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METS 2011, a Kees Verruijt report 8

AIS / The Trade / NMEA 2000, 0183 & Signal K

METS 2011, a Kees Verruijt report

METS_marine_trade_show.jpg

Today I {Kees Verruijt} did a one day tour of the 2011 Marine Equipment Trade Show in Amsterdam. I knew before I started that it would be a hopeless task to cover everything so this is just my own take on things… This year is the first year that Ben had introduced me as the official Panbo representative and I was surprised at how much ‘clout’ I was carrying. This turned out to be both positive (people take you seriously) and a negative — some manufacturers clearly stated that some things were under embargo and they did not care for publication just yet…

Today I {Kees Verrujit} did a one day tour of the 2011 Marine Equipment Trade Show in Amsterdam. I knew before I started that it would be a hopeless task to cover everything so this is just my own take on things… This year is the first year that Ben had introduced me as the official Panbo representative and I was surprised at how much ‘clout’ I was carrying. This turned out to be both positive (people take you seriously) and a negative — some manufacturers clearly stated that some things were under embargo and they did not care for publication just yet…

The DAMEs: DY iAIS, the iThing onslaught & more 7

AIS

The DAMEs: DY iAIS, the iThing onslaught & more

So this morning Digital Yacht’s iAIS won the DAME award in the electronics category, but the thing I noticed is that four out of the six nominees chosen by the judges involve the integration...

EarthNC: routing, NEXRAD, & Baron XMWX 11

Wireless & Apps / Navigation

EarthNC: routing, NEXRAD, & Baron XMWX

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I use the iPad version of EarthNC fairly often because I still like how it can overlay and detail NOAA weather buoy and forecast info, a feature it had when I first tried it. I also like how the quilted NOAA raster charts look on a pad (but then again I’m an old guy). Now EarthNC has added a pretty full featured route-making routine to its iOS version, as I tried to illustrate above by laying out the San Diego America’s Cup course I’ll be seeing up close later this week (I’m so excited). Note how I was able to easily type in waypoint names, and what you can’t see is how easy it is to move one, or delete it, or add a new one along a track line…

Rally season: trackers, goggles, and a weather router issue 8

Weather

Rally season: trackers, goggles, and a weather router issue

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Of course I admire another boating writer willing to put weird things on his head for the sake of research and a little levity. But consider me dubious regarding the anti-seasickness goggles Charlie Doane modeled aboard a yacht he almost crewed aboard for the Carib 1500 rally. The rally — which runs from Hampton, Virginia, to the Virgin Islands — got delayed by what became tropical storm Sean, and Charlie had to bail, but he still came up with an interesting story about the rally organizers and weather routers who try to help passage makers in this difficult season…

Turning 65: social media & James Brown! 9

Zany

Turning 65: social media & James Brown!

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I may have become 65 years old yesterday, but no barnacles are growing under this blogger’s keyboard!  It’s a still a work in progress, but have you seen the new line of useful function and social media icons that recently appeared at the end of each Panbo entry (also seen above)? The “Print” button will get you a nicely formatted version of the entry with reader comments included, but without extraneous web page stuff. And the “Email” button makes it pie simple to send someone a link plus a bit of the entry with an image and an optional comment from you. The Email button also leads to all sorts of other share possibilities, though you may have to join ShareThis to use some of them.  I’m not clear on that and a few other things…

Thrane & Thrane, Volvo & VSAT 4

Communications

Thrane & Thrane, Volvo & VSAT

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Tomorrow the Volvo Ocean Race begins its first offshore leg — Alicante, Spain to Capetown, South Africa — and Thrane & Thrane is justifiably proud of how it will help the racers keep in touch and also help us follow the action. That’s the company’s little Inmarsat mini-C dome in the foreground along with its FleetBroadband 150 (also sold as the KVH and Intellian FB150s, I think). The Volvo boats also get Sailor VHF radios– probably the 6215 model which has impressed me in testing you’ll hear about soon — and big FB500 systems especially useful for uploading video. That’s one job of “media crew members” (MCMs) like Groupama’s Yann Riou shown filming above. To see what this equipment and the crews are about to endure check out these video snippets from the last Volvo. And note that B&G is also proud of its serious Volvo involvement, but I have more Thrane & Thrane news…

Scanstrut waterproof iPad case, & adjustable mount 11

Wireless & Apps / Cabin & deck gear

Scanstrut waterproof iPad case, & adjustable mount

Scanstrut_Waterproof_iPad_Case.jpg

It may be a bit early to discuss this Scanstrut iPad case because it’s not scheduled to ship until February, but I know a lot of boaters are wondering what’s possible in this realm, and besides it goes with yesterday’s iPads-on-yachts-of-the-future entry. Plus, as noted in this Scanstrut blog, the case is “short listed” for a DAME award in two weeks. And I got Scanstrut to share some information on the optional mount that can go with it…

Cheoy Lee Alpha 76, SmartGlass & SiMON2 iPads 2

Cabin & deck gear / Electrical & Engines

Cheoy Lee Alpha 76, SmartGlass & SiMON2 iPads

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The Cheoy Lee Shipyard hasn’t been building ships and yachts since 1870 by resting on its laurels, and that young man — who apparently represents generation five of the yard’s continuous Lo family ownership — is obviously pleasing some prospective clients with his demo of the first Alpha 76’s unique “SmartGlass” system. I was impressed too. A slider on his iPad (or a wall switch) made those huge side windows go from crystal clear to deeply tinted to somewhat translucent but completely private. Even if there was a way to fit curtains without messing up the Alpha’s clean interior design, the SPD-SmartGlass technology seems cooler. And let’s further note that the iPad app in Lo’s hands controls much, much more than the windows…