For faster, more comfortable and more economical boating, equip your vessel with the most advanced power options available.
In addition to boat builders, marine equipment manufacturers—from propulsion to stabilization to desalination—utilize boat shows to debut their new power products.
Some are kept under wraps so manufacturers can launch them with great fanfare and buzz at shows like the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. But if you couldn’t make it, here is a showcase of some of the latest power products introduced in 2018.
Propulsion
Yamaha V8 XTO Offshore
The Yamaha V8 XTO Offshore features a first-of-its-kind electric steering system. Rather than the typical electro-hydraulic setup, the integrated steering system directly moves the outboard to deliver secure, precise and responsive steering that is leak free, consumes less power and with its streamlined rigging, reduces maintenance. The 425-hp, 32-valve, 5.6-liter, four-stroke engine utilizes a direct injection powerhead to maximize power and efficiency, and its three-stage fuel pump system incorporates two independent, rpm-activated fuel pumps to create high injection pressures to maximize atomization. The XTO Offshore is compatible with the Helm Master Setpoint suite of functions that includes the ability to adjust heading and position while in StayPoint, FishPoint or DriftPoint modes, as well as troll below standard in-gear troll, speeds with the new Pattern Shift function. It’s also compatible with Yamaha’s CL7 7-inch touchscreen display that monitors vital boat functions and performance. yamahaoutboards.com
MAN Engines
MAN Engines introduces the MAN V12-2000, the only twelve-cylinder V engine with
2,000 horsepower (1,471 kW) to date, and the V8-1300 (956 kW), the strongest for yachts and sportfishing boats. The installation dimensions are compact (5’8” L x 3’9” W x 4’ H for the V8-1300), and the dry weights of 2,380 kg (V12-2000) and 1,880 kg
(V8-1300) contribute to a lower power/weight ratio. Through a series of modifications,
MAN engineers managed to add 100 horsepower compared to the previous, most powerful V12 and V8 engines from their range. An improved injection system, new turbocharger, newly developed cylinder heads, an adjusted cooling system, and a new crankcase ensures high performance throughout the engine’s long service. The engines run quietly and with low fuel consumption. Both engines meet the currently applicable emissions requirements U.S. EPA Tier 3 as well as IMO Tier II. engines.man.eu
Mercury Marine
Mercury Marine unveiled a new V6 3.4-liter outboard engine system earlier this year. In one of the largest, single new-product development programs in Mercury’s 80-year history, the Wisconsin-based company set a new benchmark with the recent introduction of the V8 4.6-liter platform. Available in the 250- and 300-hp Verado and FourStroke models and the 225-300-hp Pro XS and SeaPro models, as well as their racing engines, the new outboards, offer the performance, fuel efficiency and ruggedness demanded by professional anglers, the commercial segment and the avid boater. The Verado is equipped with Adaptive Speed Control for increased throttle response, noise, vibration and heat reduction for an ultra-quiet ride, an advanced midsection that delivers minimal vibration, and is compatible with the Mercury Joystick Piloting system. mercurymarine.com
Seven Marine
Seven Marine introduced its new line of outboards this past spring that takes the aluminum engines to a greater power. The new 527, 577s and 627sv each have supercharged, smallblock V8s with water-cooled stainless headers that deliver powerful acceleration and improved fuel economy. The outboards have a choice of gearcase setups to optimize cruise efficiency and low speed control based on the boat’s speed range—the new CR gearcase incorporates two contra-rotating propellers for boats with top speeds less than 60 mph, and the CT is for boats with top speeds greater than 85 mph. A new Quick-Start technology allows rapid automatic fuel system priming at the turn of a key, and the ZF Marine transmission includes inboard-style wet disc clutches, integrated trolling functionality and smooth, progressive shifting. seven-marine.com
Generators
Phasor Marine
