Panbo

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Monthly Archive: January 2017

PanPan CrewWatcher, smart MOB beacon for smartphones, plus Sea Tags & Fell MOB+ 30

Wireless & Apps / Safety & SAR

PanPan CrewWatcher, smart MOB beacon for smartphones, plus Sea Tags & Fell MOB+

beta_testing_CrewWatcher_bluetooth_MOB_system_cPanbo.jpg

Does it make sense to use smartphones and tablets for a man overboard alarm and recovery system? I can testify that the first reaction of Sail magazine’s Pittman Innovation Award judges was skepticism. Nonetheless we found PanPan’s CrewWatcher so well thought out and potentially so useful that we gave it an award in the safety category, and then an independent second set of judges picked it for the Overall Winner. And truth be told, the finished CrewWatcher personal beacons and apps don’t actually exist yet!

Ebikes for boats, learning from a Sondors 44

Cabin & deck gear / Zany / Green Boating

Ebikes for boats, learning from a Sondors

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Folding bikes seem great for cruising boats. You can extend your sightseeing, fetch supplies, or simply get some rolling excercise. But I’ve wondered if a compactable electric bike could be even better and more fun. While that manly beast above is certainly unfit for stowing on even a mid-sized trawler, it’s led me to love the ebike concept and taught me what a good one may look like for my cruising situation…