Any boat enthusiast will tell you with boat ownership comes electronics and boating gear—and lots of it! Researching which boating gear is necessary for your boat can feel like a full-time job. At Southern Boating, our writers and boating experts have decades of experience reviewing electronics and gear to determine the best. We’ve done the legwork for you! We provide insider tips, insights, trends, and resources for hundreds of products. Browse through articles that include product photos, pricing, detailed specifications, links to manufacturer websites, tips on best use and much more!
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Lumishore’s TIX202 Thru-Hull underwater LED light offers exceptional performance. Creating the smallest interchangeable light array, the lights have the brightness of 4,100 fixture lumens. Suitable for transom, bottom or hull-side mounting, the lights have a life expectancy of 50,000+ hours, have marine-grade aluminum bronze housing and are recommended for 25 to 80-foot boats. Available in blue, white or green.
MSRP $879.99
lumishore.com
You see them in pretty much every land-based facility—those innocuous little sentinels that warn us of fire and carbon monoxide (CO). The good news for mariners is that their umbrella of protection doesn’t have to end at the water’s edge. Here’s why carbon monoxide detectors are essential for protecting you and your onboard guests.
CO is a potentially lethal gas produced when burning any carbon-based fuel (gasoline, diesel, propane, wood, etc.). While the most common source of CO is exhaust from gasoline or diesel engines, any open flame device such as a stove, heater or grill can produce it. Common signs of CO poisoning include headaches, dizziness, weakness, drowsiness, headache, and nausea—symptoms that can all too easily be attributed to seasickness, alcohol, or too much sun exposure rather than CO poisoning. Although death can occur quickly in a CO-rich environment, exposure to smaller amounts can be just as lethal. The effects of CO are cumulative and can build up gradually in a person’s bloodstream for hours or even days before reaching critical levels. How quickly this occurs is dependent on the concentration of CO being inhaled (measured in parts per million [PPM]) and the duration of exposure.
Unlike the smoke generated by a fire, carbon monoxide is colorless, tasteless and odorless, so the only reliable way to guard against it is the installation of a CO detector. The American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) Standard A-24 recommends the installation of carbon monoxide (CO) detectors for all boats utilizing inboard gasoline-powered engines or generators and featuring an enclosed accommodation compartment—defined as a contiguous space containing sleeping accommodations, galley area with sink and a head compartment. ABYC exempts diesel engines from this requirement and while it’s true they produce less CO than gasoline engines, my personal recommendation is that detectors be installed aboard both gasoline and diesel-powered vessels.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 302 calls for vessels 26 feet or more in length with accommodation spaces intended for sleeping to be equipped with a single-station smoke alarm listed to UL 217 (Standard for Single and Multiple Station Smoke Alarms) and suitable for use in recreational vehicles. ABYC requires that CO detectors be tested to UL 2034 standards.
CO can easily be generated by other sources on board or even introduced from nearby boats via the ventilation system. If you utilize a generator to power air conditioners and other appliances while at anchor, an even better option would be a CO alarm system designed to shut off the generator once CO is detected, such as those offered by Fireboy-Xintex (fireboy-xintex.com) or MariTech Industries (powerboatsafety.com).
Smoke and CO detectors can be purchased individually or as combination units. Another option to the traditional single unit smoke detector is Fireboy-Xintex’s FR Series Fire Detection Systems. The FR Series consists of a monitor panel that supports up to 14 remote smoke or heat detectors for a 12VDC system, or 8 detectors on a 24VDC system. Depending on the model, the FR systems support 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 zones plus up to 2 audible alarms per zone.
The first impulse for many boat owners is to purchase residential-type units, but be aware that some may not meet construction requirements for marine-grade units (such as Underwriters Laboratories standard 1524).
CO and smoke detectors can be either battery powered (the 9-volt type) or hardwired to a vessel’s DC system. The obvious benefit of battery-powered units is that they can be installed almost anywhere without the need for wiring; however, this lack of an external power supply can also be a disadvantage from a reliability standpoint.
Like their land-based counterparts, battery-powered marine detectors “chirp” to warn users when their internal battery is low. Unlike a typical land-based home or office, boats may go weeks or even months without use. As such, even if the unit chirps for weeks before dying, it’s possible no one will be around to hear it. The best policy here is to self-test the unit weekly and replace the batteries regularly as per the manufacturer. It’s important to note that in the past, CO detectors gained a bad reputation for generating numerous false alarms. Older “single point” alarms began shrieking at the slightest hint of CO, which could be unnerving as a whiff or two of CO commonly drifts into the cabin periodically throughout the day. Modern units use “time-weighted averaging” to determine the amount of CO present over a period of a few minutes rather than at one point in time, greatly reducing the number of false alarms.
Hardwired marine units are powered by the vessel’s 12- or 24-volt DC power system. Those designed for residential or commercial installations (should you still be tempted) utilize 120VAC, which may not always be available while cruising. Power for hardwired detectors must be provided (via an appropriate fuse or circuit breaker) from the “hot” side of the battery switch to prevent them from being accidentally shut off.
