Personal Locator Beacons for Boaters

ACR Electronics introduces the next generation personal locator beacons

Personal locator beacons (PLB) have reached a point of sophistication and cost value that anyone who ventures out into the wilderness of the oceans, mountains or forests can afford to play it safe and carry one. Unfortunately, cell phones don’t always get reception. If you experience an emergency and need help, use a PLB as a distress radio beacon that transmits your location through satellites to search and rescue personnel so they can find you anywhere in the world.

Survivor Feedback

With the help of survivor feedback, ACR Electronics has developed the safer and more user-friendly PLB 400 series. Redundancy is a key design feature of the new ResQLink 400 and ResQLink View PLBs. “We design products that have to work the first time, every time,” says Mikele D’Arcangelo, vice president of global marketing and product management.

“With the new ResQLink series, we have incorporated a new multi-constellation GPS/Galileo receiver which acquires your location coordinates from two different satellite systems. All of our PLBs incorporate an LED strobe light, but the ResQLink 400 and ResQLink View are the first to incorporate both a white LED strobe and an all-new infrared (IR) strobe light to better aid rescuers wearing night vision goggles.”

The PLBs are made in the U.S. and are approved by the FCC for sale. They operate on the three Cospas-Sarsat satellite systems, including the next generation Medium-Earth Orbit (MEOSAR) satellites. They ensure near instantaneous signal detection and transmission with more accuracy through GPS positioning, a powerful 406 MHz signal and 121.5 MHz homing capability. Anyone activating a ResQLink PLB can expect their beacon to be located within 100 meters (328 feet) 95 percent of the time and within 5 minutes of the distress signal.

Galileo, Figaro, magnifico

The new ResQLink series also incorporates a multi-constellation receiver that utilizes both the Galileo Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and the GPS Satellite network for faster location and improved accuracy.

The units are compact (4.52 x 2.03 x 1.49 inches), lightweight (5 ounces) and easy to carry with multiple mounting options. “We enhanced our personal locator beacons to improve the wearability to encourage boaters to wear one while they are boating, fishing, or really on any outdoor adventure,” says D’Arcangelo. “The rugged belt clip keeps the PLB attached to you yet out of the way, and the oral inflation clip was designed to mount your PLB inside your inflatable life jacket securely.”

Besides wearability, members of the ACR Electronics SurvivorClub, who shared their stories to help fellow adventurers (and received a new beacon for it) also helped redesign the antenna to make deployment with a single hand quick and easy. The activation button is now protected by a cover attached to the antenna and is located away from the test button. “We moved the activation and testing buttons to the front to make the unit easier to operate by a novice user,” says D’Arcangelo.

Just for Boaters

The ResQLink 400 and ResQLink View incorporate ACR Electronic’s built-in buoyancy feature. The unit floats if dropped in the water and one valuable benefit, “no subscription required for use.” The ResQLink View also brings ACR’s unique digital display capabilities through optical display technology to show all the beacon’s operational activities live, including GPS coordinates, operating instructions, usage tips, transmission bursts, and battery power.

Both PLBs reusable, but replace the battery after each use. ACR also introduced new ResQLink Skins for the ResQLink View, another customer request. Personalize your PLB with different styles, including a camouflage version.

“A Personal Locator Beacon is a vital part of any safety kit for boaters, hikers, climbers, hunters, snowmobilers, and all outdoor enthusiasts,” says D’Arcangelo. “As safety and survival specialists, ACR Electronics has been at the forefront of beacon technology and we will continue to innovate and listen to feedback so that our customers can always rely on our devices in an emergency.”

The ACR ResQLink 400 PLB is available for $299.99, and the ResQLink View is available for $349.99.

acrartex.com.

By Steve Davis, Southern Boating May 2019

Situational Awareness

Three great ways to enhance your situational awareness

Situational awareness is the state of knowing what’s going on around you. In essence, it’s a combination of observation and orientation that can help you make better decisions and possibly save your bacon if things go really sideways.

