Marine Electronics

Until recently, mariners’ only choices for emergency locating devices have been emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs) and personal locating beacons (PLBs). Now there’s another product that bears consideration: The SPOT Satellite Messenger. EPIRB and PLBs are capable of only sending distress signals, but the handheld SPOT utilizes the GlobalStar Satellite Network to accomplish multiple tasks. Users can notify friends and family that they’re safe by sending their GPS coordinates along with pre-composed text and e-mail messages to their contacts list, which they setup online. They can seek help in non-life-threatening situations, and can send a 911 alert in critical emergencies. One of tester’s favorite features was that the SPOT system allows the user’s contacts to track his movement, in real time, on Google Maps. SPOT relays messages to an emergency response center, which in turn notifies search and rescue personnel, or—if no emergency exists—will let family and friends know the user is safe. SPOT works independently of cell phone coverage, so it works when your phone will not. Although testers liked the functionality of the SPOT, PS field tests call its durability into question, and over time, it will cost much more than an EPIRB or PLB. Gadget-lovers and those looking for an EPIRB backup should take a look at the SPOT. However, it should not be considered a replacement to traditional distress signals.

There is a chance that our story on electric propulsion (starting on page 8) might be taken the wrong way. Our unequivocal "buyer beware" warning regarding this technology doesn't mean that Practical Sailor doesn't admire or respect the innovators in this field. Or that we don't appreciate the financial risks many have taken to advance the technology. Or that we don't like the idea of being free of fossil fuels and the racket of engines that burn them. However, at the end of the day, this publication has a duty to clear the air when the facts evaporate in a fog of irrational exuberance. Thanks to the support of you, our loyal subscribers who keep us ad-free, we are the only sailing publication that can poke holes in the emperors new boat without fear of being fed to the sharks.

Multi-function displays (MFD) with 8- to 12-inch screens are riding a wave of popularity, due in large part to the ease of viewability of detailed navigational data. Practical Sailor evaluated 8-inch screens from Garmin and Raymarine and the two companies’ 12-inch displays. Both units in the Garmin GPSMAP 5000 series, the GPSMAP 5208 and the GPSMAP 5212, are touchscreen controlled and can interface with radar, a black-box finder, a weather receiver, or an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver through a Garmin Marine Network connection. Both also come pre-loaded with Garmin Bluechart g2 U.S. coastal cartography. The Raymarine E120 and Raymarine E80 can connect to and display a variety of information from numerous sources. Testers liked the intuitive software and networking capabilities. Raymarine uses Navionics cartography. All four displays tested are NMEA 0183 compatible and NMEA 2000 compatible.

From the weekend sailor whose boat is stored a few miles away to the full-time cruiser heading inland for a few days of exploring, we all wonder just what our boat is up to while were away. Is it sinking at the dock? Has some wiring MacGyver-ism started a fire? Did the mooring bridle fail, or is some miscreant breaking in to steal that new radio? There are a number of boat monitoring systems available to help soothe the worried mind of a nervous boat owner. However, high initial costs and monthly service fees combine to make many of them too expensive for the average sailor to swallow. Maine Maritime Academy graduates David Jacques and Russel Sirois aim to change that with their remote vessel-monitoring service, "Boatsense." "Boatsense has eliminated the complex network of satellites, technicians, keypads, and screens that fail in the harsh marine environment," Jacques explained. "All you need with Boatsense is the cell phone you already own."

The across-the-board capabilities of the Standard Horizon CPV550, including VHF, GPS, and color chartplotting, required an extensive series of tests. Practical Sailor editors subjected the VHF to temperature extremes, radio frequency power output, frequency accuracy and power usage tests. We tested the huge 12-inch color display and rated it for user-friendliness and viewability under a variety of lighting conditions. We found the entire unit rugged and easy to read, with a wide range of capabilities. It performed on par with the best VHF radios, best chartplotters, and best GPS units that weve tested.