Neither ABYC or NFPA states specifically where CO or smoke detectors should be located on your vessel, however they do provide some general guidelines. Primarily, they must be located to monitor the atmosphere in the main cabin and each sleeping area.
Choose a location that both protects the detector from physical damage (rain, spray, sunlight, etc.) and avoids what ABYC calls “dilution of sampled air,” which could occur near hatches, ports, or forced ventilation openings. Locations containing “dead air” spaces should also be avoided to prevent distorted readings.
Unlike LPG or gasoline vapors, which are heavier than air, CO has roughly the same weight as oxygen meaning detector placement is not limited to high or low areas of the cabin. As such, choose a location that is roughly eye level, which makes it easier to monitor detector meters or warning lights.
Finally, both CO and smoke detectors have a limited lifespan. Detectors or sensors (if part of a system) typically need to be replaced every five years, however this varies between units. Check with the manufacturer and verify the recommended replacement intervals prior to purchase and installation.
The following general safety recommendations concerning the dangers of carbon monoxide apply to all vessels and in particular to houseboats and/or similarly constructed vessels:
1. Stay out of areas where carbon monoxide can collect while the engine or generator is running and for at least an hour afterwards. The Coast Guard advises owners and operators of boats to turn off generators with transom exhaust ports when the swim platform on the stern is in use.
2. Don’t allow swimmers near exhaust portals or areas where air pockets may be located under the boat. Swimmers should avoid the area beneath transom swimming platforms or rear decks while the engine or generator is running; if exhaust vents are located on the vessel’s side, these areas should be avoided as well. Adults should keep a close watch on children at all times, particularly when they are playing or swimming in the swim platform area. As a general rule, passengers or crew should not be allowed to sit on swim platforms while the vessel’s engine(s) or generator is running.
3. Use caution when boats are tied together, as carbon monoxide generated in one vessel can enter other nearby vessels via air conditioning intakes, open portholes, etc.
4. Know the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning and if suspected, relocate the victim to an area of fresh air and seek medical attention immediately.
5. Read and obey all carbon monoxide warnings placed on generators and engines by the manufacturer, and never tamper with or disconnect carbon monoxide detectors or monitors.
6. Turn off generators prior to going to sleep AND turn off the main AC breaker so “demand start” generators will not start during the night.
By Frank Lanier, Southern Boating June, 2015
If your boat is without a generator you’re stuck with 12-volt DC power like the cigarette lighter in your car—it’s fine for charging cell phones but it won’t work for a big screen TV. An inverter is the solution. Inverters take DC power from your boat’s batteries and turn it into AC power that you can use to power onboard electronics and appliances. Sensitive electronics like laptops and big screens are dependent upon the quality of the electricity used to power them. A modified sine wave output can result in poor picture and sound quality, and in rare cases cause a malfunction. An inverter such as Xantrex’s PROwatt SW offers true sine wave output, virtually free of higher frequency harmonics that often cause issues with sensitive electronics. How much electricity you want to produce and for how long depends upon how many batteries you want to carry.
Inverter technology has improved greatly over the past 20 years. In the early 1990s, a 2000-watt inverter weighed 100 pounds or more, and put out a modified sine wave form of AC current that was harsh on some electronics. While modified sine wave inverters are still offered, there are inverters now that put out a true or pure sine wave form of AC electricity that produces power like the 120-volt power outlet in your home. Pure sine wave inverters previously cost twice as much as modified sine wave inverters, but costs have come down dramatically in recent years. Today, the price difference is 10 to 20 percent more for a pure sine wave inverter, and the weight has been cut in half.
Inverters can be an efficient alternative to noisy generators that burn a lot of expensive gas or diesel. Inverters run silently, they don’t kick out any exhaust fumes and can provide up to 4.5kW of power depending on the size of the inverter and the battery bank you have on board.
To figure out how much power your battery bank will supply, simply find out the number of amp-hours the battery bank offers. Batteries serve as an energy source for 12- or 24-volt equipment as well as the DC power that the inverter uses to convert to AC power. The larger the battery bank— measured in number of amp-hours—the longer it will last.
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A boat owner must also factor in the loads on the batteries to accurately calculate both battery power required and the number of hours the battery will supply that power. Boats normally have DC loads such as lights and pumps, as well as AC loads such as appliances, TVs and other electronics. Add up the wattage draw of all appliances and make an allowance for future additions. For example, if you come up with a total of 2000 watts and then install a 2000-watt inverter, you’re tempting fate. The 2000-watt rating is for optimum performance, and if you push that to the edge, there may be problems if the inverter runs too hot or there are surges in power draw. It’s better to go with a 3000-watt inverter to have a cushion to account for surges and spikes in the power draw. Typically, a 3000-watt inverter will operate at its peak efficiency at about 2000 watts.
Today’s inverters, such as Charles Industries’ True Sinewave Inverter/Charger and the Xantrex Freedom SW 3000-watt Inverter/Charger, operate as an inverter, battery charger, dual 30-amp pass through and neutral ground/switching. The typical scenario is when you wake up in the morning on your boat and don’t want to run the engine to make coffee or operate the microwave. The inverter provides quiet AC electricity to run appliances, drawing the DC power from the batteries. Later, when people are up and about, the engine is turned on to recharge the batteries and higher power appliances such as air conditioners.