Decades ago, GPS and digital cartography went a long way to improve our situational awareness of where we were on the planet. (For anyone who still remembers dead reckoning or celestial navigation, you know what I mean.) But understanding the environment and our place in it can always be improved. Here are three ways to better grasp exactly what’s ahead, behind, below, in the dark, and in heavy rain to take the stress out of boating.

SiOnyx Aurora Night Vision Camera

Running in low-light situations can be a challenge. Going fishing before the sun is up, entering a strange harbor at night or managing a man-overboard situation are tense moments when a night vision camera comes in handy.

Night vision technology works on either heat or light. Thermal cameras focus on heat sources but they don’t penetrate glass, so you can’t use them from inside a pilothouse. Other cameras amplify ambient light with differing degrees of success. A new take on night vision is the SiOnyx Aurora, a camera with an ultra-low-light infrared sensor that provides color vision in the dark. (You can use it in the monochrome mode as well, but the color really helps orient you.)

Weighing just under eight ounces and sized for easy onehanded operation, the $800 Aurora has three modes: Daylight, Twilight and Night. The first two amplify visible light while the Night mode uses an infrared sensor. The Aurora must be focused manually (due to the low light nature) and would benefit from a continuous zoom rather than a stepped click zoom. Backlighting on the function icons would be handy, too, as you switch between video, stills, and settings. Why use a flashlight to blow your night
vision just to change the mode?

You can pair the Aurora with iOS and Android devices to watch real-time images on their screens or record for later, and you can also control the camera from your phone. Waterproof to IP67 standards, the Aurora has a built-in GPS, compass and Wi-Fi capabilities and takes nice stills and video in bright sunlight. Best of all, you don’t need to step outside to use it because it works through the glass. Understanding what’s out there in the dark just got a whole lot easier.

sioynx.com

Simrad Halo 4 Radar

Nothing delivers magical “sight” like radar that sees through fog, darkness, and rain. Although radar isn’t new, there have been so many improvements on the basic concept that today’s systems almost seem like a bit of voodoo.

Take Simrad’s new Halo 4 that has a 64-nautical-mile range and simultaneously shows you what’s 20 feet ahead (with a 4-foot open array antenna). This solid-state pulse compression radar has a Dual Range mode so you can split the screen to view weather and vessels in the distance and upcoming channel markers at the same time. It can pick up a piling even as you nearly poke it with your pulpit because it has no “main bang” that blind spot created for in-close navigation due to the time delay between when each pulse starts and ends.

The VelocityTrack feature is a motion-tracking Doppler upgrade so you can watch storm cells, and the beam sharpening capability provides enhanced separation between small or distant targets. You can find birds with this radar, and where there are birds, there are fish.

A brushless motor and helical gear train ensure a fast, quiet operation so the updates are frequent and there’s no overhead buzzing. The Halo 4 is ready to go in fewer than 30 seconds from a cold start (versus the normal two minutes), and its emissions are so low that it’s been dubbed “huggable”. I’m not going to hug it, but I’m just saying you could.

simrad-yachting.com

Raymarine ClearCruise AugmentedReality (AR)

If you’ve ever strained your eyes searching for that buoy on the horizon and then tried to match it back to what you see on your chartplotter, ClearCruise AR is for you.

Supported by Raymarine’s CAM210 HD cameras and Axiom multifunction displays (MFDs), this augmented reality overlays navigation markers, automatic identification (AIS) traffic, and user-entered waypoints onto real-time high-definition video. At a glimpse, you know exactly which ship is heading your way and where to find channel markers leading to the harbor.

Color-coded labels provide identification, status and risk assessment for AIS targets and clearly show the number and color of that buoy bobbing in the hazy sun ahead. The AR200 video stabilization module includes a GPS/GNSS sensor and an attitude heading reference sensor (AHRS) so the labels move with your boat for easy heads-up recognition. The camera and stabilization module add about $1,200 to an Axiom MFD running Raymarine’s LightHouse 3.7 software, but once you’ve seen ClearView AR, you’ll wonder how you got along without it.

raymarine.com

By Zuzana Prochazka, Southern Boating January 2019

AtlasTrax GPS System

Keep track of your boat when you’re away with the new AtlasTrax MiniTrax GPS Satellite Tracking System.

