Monthly Archive: February 2026

2

DBMIBS 2026: Simrad NSO 4

Continuing my new product tour from the 2026 Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show, the next stop is at the Navico booth for the Simrad NSO 4 and B&G Zeus SRX. These two families of chartplotters sit atop Simrad and B&G’s lineups. They also complete each company’s transition to products based on Navico’s NEON operating system.

5

DBMIBS 2026: Digital Yacht veLINK

Digital Yacht has been on a roll recently with clever, relatively simple products to solve specific needs. Well, they’ve done it agian. This time, Digital Yacht has introduced a small converter that connects to Victron products via Bluetooth, convert their data, and share it on a NMEA 2000 network. The veLINK gateway solves problems on boats without a GX device and for Victron devices without wired connectivity.

0

DBMIBS 2026: Furuno TZtouchE and TZMap MFDs

The electronics area of the 2026 Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show is noticeably smaller this year. In years past, the show featured a separate electronics room. This year, that room is a food court and the electronics area is on the main floor of the convention center. Although the area itself might be smaller, there were still quite a few exciting announcements and new equipment on display. First up are two different lines of Furuno MFDs designed for smaller boats.

0

Innovation Award winners recognized at Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show

This morning, 2/12/2026, the NMMA and Boating Writers International (BWI) honored 14 recipients and 2 honorable mentions with the 2026 Miami Innovation Awards during the Industry Breakfast at the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show. The Miami Innovation Awards recognize manufacturers and suppliers who bring new, innovative products to market…

1

Furuno TZtouchE: Bringing big-boat technology to every vessel

Furuno is expanding its industry-leading lineup of NavNet TZtouch MFDs (Multi Function Displays) with the new TZtouchE series, delivering a streamlined navigation experience with robust functionality and performance. Designed for boaters demanding powerful tools in a simplified interface, the TZtouchE series delivers an affordable path to many advanced features, including amazingly detailed TZ MAPS charts…

0

Simrad debuts new NSO 4 – designed to be the world’s most intuitive chartplotter

As Simrad Marine Electronics marks its 80th anniversary, the brand celebrates eight decades of innovation with the launch of NSO 4 – the next chapter in marine navigation. Built on the revolutionary NEON operating system (OS) and designed to be the world’s most intuitive chartplotter, NSO 4 is the latest premium chartplotter and fishfinder in the Simrad portfolio, delivering an unmatched combination of effortless control, lightning-fast performance, and sleek design, setting a new standard for offshore navigation…

8

Garmin Quatix 8, compelling marine watch option now with inReach

The Quatix 8 might just accomplish something no other Garmin (or any other brand) watch has done so far. Displace my Apple Watch. I am deeply invested in Apple’s ecosystem. I use an iPhone, iPad, Mac, Airpods, and Apple Watch. So, getting me to switch out one of those pieces is an uphill battle. The Quatix 8 offers enough improvements over prior Quatix watches, and my Apple Watch Ultra, to make a strong case for daily wear. If you’re like me and happy with your current wristwear, you might be wondering what the Quatix could possibly deliver to compell a change. For me, the answer comes down to four things — not all of them marine related — that weigh the scale in Garmin’s favor. Those four things are: thorough integration with Garmin navigation electronics, extremely long battery life, robust fitness features, and now, satellite communications from my wrist.

8

SI-TEX Sirius 12 stabilized binoculars, stability at a nice price

Within a few months of leaving to travel America’s Great Loop, I decided there were two things my boat was sorely lacking. The first was a set of wireless headsets or marriage savers — rarely has a product been so accurately named. The second tool I found myself lacking was a pair of stabilized binoculars. A few nausea inducing episodes of trying to read the transom of a moving boat from the pitching deck of Have Another Day convinced me of the utility. While the marriage savers were quite affordable, the stabilized binoculars left a larger dent in my wallet. So, I was quite pleased to have the opportunity to try out SI-TEX’s Sirius stabilized binoculars and their much more affordable cost of entry.