I generally purchase antenna mounting hardware that allows me to fold antennas, but they can be bulky and expensive. This might be a great solution aboard some boats. The press release:

Whether an owner is trailering the boat, fishing or navigating under a low bridge, getting the antenna down and out of the way should be effortless. The 5247-A Lift-n-Lay VHF whip antenna from Shakespeare Electronic Products Group answers the call. The whip itself simply folds over when needed, especially convenient when covering or storing a boat.

Featuring a low-profile, single-section design, the versatile 3′ Lift-n-Lay is an end-fed, 3dB, base-load VHF antenna with a sealed, copper wire coil. The whip’s stainless steel construction provides extra stability when a boat moves at high speeds.

Making installation easy, the Lift-n-Lay antenna’s SO-239 connector is simply passed through a horizontal surface up to 1/2" thick. A handy L-bracket for mast or side mounting is included.

The convenient 5247-A Lift-n-Lay VHF antenna from Shakespeare has a suggested retail price of $100.95. Coax cable and the PL-259 connector are sold separately.

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.

This must-read roundup of electrical instruments by Dan Corcoran appears over at Panbo:

In the fall there were a lot of magazine articles on tools everyone should have on their boat including favorite tools, tools distance cruises should have, unusual tools, multi purpose tools, and so forth. In this article I bring some focus to tools of the battery operated kind I use on my boat.

Read more

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.

[It’s a press release from the US Coast Guard, but it contains powerful reminders of the sort of thing I’m always harping on here at Navagear. Consider yourselves harped at! —Tim]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Coast Guard is still in the process of completing the tow of a 24-foot disabled vessel after late night and early morning searches resulted in the rescue of three people Sunday, approximately 40-miles northwest of Anclote Key.

At approximately 10:00 p.m. Saturday, Coast Guard watch standers at Station Sand Key received a call from a concerned friend of three men who had failed to return from a fishing trip Saturday afternoon, as expected.  Alberto Rodriguez, Raul Estrada, and Albert Valdez left for a fishing trip 60-miles northwest of Anclote Key, and were unable to return after experiencing mechanical problems with their 24-foot Proline boat.  The men were able to contact a friend to report their distress, but were not able to give their exact location.

At 10:20 p.m., watch standers at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg directed the launch of an HH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Fla., to search for the men.  Unable to locate the boat throughout the night, additional searches were continued from the air station this morning, with the launch of an HC-130 Hercules flight crew.  At approximately 8:45 a.m., a 47-foot motor life boat was launched from Station Sand Key, after search crews aboard the HC-130 airplane spotted a flare set off by the three men, approximately 40 miles northwest of Anclote Key.

The vessel is being towed to Coast Guard Station Sand Key, and the three men are reportedly in good condition.

"This is a good example of why all boaters should file float plans and have several signaling devices available to them,” said Capt. Timothy Close, commander, Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg.  "Float plans work, and signaling devices work.  We were able to find them largely because they filed a float plan, and brought means of communication and signaling devices with them."

The Coast Guard reminds boaters to follow these 10 simple steps to be safe and responsible on the water:
1.   Always wear your life jacket.
2.   Avoid mixing alcohol and boating.
3.   Check your flares, fire extinguisher and other safety equipment to be certain it is in good condition and up-to-date.  The Coast Guard Auxiliary and U.S. Power Squadrons offer free vessel safety checks that can help identify these or any other potential programs.  Know your boat and its passengers.
4.  Familiarize yourself with an online weather service so it becomes a routine part of your pre-departure planning. Knowing potential conditions before you go makes float planning easier.  The National Weather Service broadcasts marine weather forecasts regularly.  Tune your VHF marine radio to 162.4 MHz or log onto the National Weather Service website at:www.nws.noaa.gov.
5.  Tell a friend, family member or marina harbormaster where you are going and file a float plan.  If you change plans, let them know.
6.  Purchase an emergency positioning indicating radio beacon, or EPIRB.  Register it with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  Registration is mandatory, improves response and reduces false alarms.  It can also be completed online at www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov.
7.  Keep updated navigational charts on your boat and use them.   
8.  Register your marine radio and obtain a free MMSI number that is assigned to a DSC radio.
9.  Shut off your engines when approaching swimmers or divers.
10.  Take at least one certified boating safety course.

