S/Y Aeolian, an update

It’s good to hear that Aeolian shook the snow off her decks and made it to Bermuda. John Gass emailed that the skipper is “very pleased” with his new NavNet vx2 system, but the electronics in this included nav station shot (bigger here) look like they were installed when the boat was built by Holland Jachtbouw in 1998. It’s not 1985 vintage, but you don’t see some of these devices every day.

Check, for instance, the VDO Logic Combi all-in-one engine & tank dial at lower right. Above it is B&G Hydra 2000 instrumentation, which now seems absent from B&G’s own site (discontinued?). There’s also an ICS NAV4 Navtex receiver and a Leica MK 10 DGPS (which is now sold as the MX Marine MX420). Aeolian’s custom system monitoring program can be seen on the color display. John reports that the PC running it is a Beckhoff CX1000, which looks to be compact but powerful industrial technology. Apparently it’s set up as Web server (somewhat similar to that little Wetter Navtex receiver), so anyone with the URL and password can access the program, even via WiFi. The whole set up certainly looks serious, but perhaps a little dated even at 10 years old? Electronics have been evolving fast, eh? 
   At any rate, Aeolian may be back at St. Barths soon, but pity the poor crew who are missing one beautiful winter on the coast of Maine! Below, bigger here, is the snowy dawn view from Mt. Battie yesterday, and—yahoo 2008—we got another 10 inches last night. (By the way, if you want to check this photo against Panbo’s more zoomed-in header, note that the far island way left is Isle au Haute and the one way out beyond the almost empty inner harbor is Matinicus. Check the chart; that’s clear winter air!)