Panbo News and Reviews

Waste plumbing, more important than electronics!

Uncategorized

July 23, 2012

Waste plumbing, more important than electronics!

I don’t know if I’ve messed up my karma somehow, but I do know that the last year has included an unusual amount of personal time with blackwater systems. In fact, it was about this time last year that I had to abort a cruise because I could not fix a jammed-up Lavac marine toilet. It did not help that the nice bag of spare parts that came with Gizmo were actually for an earlier model of its electric pump. But now I have proper spares and a good snake on board, along with a comfy plastic seat
that can theoretically turn a standard five gallon bucket into an alternate head. And — my point in doing the work myself — I now understand the workings of the Lavac rather intimately…

Xtreme QuadLink, and the Victron N2K Skylla charger

Uncategorized

July 18, 2012

Xtreme QuadLink, and the Victron N2K Skylla charger

The line on Pulsetech’s new QuadLink Battery Charger Multiplier is that it can “turn any 6V or 12V battery charger into a 4-station maintenance charger.” I’m sure that’s true but the most obvious charger to use it with is also from Pulsetech, like that Xtreme Marine I first tested in 2007. That unit has been through wringer without a wimper and I’m even more convinced today that it has certain battery healing abilities…

New Raymarine a-Series, all touch and highly connected

Navigation

July 16, 2012

New Raymarine a-Series, all touch and highly connected

No knobs, no buttons, no “hybrid touch”? Is anyone else surprised by the pure touchscreen interface on the just announced Raymarine “a-Series” multifunction displays? We can discuss usability issues after the break, but one thing about pure touch is obvious: It let Ray design for maximum screen in minimum helm space. These new MFDs use an area only 6.5 x 5.7 inches to encase that “Super Bright LED” 5.7-inch (diagonal) 640 x 480 pixel screen, which is quite a contrast to the previous A-Series (at 8.9 x 6.3 inches and a lot thicker). But the little a-Series is not at all small in terms of horsepower or connectivity…

CHIRPing bottom all the way to Bermuda, maybe fish too!

Fishing & Sonar

July 13, 2012

CHIRPing bottom all the way to Bermuda, maybe fish too!

It’s a rare day when someone calls to say he’s sending marine electonics screenshots that gave him goosebumps! The someone was Peter Braffitt of Gemeco Marine and Airmar Technology, and while he certainly has a business interest in high-performance sonar transducers, he’s also a straight shooter. Besides, isn’t that screen above pretty darn amazing? It was taken aboard the handsome 80-foot Merritt-built sport fishing boat Speculator en route from Beaufort, North Carolina, to Bermuda. They not only held bottom the whole way — even in 17,624 freakin feet of water (or 5,372 meters or 3.3 miles!) — but they may have spotted fish at great depths too…

Charts

July 11, 2012

NV Charts, the paper & digital sweet spot?

When I wrote about NV Charts after the 2011 Miami Show, I appreciated their unique approach to recreational charts. For one thing, they make their own (though based on official sources), and for another they won’t sell digital versions without the paper version (or vice versa, your choice!). But now that I’ve had some hand’s on time with the actual products, I’m even more appreciative. These are beautifully made charts no matter which way you look at them…

Em-Trak I100 Identifier, will AIS “be a victim of its own popularity”?

AIS

July 9, 2012

Em-Trak I100 Identifier, will AIS “be a victim of its own popularity”?

Though it looks like a commercial-grade AIS SART meant only for emergencies, the Em-Trak I100 Identifier is actually a special purpose Class B AIS transponder “suitable for even the smallest vessel.” It’s completely self-contained, with GPS and VHF antennas and a Lithium-Ion battery all packed inside that orange 14-inch tall waterproof casing. Once charged ashore in that AC cradle, you just twist lock the Identifier into the special pole bracket at right and it will automatically turn itself on and transmit standard Class B boat id and position messages for about five days. I haven’t actually tested the Em-Trak I100 in a kayak, but it certainly seems up to the challenge…

Nordwind 1939, gearing up for the Northwest Passage!

What's on board... / Safety & SAR

July 5, 2012

Nordwind 1939, gearing up for the Northwest Passage!

A Camden Harbor 2012 spring bonus has been getting to know that classy 85-foot wooden yawl as she prepared for an attempt at the Northwest Passage. Her name is Nordwind though her mainsail cover and life rings are marked Nordwind 1939, presumably in memory of both her launch year and the Fastnet Race in which she set a record that held for twenty-four years. Some of this history can be found on Nordwind’s 2011 Transatlantic Race page along with mention of her recent rounding of Cape Horn. This old boat still gets around! I suspect that her greatest asset for the adventure north is the fact that her professional skipper, Alex Veccia, has already sailed her so many hard miles. But if you look closely in her rigging, you’ll see that he will have some new electronic helpers…

Simrad NSS8 & Raymarine e7, with radar in the rain

Navigation

July 2, 2012

Simrad NSS8 & Raymarine e7, with radar in the rain

The cool thing about this picture is that the potent storm cell generating all that wind and rain was just about to pass to the east and I’d managed to avoid almost all of it thanks to radar. After taking this shot I just ran up into Camden’s outer harbor and rigged fenders and docklines while Gizmo drifted sideways downwind; by the time I reached my float the evening sky had cleared and I tied up in calm conditions without foul weather gear…

Testing a state-of-the-art install: “Many things work!”

What's on board...

June 28, 2012

Testing a state-of-the-art install: “Many things work!”

A wry line that applies to this and numerous other cutting-edge installs is: “Many things work!” (Though maybe not everything just yet.) This is the 58-foot yacht I mentioned in February when I met the owner at the Miami Show as he planned a nearly complete electronics update. Obviously he decided on the Furuno TZtouch displays that debuted that very day. In fact, while the four TZT14’s on this boat may be some of first installed anywhere and they’re mixed with lots of non-Furuno gear to boot, they seemed to be working quite well. So nicely done, Furuno! But I emphasize “seemed” because it takes a while to wring out a system as complex as this, especially when so much is happening preparatory to delivery day. Heck, guys were varnishing below even as we blasted up the St. George river at nearly 36 knots to check that yet another prop change had fixed vibration issues. And though the techs are joining the owner for the two-day delivery home, it’s still unlikely that they’ll get all the way through the “issues list.” That’s life on the cutting edge. Nonetheless, I think the owner is going to be very pleased with how close the system comes to his vision, and how well it will customize and expand to his future wishes…

Zany

June 26, 2012

Penobscot Bay Rendezvous 2012, join me!

While I was enthusiastic about the first Penobscot Bay Rendezvous last summer, when the event came around I only managed to make a couple of the parties and do a little spectating (above). But I sure liked what I saw and am pleased that this year I’m helping to manage the PBR as the Powerboat Fleet Guide. I like how the event welcomes both power and sail –and how it attracts a mix of local and visiting boaters too — but the powerboats need something to do besides watching sailboats race (as enjoyable as that can be). I think we’ve come up with some great plans…