The device measures 3×2 inches and can be mounted in a hidden spot. It sends alerts if the boat moves outside a predetermined range.

AtlasTrax provides equipment and services to track your location while on the water. The GPS System keeps you connected with voice, data, and internet. AtlasTrax provides equipment and services for boats of all sizes and types on its proven boat tracking and monitoring system.

The AtlasTrax MiniTrax operates on external power with battery backup.

MSRP $450

atlastrax.com

Yacht Protector is your new Virtual Crew

Yacht Protector monitors your boat,
makes sense and saves cents.

Owners of large yachts typically employ crew to manage and care for their yachts and to ensure their systems are in good working order. Owners of boats less than yacht-sized, however, generally manage and care for their own. But if they don’t dock it right behind their home, short of hiring full-time crew, it’s nearly impossible to monitor their boat 24/7, or it was until recently.

Yacht Protector is an innovative, affordable and easy-to-install boat monitoring system designed for boats of all sizes. Now, before you envision your boat being dismantled to install the system, think again. Yacht Protector was designed to be a plug-and-play system, so no boat modifications are required. Here’s how it works.

Wireless sensors are paired with the CORE module then strategically placed and set throughout the boat. Owners download the Yacht Protector app on their phone, tablet or laptop that enables them to monitor essential onboard systems. The boat’s current position can be seen in map or satellite view, and a complete history by day, week and month can be viewed and pinpointed to within 3 minutes. If there’s any deviation from the system’s thresholds that have been designated by the user, the owner and up to four additional contacts are alerted via the app. Additional alerts are sent via SMS, email and even a phone call from the call center.

Yacht Protector is the brainchild of Gerald Berton, CEO and owner of the Yacht Group. “Boat owners of every size wonder what’s happening with their boat when they’re not there and wonder ‘Will my batteries be okay? Has anyone been on my boat?’” says Berton. “The idea was to come up with a very easy-to-install and intuitive system that allows a person to use their smartphone to access the boat and put a geofence around his boat so they know if it’s been used.” Berton adds that people are comfortable using their smart devices, and the Yacht Protector app provides all the information on the device including forecasted weather risks.

The Yacht Protector app is mobile and user-friendly.

The system has a built-in GPS, so if you’re in a mooring the geofence can be set for a perimeter around the boat. You can receive an alert if someone is on or approaching your boat, and you can also adjust for drift. For larger boats, the geofence can be set to also monitor tenders aboard. The alert system can be muted when desired, and customization options include language, sensor names, alert thresholds, geofence settings, avatars, and much more. “The alert system is really user-friendly. You get an email immediately and also a push alert. If you don’t accept it, you’ll receive one every minute for the first 10 minutes, then at the end you get a text message,” explains Berton. “If there’s something going on, you want to know about it right away. If you don’t answer those, you’ll get a phone call from the call center. You can also list whomever you want as a contact—marina, person who cares for the boat, neighbors, etc. So marinas can have a little cottage industry, too, by providing service and being named as a contact.” The main keyfob is programmed for the boat owner, and additional keys can be programmed for authorized persons.

Dave Sell and a business partner took delivery of their 2016 Azimut 66 Fly in early August and each has his own keyfob. “I don’t live aboard the boat, which is the main reason why I installed Yacht Protector,” says Sell, who lives in Newport Beach, California, about 20 minutes away from Marina del Rey where the boat is docked. “I wanted some indication of the systems at all times.” Sell installed the system himself with some assistance from a marine service company who was doing work on his yacht at the time. Both Sell and his partner have the app on their phones, and their keyfobs are programmed so that when either one of them goes on the boat, the motion sensor is muted on the other’s keyfob so that no alerts are sent.

According to Sell, the Yacht Protector system has already paid for itself. “Just last weekend we got an alert that the shore power was cut. We called the marina, they sent their person to the dock and found out the power receptacle was not functioning properly,” says Sell, who added additional sensors to the standard unit. “That malfunction would have caused problems for all the boats on the dock, but Yacht Protector on my boat prevented it.”