Phasor Marinehas been manufacturing generators for 28 years and introduces a new compact model at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. The K3-15.0 kW is powered by a Kubota diesel engine, and the single bearing, direct coupled, brushless generator measures 37.5″L x 24″W x 28″H with a powder-coated aluminum, sound-attenuated enclosure. The unit includes a safety shutdown system, U.S.C.G.- approved fuel lines and Awl-Craft urethane finish. phasormarine.com
Stabilizers
Seaskeeper 2
Seakeeper now has a stabilizer for almost every size boat. Its groundbreaking Seakeeper 3 was a big step to stabilize boats in the 30-foot range, but now, they’ve made one that works on smaller boats. The Seaskeeper 2 became available in April and can eliminate up to 95 percent of boat roll on 27- to 32-foot vessels. The stabilizer weighs 414 pounds and measures 24x25x20 inches. The Seakeeper 2 runs exclusively on 12-volt DC power and because of its size can be installed almost anywhere, including as a leaning post replacement that can be integrated with no major structural modifications. A newly designed touchscreen control panel with an intuitive user interface allows users to capture real-time performance information. seakeeper.com
Refrigeration
Indel Webasto Marine
The Isotherm Clean Touch Stainless Steel Refrigerator by Indel Webasto Marine features a high-tech coating that remains clean to the touch, is scratch and abrasion resistant and provides protection from salt spray, sun, heat, UV light, and condensation in the marine environment. The Cruise 130 Elegance Clean Touch refrigerator is the latest in the line and has a thicker door than traditional refrigerators, so it better retains the cold and provides greater energy efficiency and performance. An innovative internal anchoring system allows flush or proud mounting with or without a flange for a wide range of design options. The new Isotherm Cruise Clean Touch Stainless Steel refrigerators are also available in the 42, 49, 65, and 85 models. indelwebastomarine.com
Water Treatment
Dometic
The new Dometic Spot Zero SZ Mobile Washdown System is a freshwater reverse osmosis syste. It’sdesigned for boats 60 feet and less that don’t have the space for a built-in, onboard system. The compact, portable design removes up to 99 percent of total dissolved solids (TDS) from freshwater dock sources from around the world that have varying water quality characteristics, pressures and temperatures. Dried dissolved solids in water leave water spots, so removing them allows for a spot-free washdown. The Spot Zero system takes water that’s typically a few hundred parts per million (ppm) down to 10-20 ppm. It utilizes the most advanced reverse osmosis technology for pure water from a potable source that can fill the water tank and also lets water-sprayed surfaces dry clean. spotzerowater.com
FCI
For larger boats, the FCI DTS+SOLO is specifically designed to treat dock water and can produce 2,000 or 3,000 gallons per day. The DTS (Dockside Treatment System)+Solo is a stand-alone dockside water purifying unit. It uses a granular activated carbon and sediment filter that produces purified drinking, cooking, and bath water from a dockside source. The system eliminates viruses, bacteria and cysts and removes up to 99 percent of total dissolved solids. The DTS+Solo uses utilizes FCI’s exclusive HMI/PLC touch control system and the DTS+SOLO’s compact, modular design allows it to mount almost anywhere. fciwatermakers.com
Climate Control
Webasto
Open cockpit, sterndrive boats can now have a fully integrated, engine-driven air conditioning with optional heating system. Webasto Thermo & Comfort North America and Volvo Penta of the Americas unveiled the modular Webasto Breeze system that provides ambient cooling and heating. The entire system is 12 VDC and eliminates the need for an auxiliary generator. Webasto Breeze puts out 7,000 BTU of ambient comfort at idle or slow speeds and up to 30,000 BTU at higher engine rpms. It is controlled by a simple dash-mounted unit with three fan speeds and a mode switch. The first U.S. boatbuilder to offer the system is Four Winns, which introduces it as an option on their HD270 model. webasto.com
Electronics keep cruisers connected. Stay connected while cruising
Boat Shows provide a phenomenal opportunity to learn about and shop for new electronic products, if you need to replace them. Pay attention to a few that that will help you get internet and stay connected while cruising.
