This isn’t a “gear and gadgets” story, unless you count gear and gadgets destroyed by a whale, I guess. But the story is so compelling that I’ve chosen to link to it here. Deborah Bach has the story at Three Sheets Northwest:

[The Beneateau 35 L'Orca rests in the water of West End Basin in Astoria after being struck by a whale and dismasted. Photos by Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class Shawn Eggert.]

The 35th annual Oregon International Offshore Race had just started Thursday morning when a whale about 30 feet long breached out of the water, smashing into one of the racing sailboats and dismasting it.

Ryan Barnes, who was driving the Beneteau 35 – ironically named L’Orca – said the boat was about half an hour into the 193-mile race from Astoria to Victoria, B.C. when a whale that looked to be a humpback breached about a foot off the boat’s starboard side.

“It hit the mast about halfway to three-quarters of the way up and then proceeded to fall forward and on the starboard side of the boat,” Barnes said in a video interview.

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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.

It’s an EXTREME dinghy. EXTREEEEME, I say!

Actually, I got to thinking, and this could be an awesome little boat in some roles.

Protector’s Jet can function as a yacht tender, a ski boat, or as a sailing coach/support boat, and has the capacity to serve as a multifunctional commercial patrol or safety vessel.

I could see this model taking off in the Pacific Northwest. And don’t even get me started on its potential as a US Coast Guard Auxiliary “facility”. Put a little radar arch/light bar on top of this baby with a nice blue strobe, and go to work.

Anyhoo, on with the press release!

Innovative Design Pairs PROTECTOR’s Legacy of Unparalleled Performance with Advanced Functionality in 20’ Category

Oakland, Calif. – PROTECTOR USA announced today, the release of its new leading-edge 20’ Protector – the Jet. An adventurous new design, the Jet combines the unparalleled quality, performance, stability and speed features of a Protector with the fun, power and safety attributes of Yamaha’s top line FX Cruiser SHO. Custom built with Protector’s precision craftsmanship, the boat is engineered to leverage the best attributes of these two great product lines. Protector’s Jet can function as a yacht tender, a ski boat, or as a sailing coach/support boat, and has the capacity to serve as a multifunctional commercial patrol or safety vessel. The Jet’s handling, speed, comfort and safety features make it the highest performing and most versatile boat in its class.

“This boat is fun to drive – fast, comfortable, dry and maneuverable,” said Tiffany Shiebler, marketing director, Protector USA. “Powered by a personal watercraft instead of a traditional outboard with a propeller, our Jet is safe and functional in shallow water and around swimmers, skiers, kite-boarders and sailors.”

Designed with shock-mitigating, chambered hypalon tubes and a solid, hand-laid fiberglass hull, the Jet offers smooth, secure high-speed handling in any sea condition. The ultra-spacious vessel has a 3-person cruiser seat and is equipped with optional rear seating to transport as many as six individuals. Capable of reaching speeds of up to 50 mph, the Jet features a supercharged Yamaha FX Cruiser SHO 1812cc, 4-cylinder, 4-stroke engine with electronic fuel injection. The watercraft is also equipped with a cruise-assist no wake mode, remote ignition transmitter, an adjustable tilt steering station, reverse mode with traction control technology, a 70 litre fuel tank, and dry storage capacity of up to 26-gallons. The Jet weighs 1700 lbs., and has beam that is 7’6” when inflated and 6’ deflated. All PROTECTOR vessels feature five-chambered hypalon tubes; UV and petroleum resistant color options; rubber “sure foot” flooring; and are protected by a 5-year structural hull warranty. The Jet’s optional accessories include rear molded bin seats with storage, a stainless guardrail for bin seats, a single axle trailer with surge braking system, lifting points for hoist launching and LED running lights.

Pricing and Availability:
Available now, PROTECTOR’s Jet is priced at US $58,750 and can be purchased directly from PROTECTOR USA. For more information on the Jet and accessory pricing, or to learn more about PROTECTOR and its entire line of performance boats, please visit www.protectorboats.com.

I wrote about the Feathercraft BayLee inflatable dinghies during the 2009 Seattle Boat Show, and now that I’ve had a chance to use my own BayLee 3 HD (the “flagship” of this diminutive fleet) a bit during the early part of the 2010 cruising season, I can report that it’s living up to my expectations.