One important specification to note is the continuous rating of the power that the inverter supplies. Charles Industries’ True Sinewave Inverter/Charger has a continuous duty rating of up to 3200 watts, while Xantrex’s Freedom SW 3000 has a continuous duty rating of 3000 watts. Two Freedom SW 3000 units may be stacked for 6000 watts of power and 300 amps of battery charging capacity with generator control, including supplementing the generator’s power with inverter power for those temporary high power load conditions.
Another inverter/charger combination unit is OutBack Power’s M-Series inverter/charger, which is modularly expandable to provide a complete power conversion solution. The M-Series incorporates a DC to AC inverter, battery charger, and an AC transfer switch, which combines 30-amp pass through and neutral/ground switching. The M-series comes in sealed and vented models, with a continuous duty rating of up to 3000 watts for the sealed version and 3600 watts for the vented.
Today’s inverters can also work with the boat’s generator if you have one, so if the power load on the boat exceeds what the generator can output, the inverter can draw power from the batteries and add additional AC power to the boat’s electrical system to handle the load.
As boat owners decide to upgrade their current boat instead of buying a new one, adding or replacing the marine generator and either adding or replacing the inverter/battery charger can greatly improve the quality of life on board at a reasonable cost.
RESOURCES:
Charles Industries charlesindustries.com;(847) 806-6300
OutBack Power; outbackpower.com; (360) 618-4305
Xantrex; xantrex.com;(800) 446-6180
By Don Minikus, Southern Boating January 2015
Music is a huge part of boating and fun on the water, and today’s latest electronics make it easier than ever to enjoy tunes on your boat. Whether you’re into rock or Bach, hip-hop or Handel, there are ways to trick out your vessel with receivers, speakers and amplifiers that greatly improve sound quality and the functionality of the system.
Most boats have some type of audio/entertainment system already in place, and the question becomes whether you need to replace or simply enhance what you already have. If your current stereo receiver is pre-Bluetooth or doesn’t have an AUX input or USB connection, then it makes a lot of sense to upgrade to a new stereo receiver head unit. Why? Because most of today’s entry-level stereo receivers can still play AM/FM radio while offering Bluetooth/USB/AUX capability. That’s a huge benefit because now the music on your smartphone or iPad can be easily routed through the receiver and played on board.
Having those three connection options from your smartphone to the receiver—Bluetooth/USB/AUX—removes a lot of the headaches of getting the music off your phone so it can play through your boat’s speakers. While a USB connection is a great way to go because you can charge your phone while it delivers the music to the receiver, there are cases where the receiver does not support an Apple or Android product. So if you can connect to the receiver via Bluetooth or the 3.5mm AUX input—the headphone jack on your phone—you can get around any compatibility issues.
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One affordable option for upgrading your receiver is Prospec Electronics Milennia PRV21, which offers AM/FM radio and Bluetooth/USB/AUX—all for $179.95. The compact device measures 6″ x 4″ x 2½”; the receiver has a waterproof faceplate and is UV resistant. A green backlit LCD screen makes viewing what’s playing on the receiver easy.
For larger boats, the big push is for integration and control of individual vessel components onto a multifunction display. FUSION Entertainment’s new FUSION-Link™ is now available on multifunction displays from B&G, Furuno, Garmin, Humminbird, Lowrance, Murphy Instruments, Raymarine, and Simrad. This allows for easy control of the entertainment system using the split screens on your MFD.
FUSION’s True-Marine™ product line includes stereos with iPod/iPhone and DVD/CD system integration. FUSION-Link™ technology provides access, control and communication with multifunction displays, remotes and popular smartphones or tablets running the company’s app.
“The basic components in the FUSION setup are the stereo and speakers and away you go,” says Matt Champneys, owner of Rock the Boat Audio, an online marine stereo retailer. “A multi-zone system is popular on bigger boats; some stereos can manage up to four zones. For two zones, the receiver has a 2-ohm stable amplifier and you can wire up eight speakers to it. You put four speakers in each zone and they are powered by the head unit. If you want better sound then you can add additional amplifiers.”
For smaller boats with limited space on the dash, there’s the FUSION Ultimate Stereo Pack, a new bundled marine stereo package. It features the ultra-compact FUSION MS-RA205 stereo, the MS-UNIDOCK Universal Media Device Dock, Bluetooth, and a DIN sized mounting plate. It retails for $399.
The MS-RA205 delivers AM/FM radio, is SiriusXM ready, receives marine VHF and features multi-zone control that allows for the adjustment of volume, balance and subwoofer in areas throughout the boat independently or in relation to one another. The system’s UNI-Dock supports a wide array of smartphones, media players and USB devices, including Apple products, while keeping them powered and safe from saltwater.