ICOM
Communications solutions provider Icom presented its new fixed-mount compact transceiver designed for tight spaces that packs a punch. The M330 series offers the same great performance as their M324 series. The waterproof transceiver includes an exclusive AquaQuake draining elemen, and built-in GPS. The M330 series’ small size is ideal for smaller boats that have limited space for mounting electronics.
Icom also debuted the M85, the smallest, lightest handheld radio available. The M85 has VHF marine channels and also 100 programmable land mobile channels, making it ideal for both marine and land use. The practical marine/land mobile radio combo is built to MIL-STD 810, with an IP67 waterproof rating, which protects the radio even if it’s submerged. This new commercial-grade marine radio is fitting for both recreational and commercial marine operations and features a built-in voice scrambler for private communications. The M85 also includes features for emergency situations such as MOB Alarm, Man Down and lone worker functions.
Icom began as an engineering and manufacturing company, making advanced, compact, solid-state radio equipment for use by amateur (ham) radio enthusiasts. Boaters will be happy know that they can stay connected while cruising with Icom. Icom has since grown to become an industry leader with a product line that includes state-of-the-art communications equipment for marine, land mobile and avionics. icomamerica.com
WAVE WIFI
There’s a lot to be said for unplugging completely from the outside world, and it’s easier when you’re boating in areas where WiFi coverage is spotty, inconsistent or absent. But for some, staying connected isn’t just preferable, it’s necessary. Wave WiFi provides mariners, RV enthusiasts and marinas with advanced technology that simplifies the process of connecting to WiFi, and their new 3G and 4G cellular products work in conjunction with their WiFi antennas, routers, and proprietary web-based firmware.
Wave WiFi products offer outstanding performance because of the proprietary firmware technology embedded in each unit. The browser-based interface allows users to easily identify and connect to WiFi hotspots based on frequency, signal strength, encryption, and availability. At the same time, the Wave WiFi hardware and antenna solutions transmit and receive signals with the best possible clarity. This means that users can access connections with faster Internet speeds and remain connected to WiFi farther from the source.
The next generation of Wave WiFi products goes one step further and allows the user to connect to 3G and 4G cellular when WiFi signals are not available. The new Tidal Wave from Wave WiFi provides high-powered, dual-band WiFi plus 3G/4G and allows for concurrent listening across 2.4GHz and 5.1-5.8GHz WiFi channels along with SIMactivated cellular data. The Tidal Wave comes equipped with a gigabit port to support the fastest connection speeds. It includes high gain antennas to seek the farthest-reaching connections attainable. There is no software to download or install and, instead, uses a simple plug-and-play integration. The unit is also equipped for power over Ethernet (POE) for easy installation. The Tidal Wave will let you enjoy the luxury of WiFi, and/or cellular internet at the marina, on the hook and in many remote areas– the best way to stay connected while cruising. wavewifi.com
MAZU
Winner of a Pittman Award and a Newport (Boat Show) For New Products Award, the feature-packed mazu mSeries provides reliable, worldwide service with the up-to-date weather, email, SMS texting, position reporting, charts and onscreen tracking, real-time NMEA navigation, and optional remote boat monitoring and control.
Represented by Ocean Marketing, the award-winning mazu mSeries hardware, when paired with the mazu iPad app, is the ultimate tool for cruisers and anglers to stay connected while on the water anywhere in the world. For anglers, mazu Sport Fishing features satellite images of sea surface temperature, chlorophyll charts, position reports, and SMS chat.
The mazu iPad app provides global coverage with an easy to use interface when paired with mSeries hardware. Access is free via an Internet or cellular connection. The smart antenna is easy to install, draws low power, and comes with 12 or 24-volt mSeries hardware. The antenna that doesn’t need to be mounted high. Affordable and flexible monthly service plans are available, including a drydock plan to maintain an account when a satellite connection isn’t needed. mazu-marine.com
In September, the 2017 National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA 2017) conference was held in Bellevue, Washington. The sold-out expo featured around 50 exhibitors showcasing their products to dealers, distributors, installers, and the media. Take a look at some of the interesting new products that we saw at the show.
