Marine journalist extraordinaire Jim Fullilove 1947-2025
I am sad that I will never get to hang out with Jim Fullilove again, but glad to find this ethereal image of him in my photo archives. I don’t recall what marine electronics...
Category: Panbo & misc.
Elderly Panbot writes about the magic of Doppler-assisted solid-state radar
Hello Panbo readers! This is Ben Ellison — sometimes known as the “Other Ben” or the “Old Ben” — and I want to apologize for posting here so infrequently in recent years. It’s not...
Boats, ladders, and reduced productivity
Last Thursday wasn’t a great day for me. In the midst of a few other tasks, I decided to run down to Panboat and complete the physical install of a Simrad NSS4 so I...
Small boat tender perfection? Dinghying with ePropulsion, Scanstrut, and West Marine
It has been two and a half years since my family and I travelled by water. Since losing Have Another Day to Hurricane Ian, we have lacked a boat for that sort of cruising....
Putting Panboat 2.0 to work with test gear from Epoch, Icom, Lenco, Scanstrut, Sensar, Tocaro Blue, and Victron
I have owned Panboat 2.0 for a little over 3 months. Unfortunately, I haven’t made as much testing headway as I hoped courtesy of a very busy fall with boat shows, speaking engagements, and dodging hurricanes. I leave for Amsterdam to attend METS shortly, but once home, I don’t have another show until Miami in mid-February. So, it’s high time I get to work outfitting the new Edgewater 280CX with the goodies needed for testing and begin rolling in some new technology.
A new Panbo test boat, more space for more stuff
A lot has changed since early 2020 when I took delivery of my first, outboard powered, small test boat. Since then, the world experienced a global pandemic, Hurricane Ian devastated Fort Myers and surrounding areas, and we lost Have Another Day. Also, though less dramatic, I found my testing shifted towards the small boat and away from testing on a 57-footer. At the same time, after four years of installing equipment on her, Panbo(at) was beginning to look like the proverbial five pound bag stuffed with ten (or more) pounds of… stuff. So, I did the only logical thing and bought a bigger bag!
My test bench runneth over with lithium from SFK, Mastervolt, and Epoch
I have big things planned for upcoming battery tests. I’m working to evolve my testing of LiFePO4 batteries to match their evolution. Battery capacities are increasing, physical size is decreasing, prices are dropping rapidly, and acceptance is increasing. New options hit the market regularly and keeping up with the pace of change can be challenging. In the coming months, I will review quite a few batteries in different positions in the market and try to help readers decide which price point and battery is right for them.
Handsome Duffy 37 flybridge cruiser seeks new owner (Gizmo is for sale!)
Yes, Panbo friends, the time has come. Gizmo is officially on the market as of today, though thankfully not due to health issues, financial distress, or any other problems. I simply decided last fall...
Max Marine Electronics, used gear with confidence
I first learned about Max Marine Electronics when Max himself served with me on an awards judging panel at the National Marine Electronics Association’s annual meeting a few years ago. Since hearing about his operations, I’ve been planning to visit the facility and see how they refurbish and sell used marine electronics. It took a while, but I recently made my way to Pompano Beach and spent the day with Max at his eponymous company.
Moving forward after Ian, and a boat search
It’s been just over six months since Ian ravaged Southwest Florida and, with it, the life my family and I built in Fort Myers. Ian sunk our home on the water, Have Another Day, and destroyed the marina we’d called home for three and a half years. Our lives have continued. We are settled in our house, we’ve found a place to keep our center console, Panbo(at), and overall we don’t have much to complain about, but boy do we miss living on the water.