Now, if you want to stay old school and just use your existing stereo receiver that delivers AM/FM radio to speakers on the boat, you can add an amplifier or upgrade your speakers easily. Aquatic AV’s digital 2-channel Shockwave Technology marine amplifier is rugged and waterproof, and helps boost sound in both 4-ohm and 2-ohm speaker configurations. It is specially designed with low-noise circuitry to produce high-quality, true sound reproduction from any source and retails for $399.
For a speaker upgrade, Prospec offers eight Milennia speaker models with a range of sizes and colors. The Milennia MILSPK352BG speaker delivers powerful sound in a small size. Built for use in wet conditions, it’s a complementary speaker to a larger system or can stand on its own. It measures 37/8″, while the cutout is 3¼”.
“Replacing speakers or adding an amplifier is a do-it-yourself job for the most part,” Champneys said. “The hardest part is running and fishing the wires throughout the boat and getting the speakers to fit in the cutouts. But it’s not rocket science, and there are marine audio installers that can do the job for you.”
Finally, Sonos is a wireless audio system that allows you to stream music directly from your iPhone or smartphone. With Sonos there isn’t a receiver—you control and stream your music wirelessly from the Sonos app on your phone to Sonos speakers placed throughout the boat. The speakers have to be wired for 110-volt power and there are many configuration options.
INFORMATION:
By Doug Thompson, Southern Boating November 2014
When mariners gather for a discussion about all things boating, the second topic that often comes up relates to boat generators. (The first, of course, is about the quality of the drinks in the establishment.) The generator discussion usually reveals some level of confusion among participants. Some are confused about how powerful their generators should be for their type of boating. Others have concerns about noise and fuel consumption, while still others are concerned about pollution. All of these concerns are legitimate.
Like any other piece of boating equipment, the choice of size and type of your boat generators depends on how it is to be used. If the plan is to take it to the beach to provide power for a sound system or to keep the drinks cold, any number of small, portable gasoline units weighing as little as 50 pounds are available.
Both Yamaha and Honda have been in the portable generator business for decades, but there are other well-built players in the same market. Research—an indispensable boating skill—will help locate and price these units in any skipper’s local area. Many of these small units are as quiet as the inside of a library—about 60 decibels—and they are so light and small they can easily be carried on all but the smallest boats. Many small boats have them on board as a safety item to provide emergency battery charging, since almost all of them are capable of producing direct current (DC).
If the generator is going to be used to power tools that are part of a vessel’s repair or maintenance system—such as a welding machine on a metal boat—the smaller portable units will generally not do the job. Any generator with an output of at least 5kW will be required if it is to be used as part of the repair and maintenance system of the boat, and it will not produce enough power to run all repair tools at the same time. However, it is perfectly adequate if the person doing the repairs is prepared to use one, or at the most, two power tools at the same time.
A generator of 12.5kW will produce the same power as is usually found in a small land-based home or condo and will generally enable all normal and regular electrical equipment to be operated at once. Larger boats, particularly those equipped with multiple chillers for air conditioning, or electric stoves, ovens, and refrigeration, should be looking at generators capable of producing 15-20kW.
In the past, smaller boats in the 25 to 30-foot range were simply not big enough to be able to carry the weight of an onboard built-in generator system. Similarly, gasoline-powered boats could not have onboard generators due to safety concerns because of gas fumes. However, in recent years a number of small diesel-powered generators have made their way onto the market. Some of them are referred to as “ignition proof” in that their operation will not trigger a gas fume explosion if installed in older gasoline-powered boats. They also have the advantage of being relatively lightweight. Three builders of this type of generators—Mase, Fischer Panda and Phasor—produce small output, diesel-powered generators in the 2.6 to 4kW range that are useful in even the smallest vessels. Not only do these smaller units provide power for 110V AC tools and equipment, but they can also keep batteries topped up through variously available battery chargers.
With the ever-increasing availability of lithium-ion batteries that can be charged very rapidly without adverse effects, boat generators that produce three-phase power are coming onto the market. These units can produce enough power to charge (through a special charger) a set of lithium batteries in a fraction of the time single-phase power can do the same job. Standard appliances don’t like three-phase power, however. A number of smaller generators offer a three-phase option. Another option most of the manufacturers are now making available is a generator with Direct Current (DC) output. These units produce battery-charging power for vessels using an inverter to produce AC current from an onboard battery bank.
Any skipper who is considering adding a new boat generator should spend some time determining exactly what his electrical load is likely to be. All electrical appliances have the power requirements listed on the nameplate or electric motor. The power requirement will be listed in watts. When on full, electric heaters, refrigerators, and freezers usually require 1,500 watts—to run them all at the same time will take 4.5kW.
Don’t forget about a microwave, electric cooktop, water heater, and electronics. After all appliances and systems are examined and the skipper factors in how the electrical system will be used, the total power requirements will be determined and a decision on the type and size of the boat generator can be made.