Read my earlier review for the full story. Suffice to say this inflatable boat is designed to do one thing extremely well: It’s a tender for boats or float planes with limited storage space or strict weight restrictions.

Oh, it does one other thing extremely well, too: The kids love paddling around the marina in it! (I like the fact that there’s almost no chance they can damage anybody else’s boat with it.)

Michael Ellis has this item at Three Sheets Northwest. I recently got a chance to put a vintage Ranger Minto through its paces on Seattle’s Lake Union for the big Opening Day celebration, and I can really see what people like about these boats.

A little Northwest classic sails out of the past

[Photo by Michael Ellis: Mary Schoen with EDDON Minto #5 at her West Sound home on Orcas Island.]

There are a number of Northwest boat designs that have withstood the test of time, but few if any could rival the Minto sailing dinghy.

Because of the visual appeal of its fine lines, teak gunwales, teak seats, Sitka Spruce spars and the peculiar use of a steamship insignia on its sail, the Minto sailing dinghy always draws attention.

The little lapstrake is reported to have been “borrowed” by more builders than any other boat design known to have come out of the Northwest boating industry. And it was once cited by a Seattle policeman as the most frequently stolen dinghy in the area.

It’s no wonder that for the past 45 years, these classic skiffs have lured a loyal group of owners

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Navagear has made no secret of the fact that we’re fans of the Torqeedo line. So announcements like this aren’t really much of a surprise to us! Still, it’s nice to see Torqeedo getting the recognition. Here’s the release: Taking its commitment to the environment to the next level once again, Torqeedo was recently awarded an Innovation Award for its revolutionary Travel 503/1003 electric outboards at the Miami International Boat Show. The company’s continuous drive to improve its already technologically-advanced outboards won it the Environmental Award, a category in which only the judges can submit entries. The Innovation Awards are organized by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and judged by Boating Writers International (BWI).

The new motor offers a GPS receiver and tiller-integrated display that provides information on the remaining range at current speed, power consumption and state of charge. Zuzana Prochazka, Miami Innovation Awards chair, member of BWI Board of Directors and technical editor for Latitudes and Attitudes magazine added, "Torqeedo continues to show its commitment to providing alternative propulsion solutions and we felt this was an admirable step in the right direction toward environmental causes."

Lightweight and small in size, Torqeedo’s new Travel motors offer tremendous power and range. The Travel 503 is equivalent to 1.5 hp, while the 1003 is comparable to 3 hp. Tougher than their predecessor, they’re completely waterproof to IP67 standards. Also, the 1003 has a battery with 30% more capacity and an even higher level of efficiency than before. A solar panel is available to help recharge the lithium-manganese battery.

Well, not “glass”, really. Polycarbonate, actually. In any case, these thermoform kayaks (using a UV-stable ABS) from Vancouver, BC-based Seaward Kayaks look like fun.

This is the 10-foot Intrigue model, and I’ll bet that kids of all ages will find the ability to look down into the water…um…“intriguing.”

Dean Sevon of Popeye’s Marine & Kayak Center has a selection of kayaks and related gear on display upstairs at the north end of the Concourse upstairs. I guess I’ll have to stop calling the Concourse “Electronics Alley”.

[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.

Hot on the heals of last week’s “Here come the Mirage Hackers!” post, small-boat enthusiast Mack Horton informed us of his Strider project. Wow!

Mirage Hacking is a good term. I’ve built one hull specifically for the Mirage drive, and I’m building the next one which has a more refined hull shape.

Keep us updated, Mack!

I knew it was only a matter of time. The Hobie Mirage Drive has so many benefits over conventional pedal-driven propulsion systems, somebody would figure out a way to install it in a boat other than a Hobie kayak.

Let’s call these hypothetical folks “Mirage Hackers”.

Wooden Widget produces innovative dinghy designs, “easy to build, easy to stow.” Their Deckster is a hard dinghy with a hole in the middle designed to allow it to be stowed around the mast of even small cruising sailboats.

A hole in the middle, eh? Could that hole, perchance, be configured in such a way that it could accommodate a Hobie Mirage Drive unit? Yes, it could. 

Clever!

Thanks to Boat Bits for telling us about this.