GOST Apparition
The new GOST Apparition system provides advanced onboard security and monitoring. Highly customizable, it centers around touchscreen displays that can connect to a vast array of wired and wireless sensors. It can also be controlled by Smartphone or tablet. Key fob or card control can limit access to areas of the vessel keeping contractors
isolated to work areas like engine rooms and decks.
Similarly, guests can access accommodation areas but be kept out of sensitive engineering spaces. With capabilities of up to 192 sensors and access control of up to 32 doors, the system is perfect for large yachts. Available features include GPS tracking, cellular and satellite monitoring, live HD camera feeds, video backup systems, and more.
MSRP $3,000 for the basic system (price varies by number of sensors and features); gostglobal.com
Garmin VIRB 360 Camera
The VIRB 360 recently started shipping. The VIRB 360 takes waterproof VIRB cameras to another dimension. This rugged waterproof camera fi lms 360 degrees in either still or video, and four microphones provide quadrophonic sound to match the 360 video. The camera stitches the images from multiple cameras together inside the unit allowing for quick viewing of the video. Simply set the camera up to play and watch. The VIRB mobile app or desktop package helps users share and edit the results. VIRB can record for more than one hour per charge. Internal spherical stabilization keeps the video running smoothly even in adverse conditions. The camera is waterproof to 10 meters allowing 360-degree video above and below the water while fishing, wakeboarding or simply exploring in boats large or small.
INTELLIAN V65
This 65cm VSAT antenna is designed to operate and perform comparably to larger 85cm antennas while saving weight and space. Intellian uses advanced RF components to enhance signal strength and clarity achieving superior gain and isolation as compared with other antennas in this size range. The V65 is also the fi rst 60cm class antenna capable of being converted easily from KU to KA band; a conversion kit is required, but it is an easy onboard change out. This allows vessel owners to run on either frequency depending on where they are traveling, their communication needs and provider preferences.
COBHAM SAILOR 600 VSAT KU
High-tech construction and advanced materials like carbon fiber and infused aluminum keep the weight of this KU band VSAT antenna at 77 lbs. Single cable connectivity includes power, transmit and receive combined. Automatic cable and
Azimuth calibration make installation easy. The antenna is self-balancing and has internal dynamic motor brakes eliminating the need for mechanical straps and keeping the antenna balanced when not powered up or during transport. This means the antenna can be moved and installed without having to remove the cover. The Cobham SATCOM 3D catalog App provides specifications and 3D images of their products.
FURUNO DFF3D Multi Beam Sonar
The latest from FURUNO, the DFF3D connects to existing NavNet TZtouch(1 or 2) MFDs or MaxSea Time Zero to provide advanced sonar capabilities. FURUNO combines rapid processing with a new multi-beam transducer to show both structure and fish in a wide swath beneath the boat, even in deep water. The lower frequency 165kHz penetrates far deeper than other 3D systems and combined with image stabilization provides accurate coverage while the boat is rolling. The 120-degree multi-beam consists of 40-3 degree slices that cover up to 650 feet of the sea bottom at once, depending on conditions. Users can see which side of the boat fish are on as well as bottom contours and their direction and proximity to the boat.
Fully customizable modes include traditional down-sounding, tri-beam with three views (left, center and right), cross section, side scan, and graphic 3D imaging. Because the wide beam covers so much ground, finding wrecks and other bottom structures is easier for less time searching and more time fishing. Not only are fish visible in the water column on top of a wreck or a rock, but the multi beam shows when they are off to the side. This allows more accurate species identification and targeting. Because the frequencies don’t interfere, existing sounders can run at the same time as the multibeam sonar or combine it all into a combo transducer that has all elements in one compact unit.