INFORMATION:
Fischer Panda, fischerpanda.com
Honda, honda.com
Mase, masenorthamerica.com
Phasor, phasormarine.com
Yamaha, yamaha-motor.com
By Roger McAfee, Southern Boating January 2015
Imagine if you will, this fairly typical scene. You drive 30 minutes or so to the marina for an enjoyable weekend of boating with friends and family. Your boat has been closed up since the previous weekend and the air inside is hot, humid and stale. While you unzip the canvas and turn on the air conditioning, your boatmates wait on the dock with gear, groceries and bags of rapidly melting ice. Now, compare this scene with, instead, arriving at your air-conditioned boat, there’s ice in the icemaker, the water tank is full, and the refrigerator is cool and ready for cold cuts, fruit and beverages.
Dometic Marine, a division of Dometic Group—a global provider of leisure products for the marine, truck, caravan, motorhome, and automotive markets—introduces the Dometic Smart Touch Integrated Intelligence Control (STIIC), a revolutionary and user-friendly software that connects a boat’s Dometic systems—air conditioning, watermakers, ice makers, refrigeration systems, engine ventilation systems and more—to the STIIC network, and interactively communicates with the boat owner.
Accessible from a mobile app, STIIC allows boat owners—or their captains or technicians—to monitor all their Dometic systems from one location, such as a car, office or beach house, via mobile phone, tablet or computer using a Wi-Fi, Ethernet or an RS485 connection. STIIC can be used to check a system’s status, change settings, turn it on, turn it off, or diagnose a problem. “STIIC acts as a remote control for boats, bringing a whole new level of comfort and control to owners and their passengers,” says Ed Todd, Director of National OEM Sales at Dometic Marine. “For example, if you are about to drive to your boat, you can use STIIC to start your air conditioner, ensuring that your arrival is cool and comfortable. Or, use it to activate your Dometic Sea Xchange watermaker to ensure you have plenty of potable water.”STIIC acts as a control point between the boat owner and the Dometic equipment on board the boat. Products aboard the boat send Internet data to secure STIIC servers. The boat owner can access that data via a free STIIC app on a smart phone, tablet or computer.
The STIIC system is easy to set up and understand, but if owners or captains do need help, the same system allows a technician to perform remote diagnostics and talk them through a troubleshooting process without a costly or time-consuming on-site visit to the vessel.The STIIC network automatically expands as new Dometic products are installed on board. Use of a product’s STIIC interface is always optional and can be bypassed at any time since each Dometic system retains its independent controls for hands-on operation on board. The Dometic STIIC mobile intelligence software also simplifies the integration to ship-wide network control systems. Instead of developing an interface for each Dometic product, third-party software developers only need one connection point to STIIC.
STIIC implementation is available now with Dometic Cruisair and Marine Air chillers, including the new Variable Capacity Chiller, and with Dometic Sea Xchange watermakers. In the near future, other Dometic products will also be STIIC enabled, including Dometic’s Eskimo Ice, KRA refrigeration, Dometic Livos Engine Ventilation systems, and others. Leisure boats from 20 feet to megayachts are users of the company’s premium brands which include Condaria, Cruisair®, Dometic, Marine Air Systems®, SeaLand® and WAECO. Their extensive product range includes marine air conditioning, engine room ventilation systems, sanitation systems, refrigerators, stoves, battery chargers, and other equipment for the leisure market. dometic.com/USA
Southern Boating November 2014
There are very few people in the industrial world who have not had some experience with lithium ion battery technology. Lithium ion batteries power almost all modern electronic calculators, electronic watches and cell phones. The advent of rechargeable lithium ion technology in the early 1990s led to such widespread acceptance of the technology that in Japan in 2011, two-thirds of all portable secondary battery sales were lithiums.
Lithium technology has a number of properties that make these rechargeable batteries so attractive. Most important—especially for those used in cell phones—is that they don’t acquire a memory. They can therefore be recharged from any state of charge without adversely affecting their capacity. The second helpful feature is that lithium ion batteries can be recharged very rapidly. A NiCad battery that used to power early cell phones took almost four hours to charge. The Lithium ion battery that charges a new similar cell phone takes about 45 minutes and lasts almost three times longer.
Lithium ion batteries have been making their way into the marine market due to the features noted above for the smaller batteries. In addition, two other lithium battery features are finding great favor with boat owners.
The first is a relatively light weight. Lithium is one of the lightest elements in the periodic table that is not a gas. It floats on water, and a cubic foot of it weighs 62.4 pounds. By comparison, a cubic foot of lead tips the scales at about 710 pounds. A lithium-based battery of about 61 pounds will have approximately the same capacity as a lead-based battery of 168 pounds. This gives marine designers, builders and decorators much more flexibility.
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The other feature mariners like about lithium technology is the fact that the batteries can be charged very rapidly without adverse effect. One builder of aluminum yachts reports that the lithium house battery system he installs requires only one hour of generator time a day to keep the house bank fully charged, compared with four hours for the more traditional lead-based house system he used to install.
The improvements in lithium technology in the past two years have led to the development of a couple of all-electric outboards. Torqeedo has produced an 80-hp unit and a Canadian boat builder, Campion of Kelowna, B.C., has produced a 180-hp all-electric outboard—currently the most powerful in the world. More manufacturers have plans to produce all-electric outboards. This year, in fact, a megayacht builder announced the development of a 12-passenger shore boat for running guests from the anchored megayacht to shore—at 45 knots powered by a pair of 300-hp all-electric outboards.
