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

The 2010 Seattle Boat Show wrapped up on Saturday, February 6, and everyone in the recreational boating industry is wondering: how was it? Did consumers show up? Did they spend any money? What does it mean for the industry as a whole? The entire boating world is holding its breath, waiting for somebody to answer these crucial questions.

OK, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, but the Seattle Boat Show is the largest boat show on the west coast, and manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, and retailers really do want to know about it.

Never fear, Navagear is here. I attended the boat show every day it was open, from the preview event to the very last day. I met new people, I caught up with old friends, I learned about lots of new products, and I brought home a new Feathercraft BayLee dinghy for my boat.

[KIERA RUDDEN-FLANAGAN photo. This year's total attendance (at both the Qwest Field Events Center and the Lake Union "Boats Afloat" location) was 59,607, compared to 54,835 a year ago, an increase of almost 9 percent.]

While it was a successful boat show for me, what about the exhibitors?

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[WOOPS! I meant to post this to my OTHER blog, PugetSoundMaritime. Oh well, I figure these little mistakes are really an opportunity to let Navagear readers know about PugetSoundMaritime.com. —Tim]

Bob Simmons has the article at Crosscut:

NOAA says it’s headed south, get used to it. Some of those who run the ships are anything but happy about it.

NOAA’s decision move from Seattle to Newport Oregon was a "quality of life" choice, Capt. Michele Bullock told the press last summer. She’s the amiable commander of NOAA’s Pacific Marine Operations Center where the big research ships have been located for 50 years, but not much longer if NOAA has its way.

Read more

Yes, it’s 100% off topic, but I wanted to share with my readers that a model bridge I built for a friend’s garden railroad happens to be featured on the cover of the current issue of Garden Railways magazine, described in the caption as “Tim’s Bridge”.

This bridge, a simple “King post” truss, was built from cedar as a proof-of-concept for techniques I intended to employ in a larger structure for my own little railroad. No glue holds it together; it’s strictly brass and carbon steel mechanical fasteners, which have rusted and discolored nicely over the years. It has remained outdoors constantly for…three years? Maybe longer.

Unfortunately, I never got around to completing the larger bridge!

Deborah Bach over at Three Sheets Northwest has this helpful article:

Still wondering what to get your favorite boater for Christmas in a year when your budget’s about as tight as a rusty turnbuckle?

Fear not, fretful shopper. There are plenty of last-minute gift options for boaters that won’t sink you financially. And if you’re like many Americans, thrifty is in this holiday season.

U.S. households are expected to spend an average of $390 on Christmas gifts this holiday season, down from $418 last year, according to The Conference Board, a business research group. Northwest households plan to spend $343, the second lowest amount among regions nationwide, the group found.

In keeping with that new frugality, Three Sheets Northwest asked four local marine retailers for suggestions on gifts for boaters priced at $50 or less. They came up with practical options, with something to suit virtually any boater on your list. Their suggestions follow. (Wherever possible, we’ve included hyperlinks so you can view the item online).

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[Hey, I guess if Navagear can publish a holiday gift guide, then why not the US Coast Guard? —Tim]

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard, as a public service to holiday gift shoppers, announced Friday its recommended gift ideas for 12 nautical days of Christmas.

The singularly most important gift for mariners this year is a marine GPS navigation system. With the intended termination of Loran-C signals set for as early as Jan. 4, 2010, marine GPS units will be a necessity to any boater who currently relies on the Loran-C system for navigation. 

"Nothing says ‘I love you’ to a mariner like the gift of a marine GPS navigation, a Coast Guard approved life jacket, boating safety course or 406 MHz electronic position indicating radio beacon," said Lt. Cmdr. Chris O’Neil, the Coast Guard’s chief of media relations.  "Regardless of the occasion or holiday, the gifts we recommend this year can save a loved one’s life, making them the perfect gift this season, or throughout the year.  Diamonds are pretty, and big-screen, high-definition televisions are great for watching the big game, but they won’t help you prevent a boating accident, or survive after you’ve been in one."

Among the Coast Guard’s recommended nautical gifts are:

• A Marine GPS navigation system
• A 406 MHz EPIRB (make sure you register it after purchase, or rescuers may be delayed in reaching you!)
• A Coast Guard-approved life jacket (because they float, you don’t…)
• A handheld VHF-FM radio
• A Boating Safety Course (boater education saves lives — it’s a fact)
• Vessel Safety Check (VSC) from the Coast Guard Auxiliary (it’s free!)
• A Coast Guard approved fire extinguisher
• A first aid kit in a watertight container 
• A seamanship book
• Nautical charts for the areas your favorite mariner frequents
• A signaling kit
• A life raft with a survival kit

Some of the most valuable gifts don’t cost anything but time, such as scheduling a free vessel safety check with your local Coast Guard Auxiliary.  For more information on scheduling a free vessel safety check visit www.safetyseal.net.  To find a boating safety course in your area visit http://www.aboutboatingsafely.com/.

From the Coast Guard family to yours, Happy Holidays!

Time for another Navagear feature at MadMariner. This time, I’ve expanded my list of Navagear gift ideas. Most of these are things I own and use myself, and would not hesitate to recommend. In one case, however, I decided to include an item I do not own myself. Can you guess which item that is?

[Woops! Once in a while I forget to reset my favorite offline blogging tool (Windows Live Writer) from "Navagear" blog to "Puget Sound Maritime" blog, and so my Navagear readers see these off-topic posts. I could pull them down, but maybe it's a good thing to remind Navagear readers about the existence of sister blog PugetSoundMaritime.com. —Tim]

West Seattle Blog (which has actually grown to become a kind of primary news source for ultra-local current events) has this item:

In the past few weeks, we’ve heard from several people about a traffic problem on the “low bridge” during rush hours, involving truck backups, and Port of Seattle Police directing traffic. Rob was the first to e-mail, and he made the Google Map you see above (follow the “View Larger Map” link for more details on what it shows). Most recently, Desiree wrote the other day to ask about this. We inquired with the port – so here, for starters, is what we received back from Port spokesperson Peter McGraw…

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The Everett Herald has the story/ The photo is by Mark Mulligan:

EVERETT — A boat docked at the Port of Everett’s 10th Street Boat Launch caught fire about 7:15 p.m. Thursday, sending a big plume of black smoke drifting over north Everett and attracting a crowd of onlookers, many who were out to watch the sunset.

Everett firefighters quickly had the fully involved blaze out.

Boat owner Mike Malloy of Everett said he started up his 22-foot Bayliner and had it running a few minutes when it backfired and burst into flames. He tried to use a fire extinguisher but ended up having to jump from the burning boat to a nearby boat-launch dock.

Malloy was not injured and no other people or boats were involved.

“Thank God for insurance,” Malloy said.

[Read more]

Time for another Navagear feature at MadMariner! This time, it’s a look at Digital Selective Calling. DSC can do a lot of clever things. Or it could, if the manufacturers would bother to create usable interfaces for it!

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!