors.  Clean-up is simple with only soap and water.

White copper is the secret to Vivid’s pure white and black and wide range of brilliant colors.  This biocide is so effective it requires 50% less content than the heavy, dark copper used in conventional antifoulants.  It is friendlier to the environment and is just as effective as traditional biocides.

Zinc Omadine, also found in Vivid, is so safe the FDA approves its use in anti-dandruff shampoos.  Extremely effective against marine slime, algae and other soft growth, Zinc Omadine is colorless, allowing for a wide variety of paint colors.

One of the most advanced antifoulants available, self-polishing copolymer technology, found in Ultima Fusion, releases the precise amount of biocide necessary for complete protection.  The finish becomes slicker, smoother, faster and more fuel efficient over time, regardless of use.  Pettit’s exclusive trouble-free formula eliminates the problems associated with other copolymer products.

Pettit Marine Paint produces a complete line of high-performance marine coatings.  The company manufactures superior varnishes and high-quality antifoulant, bottom and topside paints.

[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.

You may have seen a headline like this in your paper: Lawn-Mower Emission Rule May Be Costly. Mentioned briefly in Megan Greenwell’s Washington Post article:

“All gas-powered recreational boats must reduce emissions by 70 percent [by 2010].”

Wait a minute…What?! “ALL”? Not just “newly manufactured” boats or engines?

The article doesn’t focus on boats, so I did my own research. Here’s what I learned from the EPA’s website:

“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is adopting new exhaust emission standards for marine spark-ignition engines and small land-based nonroad engines.  EPA is also adopting evaporative emission standards for equipment and vessels using these engines.  These standards apply only to newly manufactured products. The standards will reduce the harmful health effects of ozone and carbon monoxide from these engines, equipment, and vessels.”

Ah, OK. That’s fine, then. I’m all for it. Newer, cleaner engine technology provides benefits all around, in my opinion.

For instance, I love the 4-stroke, electronic-fuel-injected Johnson (but-manufactured-by-Suzuki) outboard motor hanging off Two Lucky Fish‘s transom. It’s relatively quiet, relatively clean, and incredibly reliable. Except, you know, for the unacceptable corrosion failure mine experienced and BRP/Johnson’s clever-but-disingenuous liability-dodging on the issue.