With the advent of all-electric outboards of meaningful horsepower—as opposed to trolling motors—and the success of the Tesla all-electric sports car, lithium battery manufacturers have had to step up their game considerably, not only with respect to the amount of power that can be stored but also with respect to their battery management systems (BMS). In the short two years since Campion’s 180-hp—which required thousands of small cells to be hand “assembled” to produce the 400 VDC required to power the unit—the company’s Florida consultant began manufacturing in China an 88-pound, 51-volt battery that stores 7 kilowatts of power. The internal battery cells are fitted into in an almost traditional looking, dust-proof and water-resistant case. Each battery has its own battery management system on board and is about 26″x11″x7″.
These types of batteries are still relatively expensive, but major development in the electric car field may soon start to flow into the marine field. In Europe, Renault produces an all-electric car that is sold without the battery pack. Packs are leased to car buyers for the equivalent of $100 per month. Gas costs the buyer almost $300 per month, whereas the cost of battery lease and charging is about $110 per month, and if there’s a battery problem the builder supplies a new one at no cost. This battery lease/rental business model is now being examined by businesses in the marine field.
There will be continued development in battery technology, but these batteries have now reached the point where they are viable for many uses.They are still a bit pricey, but when one considers they have about three times the life of regular lead-based batteries the cost over time is not that much more.
By Roger McAfee, Southern Boating September 2014
Hurley Marine’s brand-new davit was developed with security and ease in mind. The H3O Dinghy Davit is a convenient storage and deployment system that accommodates a variety of small craft up to 400 pounds, and it easily installs onto swim platforms.
This linear-bunk system is constructed out of high-density polyethylene with a removable stainless steel wench that can adjust between three and six feet. The H3O allows for quick release and retrieval while keeping a low profile. Comes with a two-year warranty. MSRP $1,789.95
Information:
Hurley Marine, Inc.
1125 Lake Shore Drive
Escanaba, MI 49829 USA
(906) 553-6249
hurleymarine.com
By Daniel Wagner, Southern Exposure
The new line of Webasto Marine Coolant Heaters and Air Heaters will extend your boating season during the chilly days ahead. Stay comfy and cozy onboard with potable hot water for your galley and head, and evenly distributed warm air throughout cabins—each with separate temperature controls. Operation is quiet and efficient, using little fuel (running up to 20 hours on a single gallon) and minimal electrical power (an output of only 2 to 5 kW). MSRP Coolant Heaters starts at $4,000. MSRP Air Heaters starts at $2,700; webasto-marine.com
Set it and forget it. With a roll bar to ensure optimal setting position every time, the Rocna Anchor holds firm in any bottom type. It’s easy to handle, with a variety of attachment points, and typically sets within 3 feet of where it’s dropped. Fourteen model sizes for boats 16-150 feet each come with a galvanized steel finish.
Lifetime warranty. MSRP starts at $147.99; rocna.com
Webasto has been manufacturing top-of-the-line automotive sunroofs for over 50 years and now introduces the Thermo & Comfort Control Marine Sunroof Systems. Highest-grade materials are used to construct the retractable, watertight windows to the sky—each comes preassembled with all the equipment required.
Models range from manual aluminum to motorized stainless steel options, and feature robust construction and easy installation. Windows are made of tempered safety glass with a gray tint. You can also opt for the retractable soft-top roof model with customizable fabric color in one of three available sizes to suit your vessel’s needs.
Information:
(800) 860-7866
webasto.com
By Daniel Wagner, Southern Exposure
My Boat by Intelligent Maintenance is a utilitarian app for convenient reference and logging of vessel information. The My Boat dashboard provides checklists and reminders so you can calculate when you’re ready to set sail. Inventory, costs and service history can be stored, filtered and read at a glance. Transfer reports between devices via Google Dropbox for as many vessels as you choose. My Boat also covers how to care for any type of personal watercraft. Share your experience with other My Boat users, and use GPS tracking to navigate waterways. Available for iPad on the iTunes App Store. MSRP $19.99; intelligentmaintenance.com
Southern Boating September 2014
Oil is the result of decaying matter of once-living organisms compacted over untold tens of millions of years. As layer upon layer of sediment settled one on top of the other, the increasing pressure and the ensuing rising temperatures produced a chemical change whereby the remains—way too complex to discuss here—were transformed into the raw material that would eventually lead to petroleum. Most boat owners are savvy enough to chart their necessary fuel-ups with plenty of reserve built in. But if you enjoy covering long distances and do not have the proper tankage—or do not trust the quality of the fuel in a certain port of call—you might consider carrying bladder tanks to store your extra fuel.
