Boat U.S. - May 2008 - (Page 42) hottips and news you can use able AirBattens from UK-Halsey Miami. Small Boats Up to 15 Feet and Tenders This winner in the Consumer Installed category. Inflated to more than 6.5 psi, Non-Electronic Hardware category claims the frameless kayak’s heavy-duty, sevento increase mainsail performance up layer-polymer-coated fabric is woven to 20% and starts at about together by thousands of $1,000 (Airbattens.com). drop-stitch fibers, An Honorable much like an Mention in this elaborate web, category went to providing a very Adaptive Seating rigid and stable & Steering System platform that by the nonprofit is compact to Shake-A-Leg Miami. carry. A backpack is The portable Adaptive included. Coastal Compact Seating & Steering Four single-person System allows disabled models ranging from eight to persons to safely and comfort11 feet are available. They start at ably enjoy sailing or powerboating, at the about $750. Go to walkerbay.com for more helm or as crew. information. The System’s price varies depending on In the same category, an Honorable the materials used and the user’s requireMention went to the Hobie Mirage i12S ments. Go to shakealegmiami.org. inflatable kayak. The 12-foot boat has In the Consumer Personal Gear catego- Hobie’s innovative “penguin-fin” footry, members of Boating Writers International, powered propulsion system and retails for the judges of the competition, were $1,800. Go to Hobiecat.com/kayaking. impressed with the Coastal Compact Life Additional Innovation Award winners Raft from Revere Survival Products. Ideal and honorable mentions include the stylish for boats under 25 feet that cruise coastal True North 34 by Pearson Yachts/True North waters, the new life raft bridges the gap Yachts (tnyachts.com); Yamaha Motor between the life jacket and a full-feature Corporation’s Wave Runner SHO (yamahalife raft, according to the company. A twomotor.com/waverunner); Sylvan Marine’s person version starts at about $1,000. Go Revolutionary Planing Technology for its Smokercraft line of pontoon boats (sylvanmarine.com) and Boston Whaler’s unsinkable 230 Dauntless (whaler.com). The Environmental Award went to the Electric Deck Boat from Starcraft Marine (starcraft.com, go to “deck boats”). Innovations Abound At the recent Miami International Boat Show, a slew of new products were honored with Innovation Awards. In the Consumer Electronics & Software Category, Furuno’s NavNET 3D lets you navigate in three dimensions. Furuno claims it’s the first multi-function chart plotter to use charts (raster or vector) in three dimensions, including overlaying satellite photos and radar data. The “Time Zero” feature lets you zoom in without waiting for the annoying delay that occurs when a display image is redrawn, and a nifty “Roto key” allows for easier control without having to move your eyes off the helm to search the keypad. Available in two display sizes and a black box version, NavNET 3D starts at about $3,195. Go to Furunousa.com. One of two Honorable Mentions in this category was Standard-Horizon’s HX850S, a floating, waterproof, six-watt handheld VHF radio with an internal GPS receiver with full Digital Selective Calling (DSC) capability that retails for about $250 (StandardHorizon. com). The second Honorable Mention went to SPOT, which claims to be “the world’s first satellite messenger” device. This handheld unit retails for about $170 and with an additional subscription fee (about $100-$150 annually), allows you to notify others of your location via e-mail or text messages, lay a “breadcrumb trail” on Google maps or summon assistance with a GPS-based “911” feature. Check it out at findmespot.com. Sailboats with in-mast furling systems can now have a mainsail with an aerodynamic shape similar to that of a sail with solid battens with the new inflat- Rode Marks Standard-Horizon’s HX85OS You’ll never have to guess how much anchor line is out with Rode Marks, a unique anchor rode marking system that uses SOLAS-approved reflective material with a special marine adhesive that is attached to your anchor line every 20 feet. A distinctive numbering system allows you to easily know how much line is out, and the markers won’t foul a windlass. A 200-foot version retails for about $15. Go to rodemarks.com. BOAT BITS 20 The total number of times in the past 12 months that power boaters say they have used their boat (more than three hours per use) Boating Industry Market Data Book 2007 to reveresupply.com for more information. The H2 LED dock light from TouchStone Accent Lighting incorporates either a solar-powered or 12-volt LED light fixture under a 10-inch aluminum cleat. This Consumer Installed Docking & Fendering Equipment category winner starts at $99. Go to Touchstonelights.com and click on “H2 Brochure” at the top for more information. Walker Bay’s Airis High-Pressure Kayak was deemed the winner in the Inflatables, 42 BoatU.S. Magazine May 2008 http://Airbattens.com http://walkerbay.com http://Furunousa.com http://www.shakealegmiami.org http://Hobiecat.com/kayaking http://tnyachts.com http://yamaha-motor.com/waverunner http://yamaha-motor.com/waverunner http://sylvanmarine.com http://sylvanmarine.com http://whaler.com http://findmespot.com http://reveresupply.com http://Touchstonelights.com http://rodemarks.com
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