Here’s one of the best videos or explanations of any kind that I’ve seen about how to set up your engine instruments to monitor fuel flow. This video is from a Ranger Tug 27 with a Volvo engine display and a Garmin chartplotter, but it gives you a good idea of what to look for no matter what kind of boat or engine you have. Take a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV9KFcPanVI
Twin Disc’s new E-STEER power steering should make steering easier, less tiring and more precise on cruising powerboats. This state-of-the-art control connects the helm electronically to hydraulic-powered rudders, and reacts immediately to changes in speed with adaptive resistance. As speed increases, the helm becomes finer and more agile; Twin Disc says it’s like driving a luxury car. When you throttle back, the wheel is light and highly responsive. Adaptive resistance makes driving easier since the wheel doesn’t react to every single rudder movement. Driving becomes smooth and vibration-free; it’s easier to hold a steady course, particularly in a choppy sea.…
If you need a new outboard for your dink, inflatable or small RIB, take a look at Honda’s new 4-, 5- and 6-hp portables. Each one weighs about 60 pounds, and they come with 15” or 20” shafts. Honda is hardly new to the outboard market; they’ve been making outboards since the ‘60s. These newest models are carbureted four-stroke engines with overhead valves. They all have a 1.5L onboard gas tank, but the 5- and 6-hp models also offer a connection to an external tank. They all have a tiller handle that swings all the way up, and all the…
Do you remember the falling feeling in the pit of your stomach when the tach for your diesel engine suddenly shows the rpms falling, or surging and falling, or just acting erratically? Not a good time, on any boat. Problems with dirty fuel, water in fuel, whatever. You don’t want to be there. Protect yourself and your diesel by periodically changing the fuel filter, before there’s a problem. Here’s a good look at how to do just that: https://youtu.be/e2VCNPCKQrA
Volvo is continuing to make boating easier. At the Fort Lauderdale show the Swedish company introduced its 8-liter diesel engine and its matched IPS pod drive to the United States market for the first time. They are designed primarily for cruising boats in the 30- to 45-foot range (we wrote about these a few months ago). Also new is Volvo’s key fob for powering up your boat before you even climb on board; indeed, you can be standing as far as 100 yards away. You can use the remote key fob to switch on the battery, turn on the deck…
ABB, the Swiss power company, is launching a new Azipod drive unit that it says can be 10 percent more fuel-efficient. Built, for now, for commercial shipping, the new pod improves efficiency by introducing a nozzle with plates that direct water flow from the propeller to reduce turbulence and create thrust. ABB says the system is 20 percent more efficient than shaft drives, and 10 percent more efficient that its existing pods. ABB has tested the new pods in labs and says they provide a higher pull thrust at lower speeds. In addition, their 360-degree maneuverability and fuel efficiency make…
Do you worry about a dead battery? Who doesn’t. But here’s an answer: The very cool Weego Jump Starter 44, a new and improved portable battery charger that’s safe, reliable, user-friendly and comes with a sense of humor. The Weego has enough power to start gas engines up to 6.4 liters and diesel engines up to 3.2 liters. It also provides 12-volt power for accessories (portable marine electronics, compressors, whatever) through a dedicated 12-volt port. It’s safe, with overheat protection, power surge protection, and even protection against salt-water spray. And it can be recycled up to 1,000 times. But it’s…
New emission standards plus inconsistent diesel supplies plus changes in high pressure injection technology all spell potential problems. Here, Nigel Calder says why you should be concerned. http://www.yachtingmonthly.com/gear/reasons-to-be-paranoid-about-diesel-34807
Volvo Penta has good news for cruising powerboat owners. It just introduced a new D8 diesel engine for boats in the 45- to 55-foot range, larger IPS pod drives for that engine, and new joystick controls for traditional shaft drives, all under the company’s theme of “Easy Boating.” The new D8 diesel is designed for both IPS and inboard shaft drives, giving cruising powerboat owners a broader selection of power systems. The D8 is an eight-liter, six-cylinder, inline diesel; it’s new to the recreational boating market, although it’s been used in Volvo trucks and buses for the past three years.…