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

The first major pleasure boat rescue operation of 2010 occurred on January 2. Dennis Clements, 55, was forced to abandon his Cal 39 sailboat Gloria A Dios when it was dismasted and holed in severe weather about 300 miles off the coast of North Carolina.

Gloria A Dios means "Glory to God," and Clements believes he owes his survival to divine intervention. Watching the Coast Guard interview with him, it’s difficult to disagree. His account is moving; very few of us will ever experience the many tiny miracles with which our own lives are blessed in such an unequivocal way as did Clements.

But even the sort of divine intervention Clements received would not have saved him had it not been for the professionalism and cooperation of two powerful organizations, along with a tremendous amount of technology.

[Clements on solid ground once more. USCG photo]

Navagear is a gear and gadgets blog, so I’d like to examine the technology side of this amazing rescue. I admit that this is the least glamorous aspect of the incident. It’s tough to compete with Navy and Coast Guard heroism, let alone divine intervention from the Almighty! So I won’t try. Instead, I’m going to recount the incident as I understand it, focusing on the tools and gear involved.

THE RESPONSE

At the risk of seeming glib, let me refer to the punchline of an old joke. In the joke, a recently deceased flood victim, about to enter heaven’s pearly gates, can’t understand why God didn’t intervene to save him, to which St. Peter responds, "We sent two boats and a helicopter!"

Clements is not like the fellow in the joke, which is probably why he’s alive today. When things became dangerous aboard Gloria A Dios, his ACR Satellite 2 Category II EPIRB was activated. This is an older model, not equipped with integral GPS like the newer units, so it took a bit longer for satellites associated with the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) to zero in on the vessel’s position. EPIRBs are great, but for the record: GPS-equipped EPIRBS are even better.

Once the EPIRB was activated, the U.S. Coast Guard Fifth District went into action. Air Station Elizabeth City launched a HC-130J Hercules aircraft to search for the sailboat. An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast was transmitted, and satellite Enhanced Group Calls were used to identify other vessels in the area that might be able to assist. A commercial vessel participating in the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER) was diverted toward the stricken sailboat.

The US Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) was conducting air operations not far away, and immediately changed course and sailed at high speed toward the distressed mariner. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard’s Hercules crew was enroute to the source of the EPIRB signal.

The Coast Guard’s HC-130J variant of the familiar Lockheed C-130 aircraft is optimized as a long-range surveillance aircraft. It is equipped with a rich array of sophisticated electronics, including FLIR’s Star Safire III electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) imaging system, which generated the visuals you see in the Coast Guard video of the sailboat and the liferaft drop. Keep in mind this video was taken in the midst of severe weather conditions including mixed rain, sleet and snow, yet the sailboat shows up clearly.

Keep reading →

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!

Mark and Diana Doyle contacted me recently about their newest release, and a limited-time, special offer that Navagear readers may be interested in:

Anyway, as celebration and as a way of thanking everyone, we’re running a one-month freebie from our site. We’re just cutting the 5th edition (2010) of our 2-DVD set, Managing the Waterway: Complete Electronic Chart and Nautical Reference Library. So the "thank you" part is … if people buy the DVDs, they get a free copy of Get Onboard With E-Charting ($34.95) to go with it … kind of the ultimate companion or "user’s guide."

Sounds like a good deal! It expires February 28, though, so as they say on the late-night TV infomercials, “Act Now!”

Here’s the official press release on the new release:

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (January 26, 2010) — Managing the Waterway cruising guide authors Mark and Diana Doyle have released their fifth annual update of Managing the Waterway: Complete Electronic Chart and Nautical Reference Library (2-DVD Set).

