Panbo

The Marine Technology Hub

Category: Weather

4

Editors' Blog / Weather

Chuck Berry, Ali’s butterfly, and the National Hurricane Center

Dorian is powered up and perilously close, but while the forecasting is better than ever — based almost entirely on massive data collection and modeling by NOAA — the meteorologists are still quite uncertain about the hurricane’s path. I’m thinking a lot about folks in the Abacos and in the vast areas that might be struck next, but, sorry, I’m also remembering how I managed to use Chuck Berry and Muhammad Ali in the opening paragraph of a July 2003 SAIL magazine article about visiting the National Hurricane Center…

10

Editors' Blog / Fishing & Sonar / Entertainment / Weather

SiriusXM InfoLink, new features and lower priced SiriusXM weather receivers

SiriusXM Marine Weather on your boat is getting cheaper and likely to get more capable in the near future.  Furuno and Raymarine have both recently released new SiriusXM weather and audio receivers at very attractive price points.  The two receivers look very similar and it turns out there’s a very good reason.

1

Press Releases / Fishing & Sonar / Weather

Furuno Introduces Fourth Generation BBWX4 SiriusXM Marine Weather Receiver for NavNet TZtouch and TZtouch2

Furuno has introduced the BBWX4 fourth-generation SiriusXM Marine Weather Receiver for NavNet TZtouch and NavNet TZtouch2. Furuno and SiriusXM have teamed up to bring you live, up-to-date weather information and forecasting, offering peace of mind to boaters, and a crucial edge for fishermen, all over the US and southern Canada…

13

Editors' Blog / Weather / When things go wrong...

Concerned about the Carolinas, searching for data

This great aerial image from Marinas.com shows the peaceful, safe harbor I so enjoyed while keeping Gizmo at both marinas. But New Bern got pummeled by hurricane Florence last night, and it’s hard to tell the amount of damage or how worse it may get. I find myself unable to think about much else, and while the quality and density of available information is amazing, I want more…

SkyMate Mazu/mSeries all-in-one Iridium sat comms & Si-Tex NavStar Android MFD 5

Wireless & Apps / Navigation / Communications / Weather

SkyMate Mazu/mSeries all-in-one Iridium sat comms & Si-Tex NavStar Android MFD

SkyMate_Mazu_and_mSeries_intro_MIBS2017_cPanbo.jpgIt was good to see SkyMate return to the Miami Boat Show after years focused on commercial fishing, and the company clearly has not lost its touch at squeezing lots of easy utility out of skinny-band satellite communications. Its new Mazu/mSeries marine system promises surprisingly full-featured weather and email using Iridium’s least expensive service, plus texting, SOS, navigation and (optional) off-boat monitoring. And, just around the corner in the Si-Tex booth, I saw a very interesting Android-based touchscreen NavStar MFD nicely interfacing with SkyMate’s existing communications system…

Navico Hawks 2017: “Full boat integration into one display cluster” 21

Wireless & Apps / Cabin & deck gear / Network & control / Electrical & Engines / The future / Weather / Monitoring & Tracking

Navico Hawks 2017: “Full boat integration into one display cluster”

Navico_integration_update_2017_Leif_Ottosson.jpg

The Miami Boat Show was loaded with marine electronics news, but first let’s visit the Navico writers event held at Hawks Cay, Florida, earlier this month. Deeper still – Mercury engine integration, B&G Zeus PredictWind weather routing, the Halo radar VelocityTrack Doppler upgrade, Navionics SonarChart Live everywhere, Simrad’s new 3kW 3-channel S5100 super sonar, and Lowrance Carbon (Gen3) MFDs are some of the goodies that were demonstrated and/or discussed. But I was especially taken with CEO Leif Ottosson’s opening “big picture” presentation and think it’s valuable to anyone interested in the future of boating…

If you want to sail away, free FastSeas weather routing can help 22

Sailing & Racing / Wireless & Apps / Weather

If you want to sail away, free FastSeas weather routing can help

FastSeas_calculating_fast_getaway_to_Bermuda_cPanbo.jpg

If you’re looking for a real getaway this morning, or even just an online distraction, FastSeas.com can help. It’s also a testament to how much goodness a smart boater/coder can create for his or her fellow mariners these days. And while FastSeas is primarily an online weather routing service for sailors embarking on ocean passages, it’s easy and flexible enough that even a coastal power cruiser can benefit…

DeLorme inReach gets weather & goes to Cuba 28

Wireless & Apps / Communications / Weather

DeLorme inReach gets weather & goes to Cuba

DeLorme_inReach_weather_feature_cPanbo.jpgI’ve long felt that the DeLorme inReach is a valuable safety and communications tool for boats that sometimes go beyond reliable cellular (and/or VHF) contact with friends, families and rescue centers. But one gripe for skippers hoping to use an inReach as their only offshore communications device was the lack of weather forecasting. There were some necessarily crude third party solutions, but now DeLorme itself is offering easy-to-use and understand forecasts, both marine and terrestrial. I’ve just been testing this and many other inReach features in Cuba, though the legality of taking a satellite messenger/tracker there is uncertain…

Yacht Devices N2K display, RedPort & PredictWind, NMEA & ABYC, and ONWA radar 8

Wireless & Apps / Communications / How-to / Weather / NMEA 2000, 0183 & Signal K

Yacht Devices N2K display, RedPort & PredictWind, NMEA & ABYC, and ONWA radar

Yacht Devices NMEA2000 Text DisplayYacht Devices appeared suddenly on the marine electronics scene last summer when Ben discussed their new temperature and barometer sensors. Not resting on their laurels, they then launched a $189 voyage data recorder that similarly came with either DeviceNet or SeaTalkNG connectors to minimize additional drop and/or adapter cable expense. More recently they joined NMEA and have now launched a new NMEA 2000 (N2K) text display which seems to be the least expensive and least power thirsty N2K data display available…