First sailed in 1978, the Singlehanded TransPac (SHTP) crosses 2,120 miles of Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay, Calif., to Hanalei Bay, Kauai. Practical Sailor contributor and SHTP competitor Skip Allan took time out from his race preparations onboard Wildflower—his Thomas Wylie-designed 27.5-foot sloop/cutter—to open his notes on solo sailing. Last month, the veteran offshore racer and singlehanded cruiser discussed his gear, sail inventory, storm tactics, and his approach to provisioning. This month, Allan focuses on the electronics, safety gear, and routing tactics he employs when racing alone. Allan’s onboard systems include two deep-cycle wet-cell batteries that total 165 amp hours, two solar panels, and a 35-amp alternator on Wildflower’s10-horsepower Yanmar single-cylinder diesel. He has a fixed and handheld VHF, an Icom SSB radio, a Pactor modem for weather charts and weather faxes, and Winlink email. Other electronics include handheld GPS, LED lighting, and a small portable radio.

First sailed in 1978, the Singlehanded TransPac (SHTP) crosses 2,120 miles of Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay, Calif., to Hanalei Bay, Kauai. Practical Sailor contributor and SHTP competitor Skip Allan took time out from his race preparations onboard Wildflower—his Thomas Wylie-designed 27.5-foot sloop/cutter—to open his notes on solo sailing. Last month, the veteran offshore racer and singlehanded cruiser discussed his gear, sail inventory, storm tactics, and his approach to provisioning. This month, Allan focuses on the electronics, safety gear, and routing tactics he employs when racing alone. Allan’s onboard systems include two deep-cycle wet-cell batteries that total 165 amp hours, two solar panels, and a 35-amp alternator on Wildflower’s10-horsepower Yanmar single-cylinder diesel. He has a fixed and handheld VHF, an Icom SSB radio, a Pactor modem for weather charts and weather faxes, and Winlink email. Other electronics include handheld GPS, LED lighting, and a small portable radio.

A thermal-imaging camera installed on your boat can significantly enhance safety during nighttime operations by clearly letting you see what is ahead and around your boat, even on the darkest or foggiest of nights. Practical Sailors review of Flir Systems Inc.s Navigator II, a thermal-imaging camera that can be mounted on a mast, finds that this kind of camera can aid navigation, man overboard recovery, and security. The equipment comes with a lofty price tag but for some, it will be worth the investment.

First contested in 1978, the Singlehanded TransPac (SHTP) offshore race crosses 2,120 miles of Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay to Hanalei Bay, Kauai. Though the singlehanded race has been dubbed a bug light for weirdos, world-class navigators and sailors often throw their lot in with the pack. Longtime singlehanded racer and cruiser Skip Allan took time out from his TransPac preparations to outline the equipment he keeps onboard Wildflower, his 27.5-foot Thomas Wylie-designed sloop/cutter. From his Sail-O-Mat windvane to boom vangs to tiller pilots, Allan discusses a range of gear helpful to all singlehanded sailors and small boat sailors. He outlines his sail inventory and storm tactics, along with his approach to provisioning and eating at sea. A second installment of the Singlehanded Sailors Notebook will take a look at onboard electronics and safety gear for the solo sailor.

When cruising off the beaten path, youre likely to come across harbors, channels, and other waterways that arent well charted. In these areas, a portable depth sounder becomes a necessary tool for safe navigation and anchoring. PS testers and well-known cruiser-authors Evans Starzinger and Beth Leonard recently had the opportunity to test and compare two such devices while voyaging the remote channels of Chile, where they often needed to sound an uncharted anchorage from the dinghy. The two products they tested were the Norcross HawkEye Portable Sonar System (DF2200PX) and Speedtech Instruments handheld depth sounder. Both are designed for use aboard a dinghy, through a fiberglass or wood hull, or through ice. The multi-purpose Norcross can read depths from 2.5 to 200 feet, and also has a sensor that measures the temperature of the water, the air, or any object the sensor is placed against. It can also be used as a fishfinder. A fish icon appears on the screen with the depth when the sonar detects something other than the bottom in its field. The Hawkeye floats and is waterproof to 200 feet.