The Yacht Protector system costs $1,295 and includes a one-year subscription and a two-year warranty. So how does it save you money? In addition to peace of mind, since you’re able to monitor your boat 24/7, the risks of theft and other kinds of damage are significantly reduced. Consequently, boat or yacht insurance may be discounted, and some carriers even pay for the alert/service center fees and a substantial portion of the actual system’s cost. According to Berton, NOVAMAR gives discounts of up to $500.

INFORMATION:
yachtprotector.com

— By Liz Pasch, Southern Boating Magazine October 2016

ACR GlobalFIX EPIRB

ACR Electronics, Inc.’s new GlobalFIX V4 Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) delivers fresh features. Safety-conscious boaters will appreciate the user-replaceable battery with a 10-year battery life, conformal-coated circuit board to fully protect electronic components from harsh maritime  environments, onboard GPS receiver that pinpoints the sender’s exact position, wrist strap for hands-free carrying, GPS self-test to confirm the beacon is working correctly according to relative conditions, and a high-intensity 4 LED array distress strobe light. MSRP $400; acrartex.com

Semper Paratus

How “Always Ready” are you?

Borrowing from the U.S. Coast Guard’s iconic “Always Ready” motto, when it comes to safety aboard, you can never be too prepared. To make the point, a tragic event occurred in South Florida during the summer of 2015 when two young boys set out for what they thought would be an exciting and fun day on a boat. Sadly, it was anything but.

Could this and other similar boating tragedies be avoided? Well, let’s just say that with some extra precautions and planning, the odds for dealing with a dicey situation can be swung dramatically in a positive direction. No matter what size boat you have, be it kayak or superyacht, having the right safety equipment aboard and knowing how to use it are some of the most important aspects of spending time out on the water.

Let’s start with your boat. Always check the condition of any seacocks or thru-hull fittings as well as critical hose connections. If anything looks amiss such as corrosion, any sign of cracks or weeping, swap it out for a new one. Give all your belts, impellers, gaskets, and seals a once over before setting out—failure of any of these items can stop you dead in the water. And as with oil and filters, always carry spares.

To meet the requirements of all U.S. Coast Guard regulations, vessels are mandated to carry at least the minimum safety items such as proper nav lights, fire extinguishers or automatic fire suppression system, a PFD—Personal Flotation Device, or life jacket—for each person on board, a throwable device such as a seat cushion or life ring, a bell, whistle, or horn for signaling, and visual distress signal flares. As these requirements differ depending on the size of your boat, check with a copy of CG 169—usually available at your marina store or other outlets—to make sure you are in compliance. (Checking in with your local Coast Guard station or auxiliary unit or setting up a complimentary safety inspection with them are also good options.)

Veteran captains and those who travel extensively all have the same thought: If you do the kind of boating that takes you away from your home port for extended periods of time and over open water, you should have a proper life raft for the number of people on board—make sure it is inspected and ready to go as per manufacturers recommendations. Be familiar with its deployment and use, and get the one that suits your needs—coastal, offshore, or ocean going. Among the companies manufacturing this type of equipment are Winslow, Switlik and Givens.

Whether you require a raft or not, a floatable ditch bag is a good idea. While ready-to-go kits are sold by such reputable companies as ACR and Defender, make sure you have an EPIRB, a personal locator beacon (PLB), waterproof and floatable emergency handheld VHF, and a water-activated strobe light. Also critical are individual life jacket vest strobes; a handheld, waterproof and floating GPS; a daylight signal mirror and flares; chemical glow sticks; noisemaking devices such as plastic whistles and canned air horns; drinking water; wrapped and sealed snacks; and sunglasses. And for all those electronic safety items, make sure to replace batteries and carry spares in sealed and waterproof bags.

If you are setting out for an extended time away, it’s also a good idea to file a float plan with your homeport marina or local Coast Guard station as well as with your destination facility. In this way, everyone will know your trip schedule and be on the lookout should anything happen along the way. Keep a sharp ear to the VHF and a keen eye on weather conditions at least 36 hours ahead of departure.