“I’ll be honest,” states Doyle, “When we started downloading NOAA charts as a convenience for our cruising guide customers we never thought the product would evolve like this or that we’d be doing updates five years later.”

DVD 1 contains the entire NOAA raster chart library in standard BSB format. The charts are organized into nine popular cruising geographies and cataloged for easy loading and unloading into all of the popular e-charting applications including Coastal Explorer, Fugawi, The Capn, Nobeltec VNS and Admiral, MacENC, and others.

DVD 2 contains vector charts, nautical publications, and free & trial e-charting applications.

Keep reading →

In case you weren’t already 100% convinced by my own article that converting to Smartplug is a Do-It-Yourself project you can accomplish, check out the new videos from the SmartPlug folks. I’ve embedded just the first one…the overview. The rest are available on the SmartPlug site.

[As an aside, please notice how the video’s title page says “Introduction to the SmartPlug with TV’s Mike Miller.” Hold on! Could it be that somebody at SmartPlug is a fan of TV’s Frank?]

Oh, and of course there’s a press release to go with the new videos…

Seeing is believing and boaters can view just how simple it really is to switch to a new, safer shorepower system. SmartPlug Systems created two short installation videos, giving owners a better understanding of how to retrofit their current system with the revolutionary SmartPlug system.

The videos feature the 30 amp connector and inlet and can be found on www.smartplug.com on the Videos page, as well as on the site’s individual installation pages. One movie, www.smartplug.com/install_30a_plug.html, demonstrates how to retrofit the connector, while the other, www.smartplug.com/install_30a_inlet.html, shows how to adapt the inlet. Step-by-step written instructions with accompanying photos are also available on the installation section of the website.

Those who want to learn more about the SmartPlug system can watch www.smartplug.com/videos.html. A unique shorepower system, the SmartPlug is designed to replace the outdated standard in use today. It helps prevent loose connections and corrosion, the leading causes of marine fires and electrocution.

I wrote a little bit about this last week while covering the Seattle Boat Show. Now the press release comes out, complete with a little note: A C-Pod Security System will be on display at the Cobra Marine booth #1610 at the Miami International Boat Show, February 11-15 in Miami, Florida.

Gosh, and to think I saw it at Tim and Marya’s North Pacific Marketing booth at the Seattle show a week ago! Anyway, on with the press release…

When boaters are away from their vessel, it’s important for them to know their investment is safe and sound. Giving owners peace of mind, the C-Pod Security System offered by Cobra Marine, a division of Cobra Electronics, monitors and manages any vessel through the internet or a mobile phone. Notifications are sent instantly via the web or by text message, if events, such as battery shortages, unauthorized movement, high water levels, intrusions or fires, occur on board.

The C-Pod can also be used to remotely switch on equipment, such as AC, heating or a refrigerator, and accurately serves as a GPS tracking device. All communication setup is controlled through mycpod.com and users can choose the recipients of the alarms and warnings, ensuring they’re never missed. Owners can also log on via the internet to view updated information regarding boat position, speed and status.

Equipped with GeoFence, an alarm is triggered if the vessel is moved more than 820′ without authorization. The C-Pod is monitored using a Heartbeat function, which sends out a signal at regular intervals. If a Heartbeat fails, such as if the system is disabled, a warning is sent to notify the owner.

Easy to install, the system is plug-and-play capable and utilizes up to 12 optional sensors. Sophisticated accessory options include a two-way remote control, smoke detector, high water sensor, high gain antenna, motion detector, connection hubs, siren and 12 or 24V remote switched relays.

The C-Pod system from Cobra Marine retails for $499.95 and comes with the C-Pod communication unit, GSM and GPSantennas, 33′ of power cable, 20′ of USB cable, remote activation button with status LED, magnetic intrusion alarm, manual and a three-year warranty in the USA. Activation requires a $24.95/month service fee and a two-year service contract. All GSM communication is included in the monthly fee. The service includes free international roaming to ensure optimum security in case of theft.