Category Archives: boatshows

Boat Compass

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Boat Compass

Boat Compass? Who needs one. I realize most people like the new GPS systems for navigation. However, I also want a compass. Here are a few tips on how to choose the right compass (besides getting one as a gift.  Hint, hint!) and decide where to place it.

Many people opt for GPS navigation and neglect the old reliable compass navigation systems.  The GPS can be simpler to use and often more accurate for the novice, but a good reliable compass is almost a necessity in my mind.  I have had GPS screens fail, database corrupt and numerous other problems.  While reliability is very high on the new electronics I always like a backup system, especially if I am going on a long trip with little service available.

What kind of Compass?

Many companies manufacture compass units.  One is ComNav Marine (www.comnavmarine.com).  They offer numerous models of compasses and autopilot systems that couple to the compass.

compass

Their recommendations come from four basic questions;

What kind of boat is the compass going to be used on?

Sailboats and powerboats have different damping characteristics and heeling angle limits.  These differences require a different design in the compass to compensate for those limits.

What size is the boat?

ComNav states that “the further the compass will be from the helmsman, the larger the compass you should have.  If your boat is greater than 8 meters (approximately 26 feet), consider a 100 Series or larger capsule”.  Lets note here that ComNav compass models are named for the apparent size of the compass card.  For example, the compass card on a 70 Series compass has an apparent size of 70 mm (2 3/4 “) while the 125 Series has an apparent size of 125 mm (4.9”). ComNav says “apparent” size since the dome and fluid inside the compass magnify the actual card size.

Where will the compass be mounted? 

Compass manufacturers do a very good job of designing compasses to be mounted in almost any location or position.  Typical mounting styles include: bulkhead, flush-mount and bracket-mount. The biggest mounting concerns are to make sure you can easily see the compass and to keep it away from things that could effect its operation (anything that creates magnetic fields or iron.)

What kind of compensators do you need?

The more steel in the boat (steel hulls) the more important compensators will be.  ComNav recommends the use of “compensators for all compass applications where the compass will be used for navigation”. They also offer a reminder that “the distance to the source of interference is more critical than the strength of it”.

 

 

 

 

U.S. Boat Sales Float Back to the Top, Expected to Surge through 2018

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
U.S. Boat Sales Float Back to the Top, Expected to Surge through 2018
Critical selling season for uniquely American-made industry kicks off in January with boat shows around the U.S., bringing best deals of the year for buyers
CHICAGO – January 4, 2017 – The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), 

U.S. Recreational Boating by the Numbers
·         Annual U.S. sales of boats, marine products and services totaled $36 billion in 2015 and are expected to climb three percent in 2016 to $37 billion.
  • Annual U.S. retail sales of NEW boats, marine engines and marine accessories totaled $17.4 billion in 2015 and are expected to grow to $19.1 billion in 2016.
  • There were approximately 238,000 NEW power boats sold in 2015. The NMMA expects this number to grow to more than 250,000 in 2016.
  • The recreational boating industry in the U.S. has an annual economic impact of more than $121.5 billion (includes direct, indirect and induced spending), supporting 650,000 direct and indirect American jobs and nearly 35,000 small businesses.
  • Leading the nation in sales of new powerboat, engine, trailer and accessories in 2015 were the following states:
1.       Florida: $2.6 billion, up 11.4 percent from 2014
2.       Texas: $1.4 billion, up 8.2 percent from 2014
3.       Michigan: $842.5 million, up 10.5 percent from 2014
4.       Minnesota: $661.5 million, up 10 percent from 2014
5.       New York: $643.3 million, up 7.6 percent from 2014
6.       North Carolina: $634.6 million, up 9.4 percent from 2014
7.       Wisconsin: $616.5 million, up 10 percent from 2014
8.       California: $576.3 million, up 5.4 percent from 2014
9.       Louisiana: $528.1 million, down 0.3 percent from 2014
10.   Alabama: $512.3 million, up 11.9 percent from 2014
  • It’s not just new boats Americans are buying; there were an estimated 958,000 pre-owned boats (powerboats, personal watercraft, and sailboats) sold in 2015, an increase of 1.9 percent.
  • There were an estimated 12.1 million registered/documented boats in the U.S. in 2015.
  • Ninety-five percent of boats on the water (powerboats, personal watercraft, and sailboats) in the U.S. are small in size at less than 26 feet in length—boats that can be trailered by a vehicle to local waterways.
  • Boating is predominantly “middle-class” with 72 percent of boat owners having a household income of less than $100,000.
  • 95 percent of all Americans live within an hour’s drive of a navigable body of water

Using a drone to inspect a boat

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Once you buy a drone, what do you do? There are only so many photos of the house.  

We tested a drone as a way to inspect a sailboat mast.  Need to climb 60 feet to see whats at the top?  Use a drone first. Might save you the trip and the photos are in great details. 

In this case we used a Yuneec Typnoon Q500 – 4K and a Yuneec Breeze.  The breeze is flown using he smart phone as a controller.
Check out the video here,  Drone mast inspection