If you are traveling with family, friends, and kids who are not familiar with boating, go through all the safety features and procedures aboard before you cast off. And if you have a pet, keep it in sight and have an appropriate life jacket on it at all times. Keep your fuel tanks full and know where your next fill up will be and how long it is going to take you to get there.

Here’s hoping your next outing is a safe and enjoyable one. With a little extra planning, and the Semper Paratus outlook, you can leave the dock with some extra confidence and peace of mind.

— By Ken Kreisler, Southern Boating Magazine February 2016

INFORMATION:

ACR Marine
acratex.com/products/marine

Defender Industries
defender.com

Givens
givensliferafts.com

Mustang Lifejackets
mustangsurvival.com

Switlik
switlik.com

USCG Boating Safety
uscgboating.org

USCG 169 Nav Rules
landfallnavigation.com

West Marine
westmarine.com

Winslow
winslowliferafts.com

Florida governor recommends GPS emergency beacons.

Boating tragedies in Florida’s waters prompted Governor Rick Scott to write a letter to the state constituents supporting proposed boating safety legislation. The legislation encourages emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs) and personal locator beacons (PLB) to be part of all boaters’ onboard safety equipment, reducing registration fees for all classes of boats with the equipment.

Proposed law for FWC pullovers

Some say that overzealous Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers ruin great days on the water with their random checks. Others say they are necessary to deter illegal fishing, hunting and safety violations. Under a law proposed by Florida State Representative Ritch Workman, officers would need probable cause before stopping boaters. Workman said he wants to see more reasonable stops with FWC officers checking boats only if suspicious activity is observed. Workman said he envisions a safe boating sticker placed next to the boat’s registration after it passes inspection to limit boaters being hassled. If the proposed law (House Bill 703) passes, it would take effect July 1, 2016.

Improved Cuba charts

With increased cruising to Cuba from the U.S., the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Cuba are working together to improve nautical charts especially in the Straits of Florida. Following up on a Spring 2015 meeting with U.S. and Cuban chartmakers in Havana to work on a new international paper chart—INT Chart 4149 covering south Florida, The Bahamas, and north Cuba—the group then met in Maryland to discuss future collaboration and improving nautical charts.

Shipwreck artifacts returned

Updating the discovery of items from the Confederate CSS Georgia shipwreck, 30,000 articles were raised. Unique items kept for archiving by the U.S. government include small buttons, hilts of knives and swords, an intact glass bottle, leather boots, and an earring. Texas A&M is studying 13,000 articles at their lab, and 16,697 non-unique articles were returned to the mud of the Savannah River in plastic boxes, which, according to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers archaeologist Julie Morgan, will help preserve them. The Confederate gunship was sunk in 1864 in the Savannah River by its own crew to prevent the ship’s capture by Union troops during the Civil War.

Shoaling at Lockwoods Folly Inlet

North Carolina’s Lockwoods Folly Inlet Intersection near Cape Fear River, Little River Buoy 47, has a 250-yard shoal extending into the federal channel with depths from less than one foot to five feet at mean low water.

Handicapped sailor sails solo

Be on the lookout for Cliff Kyle aboard his 26′ Pearson Abby Normal traveling south on the ICW. Sailing solo can be challenging and for a man with one leg it could be more so, but Kyle throttles full steam ahead with a cheery disposition. “One thing sailing teaches you is how to handle what’s thrown at you and navigate through it,” says Kyle. When his house in Kentucky was foreclosed a couple of years ago, 40-something Kyle headed back to the sea and lived off the coast of Florida in the 1990s. He personally made several modifications on his vessel while sailing to Block Island, Mystic and the Chesapeake Bay. His final destination this season is St. Augustine or possibly The Bahamas.

By Nancy E. Spraker, Southern Boating Magazine April 2016

Gift Guide for the Mate in Your Life

Looking for the perfect gift for your favorite mate? Take a look at this offerings in Southern Boating’s 2015 Holiday Gift Guide.

