Happy Holidays & Bonne Navigation, a 2013 card collection
I love Nick Munro’s signal flag holiday cards — which you can see more of at the cheery Brit blog called slingthehook: the geek and the girl go to sea — but unfortunately, they no longer seem available to benefit the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (though other Munro RNLI designs are). What follows is a highly eclectic collection of notable boating world cards that came my way recently, and I will point out a way you can help the U.S. Coast Guard as well…
It’s a sad thing the way the term “Merry Christmas” has been politicized here in the States. I find myself happily using the expression until I read an ignorant rant about how I must use it, which makes me not use it! At any rate, the term obviously isn’t such a hot potato elsewhere in the world and I got a special kick out of how MaxSea put a multilingual and marine twist on the season’s greetings.
Many marine companies can’t help but put products on their cards, but that can work very nicely when you make something as beautiful as Edson’s carbon and wood steering wheels.
There’s also a temptation toward the liberal use of Photoshop, particularly for the e-cards that have become so popular. Did Unlimited Marine Services go too far?
It seems a little odd that so many British cards made my 2013 collection, but isn’t Digital Yacht’s printed circuit board Christmas tree classy?
Admittedly, the Spectacular Superyachts 2014 calender is not even a card, but Megayacht News is generously donating 25% of the retail cost to the Coast Guard Foundation, a wonderful outfit that supports the hardworking members of the USCG in myriad ways large and small. Recent readings about the Bounty disaster reminded me of the extraordinary skills and bravery the SAR teams routinely deploy, and I think that recreational boaters should support the foundation big time.
Finally, though, the marine electronics Christmas card of the year must once again go to the proprieters of EchoPilot, who bring joy to the season by hilariously mocking the extremes of what we do. As in the notion that key members of their entry to America’s Cup 35 “have been recruited exclusively from Cirque du Soleil”! (Click below for readable size image.) Panbo, too, is wishing all a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Bonne Navigation. Please share links to cards you like.
Thanks for sharing Ben.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Pat
Happy Holidays Ben – Appreciate the work you do all year in the industry and for sharing that work with us.. Happy New Year to you and yours.
Jeffrey Schwartz / Miami
Seasonal greetings Ben, I trust you had successful feats of strength, and a good airing of grievances. I cast the chicken bones this morning, and 2014 will indeed be a good year. Thanks for doing such a great job for all of us.
Happy Holidays to Everyone, especially the many readers that comment on each entry and forum, adding their experience, color and/or commentary to Ben’s extraordinary marine electronics blog and hub.
Almost too late to say Merry christmas or “prettige kerstdagen?”
See you all in 2014.
From the harbour of “Terschelling”
Thanks all, and I especially appreciate Dan’s tip of the holiday hat to all Panbo commenters. Yes!
Incidentally, you can see the beautiful spot where Kees is aboard Merrimac via Panbo’s Marine Traffic widget here:
https://panbo.com/about.html#Where-At
MT is usually accurate about the last location a given vessel was spotted by it volunteer network but I’m surprised today to see that Gizmo was last seen three days ago near Auckland, NZ? Which is odd as I just visited her in the boatyard (where skates might be safer to get around in than shoes).
The weather appears to be somewhat more moderate in the Frisian Islands but hats off to Kees and his marina mates for extreme holiday cruising 😉
Hi Ben,
I think I remember reading about a new Seawind Catamaran with the boat name Gizmo, and I think it may have been a show boat from the new building place.
That might have been the one noted on the MT if they took a trip to NZ ?.
Kind Regards,
Michael.
Happy Holidays to Ben, Ben, and all the many readers of Panbo.
Thanks, Dan, fun to remember the wide world of marine electronics holiday cards, some of which still trickle in. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to you and all.