Raymarine Axiom Pro 12
The Axiom Pro series of MFDs uses touchscreen controls (9″, 12″, 16″) as well as a keypad (which some users prefer, particularly in rough conditions). The Pro series uses Raymarine’s new LightHouse3 operating system and a fast, internal quad core processor. The Axiom PRO(S) comes with a single channel 1kW CHIRP sonar.
The PRO (RVX) configuration provides both the CHIRP sonar and RealVision 3D. The 3D mode shows the fish in the same colors as the 2D display making target matching easier. The dual-mode transducer provides deeper water capabilities and the power to penetrate baitfish and thermoclines with all the detail and perspective of 3D. Rewind, pause, and playback controls make it easy to set waypoints and examine fish and bottom structure. Axiom Pro uses a variety of cartography choices from Navionics, C-Map and Lighthouse charts.
SIMRAD GO12 XSE
The SIMRAD GO12 XSE is the newest and largest of the powerful GO series multi-function displays (MFD). It acts as a stand-alone chartplotter/ fishfinder combo with a built-in GPS and a bright 12″ multi-touch display, or it connects to other devices to display and control many onboard functions. Plug-and-play options like SIMRAD Broadband or Halo pulse compression radar systems make it easy to do more. Wireless connectivity and NMEA 2000 allow interfacing of a broad array of systems including autopilot controls, entertainment systems, engine monitoring, Sirius XM weather, and more.
The sophisticated fish finder uses CHIRP technology to show fish and bottom contours in the water column, or switch to “StructureScan” for HD sidescan imaging all from the same multifunction transducer. With up to four customizable viewing areas, both fish-finding modes can run simultaneously along with other navigation functions.
ROSE POINT NAVIGATION SYSTEMS NEMO
Rose Point, the creators of Coastal Explorer PC-based navigation and charting software, recently released the NEMO gateway. NEMO allows boaters to connect onboard data systems to multiple devices at the same time.
It also allows users with older devices that use NMEA 0183 to connect at the same time as newer NMEA 2000 devices by translating the signals. NEMO works with Rose Point products and also connects other onboard data systems to provide PCs, tablets, and phones access to your marine electronics. An Ethernet interface allows you to control onboard electronics like an autopilot using multiple devices. Plug NEMO into a common household router and wireless apps and devices will interface with your onboard NMEA-compatible electronics.
SITEX
The SITEX MDA-4 is a new VHF radio with DSC and a built-in dual channel AIS receiver. Built to MilSpec 801G, it is designed to handle rugged, wet conditions on board. It has a host of features including Dual and Tri-watch to monitor multiple channels at once, programmable scanning, a built-in 25- watt hailer with selectable automatic foghorns, and listen back. A large LCD screen displays AIS data including MMSI, call sign, ship’s name, bearing, distance, speed, course over ground, and closest point of approach with alerts.
Humminbird Solix MEGA15
This new fish finder from Humminbird has a bright sunlight-readable, color touchscreen, 15.4″ diagonal display, but also has buttons and a toggle/joystick to control it. It is easily customizable, has a GPS built into the unit and can interface with optional radar and autopilot modules. NMEA 2000, 0183 and ethernet ports are standard. Dual card slots allow multiple chart formats to run simultaneously and switching between cartography.
Both Navionics and Humminbird charts are supported including their LakeMaster series for inland fishing. The Solix MEGA15 uses a sophisticated Airmar CHIRP transducer. The ultrahigh frequency 1.2MHz provides better target resolution and separation than lower frequency transducers do. The drawback is depth; in MEGA mode images are extremely crisp and clear but only to about 100′. (They claim 125′ down and 250′ side to side.) With 455kHz the depth penetration is better: 800′ down, 400′ side to side, but target resolution suffers.
The higher frequency also covers a lot more ground as the cone angle is wider meaning more structure is visible and more information is available about where the fish are in relation to the boat. MSRP $3,499; humminbird.com
By Arnie Hammerman, Southern Boating December 2017