“Not all fuel bladders are created equal,” says David Dack, VP of sales for Aero Tec Laboratories (ATL), a company specializing in flexible containment technology. “First off, always look for the best quality possible. Money should be no object with this equipment. The one thing you do not want to deal with when carrying volatile diesel fuel or gasoline is an inferior product.” ATL manufacturers bladders constructed from rugged, military-spec, rubberized fabric equipped with such built-in safety features as pressure relief and anti-backflow valves. “The former prevents any pressure build-up as the fuel expands, for example, with the bladder sitting in the sun in the cockpit. The latter prevents any back-spill while taking on fuel.” Ease of use is a primary concern as well. Make sure you position the tank(s) so the weight is evenly distributed as not to throw your boat off. “The bladder must be firmly fastened to the deck with a tie-down kit that is secured over the stand pipe and then ratcheted down. We suggest using a cargo net as an added security measure in case of rough seas,” Dack recommends. “Bladders are most stable when completely full and can be easily rolled up or folded and tucked away within a vented compartment.”
With ATL equipment, a half-inch brass ball valve assembly with a composite hose barb fitting is standard, with an optional one-inch ball valve for those who are looking for faster fuel transfer. Reinforced hose is then slipped over the barbed fitting on the outlet while the other end is run into the vessel’s main tank. A siphon or gravity feed is then initiated to start the flow of fuel from the bladder to the main tank. Alternatively, an explosion-proof pump may be used to transfer the contents of the bladder to the boat’s main tank. “We also offer our space-saving FueLocker™ design not only for those whose deck space is limited but also to maximize those areas where traditional pillow type of tanks can take up lots more real estate,” Dack suggests.
If you boat seasonally you will want to pay special attention to the fuel in your tanks when preparing for winter lay up. “For inboard gasoline or diesel boats, and with all the issues concerning ethanol, we add a fuel stabilizer and top off the tanks to minimize the chance of any water condensation from happening, which stimulates biological growth and corrosion.” says Dan Cordano, Service Manager for the Suntex Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City, New Jersey. For outboards with small portable fuel tanks, Cordano suggests running the engine until it stalls out before putting it away. With those portable tanks, he suggests making sure you use the familiar red plastic for gasoline and yellow for diesel to avoid any confusion.
“Besides the inherent nature of fuel degrading over time, boats have a vented system and the possibility of introducing water, whether during seasonal storage or not, is always a problem. You want to do whatever you can to avoid that situation,” says Janis Grundman, National Sales Manager for Technol, a company specializing in fuel stabilizers. “Make sure of your fuel source, keep your tanks topped off whenever possible, and use a stabilizer during those lay-up times. Using an additive during regular operating times will help to prevent any engine problems. And always follow the manufacturers’ recommendations for the amount to use per gallon.”
Until we figure out a better way to power our boats, perhaps with solar, wind, electric, another energy source, or a combination thereof, taking the proper precautions and getting the best out of our fuel systems will keep your boat running smoothly and safely.
By Ken Kreisler, Southern Boating July 2014
Navionics celebrates 30 years in business this year, but instead of resting on its laurels, the company has taken steps to incorporate bold new innovations into its navigation technology. Gone are the days of navigating via paper charts, and if mapping companies like Navionics have their way, soon we’ll navigate using smartphones and tablets, which will not only sync with plotters but also transmit updated chart data continuously in real time to make boating safer for everyone.
At the Miami International Boat Show in February, Navionics founder and president Giuseppe Carnevali discussed its crowd-sourcing initiative that seeks to improve ICW chart data from Maine to Florida. The ICW’s bottom contours can shift as a result of hurricane seasons, strong tidal fluctuations, changing currents, and other acts of nature, as well as manmade changes such as construction and dredging. To address inaccuracies, Navionics conducts its own surveys with privately funded teams, and leverages its customers with a combination of two technologies: SonarCharts and Community Edits.
Navionics SonarCharts allow mariners to record and share their sonar logs while cruising, fishing or just motoring around. Collected data is uploaded to a massive repository of charting data where complex algorithms select the most reliable soundings and scrub them against other data collected in the area, producing an up-to-date chart. In addition, Navionics’ app allows users to contribute improvements using Community Edits. Stumble upon a wreck, a spill or some other hazard not currently available on your chart, and with a few taps you can add a marker and notes to instantly share it with the entire Navionics community. These edits also become part of the overall data collection effort, which should result in enhanced content and peace of mind for recreational boat owners, the company claims.
“We have a community of customers numbering around 3 million,” says Carnevali. “About 100,000 of them are actively contributing to Community Edits. That’s a lot, especially if you consider that Wikipedia, for example, has something like 0.01 percent of users contributing to the content. Our participation is orders of magnitude higher.”
Thanks to the input of this community, Navionics’ ICW charts will feature up-to-date commanding depths, vertical and horizontal bridge clearances, accurate speed limits, vertical overhead cable clearance, updated coastlines, and improved shoal presentation, plus daily improvements to bottom contours, suggested routes and the Magenta line. And with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) ceasing to produce paper charts as of April 2014, Navionics hopes to lead a mapping revolution both for and by the boat owner.
In some countries electronic charts are already considered legal replacements for paper charts, and apps are eclipsing the web in terms of mobile data usage, so bringing the two technologies together makes a lot of sense. Using the company’s GoFree Wireless protocol, the revamped Navionics Boating app interfaces wirelessly with Raymarine and Navico-brand chartplotters (Simrad, Lowrance, B&G) and can download new charts that blend with the user’s existing chart collection, thereby ensuring all chart data is as current as possible. It’s useful off the water as well—routes, tracks and waypoints remain available on the user’s mobile device even after being downloaded to the plotter.