The Burano Wheel by Stella is a head turner that can enhance any boat’s decor. Schmitt & Ongaro Marine’s new offering is suited for cruisers, runabouts, ski and wakeboard boats, and upscale pontoons. MSRP $275; schmittongaromarine.com

Coastal Art Maps capture the be
auty of the shoreline on hand-drawn maps. Take your pick from 28 maps or send in y
our custom order. MSRP from $110; coastalartmaps.com

Designed in the shape of a sailboat, RHINSHU creates unique sounds to mimic acoustic wooden instruments. Enjoy hours of music with positive therapeutic benefits. MSRP $2,950; rinshu.net/en

Don’t get wet feet! The Giller Men’s Shoe from Tucket Footwear is named for the “gills” on the sides and outsoles, which allow water to drain instantlly. MSRP $60; tucketfootwear.com

Smathers & Branson introduces their holiday line that includes boating inspired hand-stitched and needlepoint products such as these iPhone cases. MSRP $39.50; smathersandbranson.com

Moisturize your first mate’s sun-drenched skin! Jindilli’s Hydra-Opulence body lotion is a unique formula combining macadamia oil and aloe vera. MSRP $29.99; jindilli.com

Protect your personal electronics with their own wetsuit! Gulf Marine Technologies’ FrogSuits are waterproof, brightly colored and well-padded. They float if they go overboard but include a lanyard to secure it to your boat. MSRP from $30; gulfmarinetech.com

The shade you need for fun under the sun. Pawleys by Costa feature a combo of high quality Monel metal and nylon. Pictured: Retro tortoise with blue mirror. MSRP $259; costadelmar.com

Sling it over your shoulder for hands-free carrying! The IceMule is a portable, soft-sided ice bag that’ll keep ice frozen for up to 24 hours. MSRP starts at $49.95. icemulecoolers.co

Show your love for the ocean with one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry from master inlay artist Craig Lavin. Custom orders are welcome. MSRP contact company; handcraftinlay.com

REACTOR introduces its limited edition Ionic Poseidon, replacing the monochrome look of most watches with an iridescent, color changing finish using a process borrowed from the knife industry. MSRP $1,250; reactorwatch.com

Nautical Scout‘s silicone, collapsilble cookware saves space on board. Choose kettles, pots, pans, steamers, and more! Seven-liter bucket MSRP is $31.99; nauticalscout.com

Most yachtsmen dream about cruising to an exotic destination. Turn dreams into plans with Dream Cruising Destinations: 24 Classic Cruises Mapped and Explored. MSRP $25; bloomsbury.com

The Matador Droplet wet bag is the ideal compact solution for aprés-swim garments and towels! It fits on a keychain and expands large enough to hold a whole outfit or a dripping wetsuit. MSRP $14.99; matadorup.com

Explore the underwater world with your personal drone. Deeptracker’s easy to use robotic camera can take you to depths up to 450 feet. MSRP contact company. deeptrekker.com

Take your pick among this limited edition of Hand-Beaded Nautical Pillows from MMDesigns for a simple and chic decor that reflects your passion for the ocean. Available in eight different patterns. MSRP $150; mmdesignsllc.com

Spice up your onboard meals with this selection of unique aromas from faraway lands. RawSpiceBar is a subscription box that delivers freshly ground, exotic spices that aren’t available in most grocery stores. MSRP $6/month; rawspicebar.com

Expand your boat with an inflatable, terrace platform that extends your entertainment area— and fun! ProPad is a new portable platform that extends around the transom and motors and is available in several sizes. Contact seller for MSRP; propadusa.com

by Nathalie Gouillou, Southern Boating Magazine December 2015

Standard Horizon GX2200

Standard Horizon debuts the new GX2200 Matrix AIS/GPS with integrated GPS on the radio’s front panel. Immediately acquire complete AIS and AIS SART targets, make DSC calls, share positions, navigate waypoints, and send DSC distress calls with one VHF antenna. Other features include a ClearVoice noise-cancelling speaker microphone, 30-watt loud hailer with fog signals, NOAA weather alert, priority scan, and memory to keep up to 100 waypoints. MSRP $399.99; standardhorizon.com

Southern Boating March 2014