Gear

IBEX Names 13 Innovation Award Winners

By Peter Janssen on October 3, 2023 Gear

The International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) just announced the winners of their annual innovation awards. The awards are managed by the National Marine Manufacturers Association and judged by members of Boating Writers International. The judges chose 13 Innovation Award winners from almost 100 entries in 12 categories. The awards were presented at a breakfast on Tuesday. The winners were: Boat Care and Maintenance: Power Tech! Propellers, Seascour. Boatbuilding Methods and Materials.: Two winners: beSpline, Shaped Foam Kit, and Infinity Luxury Woven Vinyl, Infinity Grip. Boatyard and Marina Hardware and Software: Voltsafe, VoltSafe Marine. Deck Equipment and Hardware: Lippert, Lewmar…

New Revolve Emergency VHF Antenna

By Peter Janssen on September 18, 2023 Electronics, Gear

The new Revolve emergency VHF antenna, a major safety device for serious cruising people, just won an Honorable Mention award at the Newport show. It previously had been nominated for a DAME design award at the big METSTRADE show in Amsterdam. The Revolve antenna is designed to provide you with the ability to communicate on VHF Channel 16 even if your regular antenna is down, or inoperable for any reason. The Revolve also comes with AIS compatibility, so that other boats with AIS (an ever-growing number) can find you quickly. It operates on 156-162MGz, is lightweight, and maintenance free. Based…

Mercury Unveils New 20e and 35e Electric Outboards

By Peter Janssen on August 30, 2023 Cruising Life, Engine Room, Gear

Mercury Marine just launched its new Avator 20e and 35e electric outboards that you can order now. Mercury launched its first electric outboard, the Avator 7.5e, at the Consumer Electronics Show last January. John Buelow, the president of Mercury Marine, said the two new outboards “set new benchmarks for innovation, performance, and connectivity.” The 20e and 35e have many of the same features as the earlier 7.5e, including transverse flux motor technology, color display, and ambidextrous tiller handles. They also can be connected to multiple Avator batteries to extend their range and run time, and they have access to the…

New, Fast AquaDart Nano Scooter

By Peter Janssen on August 7, 2023 Cruising Life, Gear

Here’s something fun for the rest of the summer, or beyond. The new AquaDart Nano underwater scooter that the company says is lighter, faster and more powerful than the competition. The new AquaDart Nano is the latest from iAQUA, a Hong Kong company, and it’s nothing if not versatile. You can use it as a fun underwater scooter in its own right or carry it on your yacht as one more accessory It also can be used for water safety and search-and-rescue operations. The 48.5 pound AquaDart Nano is powered by the company’s new Dual-Jet Technology that produces speeds of…

New Sharrow Props Win More Recognition

By Peter Janssen on February 25, 2023 Cruising Life, Gear

The revolutionary no-blade Sharrow propellers, introduced just two years ago, are gaining in popularity and notoriety. Sharrow, which represents the first major design change in fixed props in a century, won an Innovation Award at the 2020 Miami show. And it just won another award, for Marine Power Innovation, at the latest one. Sharrow, developed by Greg Sharrow, a graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, basically solved the problem of cavitation in traditional props. His props use loops to produce thrust, not blades. The loops eliminate cavitation and vortices that form around traditional props, reducing their efficiency,…

MIT Develops Portable Push-Button Desalinator

By Peter Janssen on September 21, 2022 Cruising Life, Gear

A group of scientists at MIT has developed a portable desalination unit that turns seawater into drinking water at the press of a button. The new unit weighs about 22 pounds, is the size of a small suitcase, takes less power to run than a cellphone charger, and can be run by a portable solar panel. The scientists, from MIT’s Research Laboratory of Electronics, published information about the desalinator in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. The new desalination unit does not use filters or high-pressure pumps that are found on most portable desalinators today. Instead, it uses electrical power…

New Mo-Jet: Five Toys in One

By Peter Janssen on September 20, 2022 Cruising Life, Gear

Choices, choices. So you can’t decide which water toy to take out today. Well, take a look at the new Mo-Jet and your problems are solved. It’s five toys in one. Made in Germany with Kickstarter funding, the Mo-Jet is based on a modular system, so you can add, or subtract, modules depending on what you want to do. You can configure it as a stand-up board, a ride-on electric surfboard, even an underwater scooter. It has a foil, so you can fly. You just swap out attachments in seconds. The Mo-Jet can be everything from a four-foot bodyboard to…

New Humphree Stabilizers for Mid-Sized Boats

By Peter Janssen on September 13, 2022 Gear

Humphree just introduced its new Lightning interceptor trim and stabilizer system, designed specifically for boats from 25 to 45 feet. It’s meant to provide a stable and comfortable ride on all powerboats, whether they have inboard, outboard, or stern-drive propulsion. A Swedish company, Humphree was founded in 2002 and has been building trim and stabilizer systems for recreational and commercial boats ever since. (It has a U.S. office in Selbyville, Maryland.) In recent years, I’ve tested a variety of larger cruising boats with automatic Humphree interceptor systems and have always been impressed by their fast and smooth response. With the…

Sea-Doo Unveils New Electric Foiling Rise

By Peter Janssen on August 10, 2022 Cruising Life, Gear

If you think a stand-up paddleboard is fun, take a look at the new all-electric foiling Rise that Sea-Doo just unveiled at its annual dealer meeting in Canada. The new Rise is different from most existing foiling boards in that it can be fun for the entire family, transitioning from a basic surfboard to a flying-above-the-water, adrenaline-pumping foiler as the rider gains experience or confidence. You can enjoy it on the water without foiling, if you’re starting out, riding on your knees or even lying down. The handlebar is retractable so you can decide when you want to use it…

Garmin Introduces New Boating Smartwatch

By Peter Janssen on May 10, 2022 Cruising Life, Gear

Garmin just introduced three models of the new quatix 7 GPS smartwatch that lets you navigate, check your boat’s engines and set an anchor alert, among many other things. The three models are the quatix 7, quatix 7 Sapphire, and quatix 7X Solar. The standard quatix 7 models are cased in a stainless-steel bezel with a Gorilla Glass lens. The quatix 7 Sapphire models are cased in a diamond-like, carbon-coated titanium with a Sapphire lens. The Solar models are also coated with the carbon titanium, but they have a Power Sapphire lens for solar recharging. All the watches provide wearable…

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