According to Carnevali, in 2013 Navionics’ app was accessed about 40 million times. This high level of usage led Navionics to believe that mobile apps represent the latest “disruptive technology” that stands to revolutionize the way boating enthusiasts enjoy their time on and off the water. But Carnevali stresses that the medium cannot be the message—that content must evolve to take full advantage of modern devices, and not merely be repackaged.
“When a new technology becomes available—a disruptive technology—people tend to do, for some time, the same old thing but on the new technology,” he explains. “When TV first came out, it was basically radio plus an image. It wasn’t really TV the way we know it now. When smartphones first came out they did things the same way it was being done on the web. Now with apps, [smartphones] are evolving into something very different. The same has been happening with nautical charts. From paper to raster to vector to mobile. The world is changing. It makes me happy that we initiated that.”
Download Navionics’ new app for free to view the worldwide chart coverage available for purchase from the iTunes App Store and Google Play for Apple and Android mobile devices. Boat owners who already own the previous version, Marine & Lakes, will get all the new features of Navionics Boating for free the next time they update their app. navionics.com
By Brian Hartz, Southern Boating May 2014
The future is here with Volvo Penta’s new Glass Cockpit navigation system. In collaboration with Garmin, Volvo Penta has created a user-friendly control platform at the helm that makes boating more simple and fun. If you’ve used a smartphone or tablet computer, you’ll be at home swiping, pinching and zooming your way around the display screens.
Now, for the most part you can still actually drive boats with the Glass Cockpit system—all the fun doesn’t have to be automated. But it can be. Garmin’s auto-guidance feature suggests the best way to avoid obstacles and shallow water, and if you pair it with autopilot, you’ve created a self-driving boat.
We took a long ride at the 2014 Miami International Boat Show on the new Cobalt A40 cruiser equipped with the Glass Cockpit system. Powered by a pair of Volvo Penta D6 diesel 400-horsepower engines mated to stern drives with joystick control, the A40 has twin 12-inch Volvo Penta Glass Cockpit 8212 multi-function displays mounted side by side on the dash. With the power off, the blank screens looked sad and uninteresting. But when you fire up the engines, the world of boating in the electronic age springs brilliantly to life.
“It’s easy to use and takes hardly any time to get used to,” explained Alex Barry, Cobalt’s western regional manager. Indeed, on one screen Barry had saved past routes through a crowded Biscayne Bay in the chartplotter view and simply followed the path without ever having to worry about obstacles. On the other screen, we toggled through a host of engine and performance information, and then started “dividing” the screen into even smaller screens. The captain decides what functions should be displayed on the screens and how they should be distributed.
Volvo Penta’s goal with the Glass Cockpit is to make boating more car-like. The system is less complicated because everything is integrated, and there is one point of contact if a problem arises. “The Volvo Penta Glass Cockpit gives the boat operator a similar experience to driving a modern automobile,” said Marcia Kull, Volvo Penta’s vice president of North American marine sales. “The driver environment in cars is similar regardless of the car brand. A driver pushes a button with confidence that it all will work. In the boating world, it has not been quite as easy—until now.”
It’s true that if you lose power, your screens won’t work, but just like in a car, nothing else will work, either. That’s no different than if your boat had analog gauges and you lost power, but for some reason it just feels different to have your speedometer or tachometer as a virtual gauge and not a hard one cut into the dash panel. “If you lose only the functionality of the screens the boat is still going to continue to run,” Barry explained. “However, the helm is all digital and if something is to go wrong, it’s not going to be the Glass Cockpit system; it’s going to be a problem with whatever is feeding it. Remember, what’s new is that Volvo and Garmin are doing this project together; this technology has been around for a few years now and it’s tried and proven.”
Garmin’s side of the technology centers around its GPSMAP 8000 Glass Helm system that includes sonar, radar, VHF communications, GPS antenna, autopilot hardware, regional navigations charts, and software updates.
The Glass Cockpit system is a standard feature on the Cobalt A40 when powered by Volvo Penta engines. The displays are easy and intuitive to handle, with touch and pinch-to-zoom functionality. Depending on boat type and size, one or more displays can be mounted on the dashboard. The screens are available in different sizes from 8 to 19 inches. The Glass Cockpit system is fully integrated with the Volvo Penta Electronic Vessel Control (EVC). That means that all Volvo Penta easy boating options—dynamic positioning system, trim tabs or interceptors and autopilot—can be monitored and controlled through the displays.
“In addition to the benefits for the boat owners, the Glass Cockpit system opens up a new world of possibilities for boat builders to create exciting—but also logical, safe and ergonomic—dashboard designs,” said Kull. “And the boat owners will be able to drive the boat in a relaxed but safe manner and enjoy the ride—which is why they bought a boat in the first place. This capability is possible thanks to Volvo Penta’s boating knowledge and the Volvo Group’s experience with driver environment designs.”
By Doug Thompson, Southern Boating April 2014
