The Sabdes 50 - An environmentally conscious Superyacht

The Sabdes 50 Superyacht goes against the 'bigger is more impressive' yacht trend. From the slender 164 foot hull to the hybrid diesel-electric system, the Sabdes 50 is designed to be both luxurious and environmentally sensitive.

According to Sabdes Design...

The SABDES 50's dimensions are not extreme, by todays scale of Superyacht, but have been selected as they allow for an economic sized Superyacht, that reduces its impact on the environment, without sacrificing on style, safety, luxury, or performance.

Conceived by Australian Superyacht Stylist Scott Blee, the yacht is based around an advanced slender hullform with a reverse bow, offering superior seakeeping, minimised wave 'slamming', economical 25 knot performance, and long distance range. The hull design also will be optimised to have a minimal surface and hull wake, thus reducing its impact on sensitive marine life, as well as shoreline erosion.

The easily driven hull is propelled by a hybrid diesel-electric system, and offers a much higher cruise speed than an equivalent length displacement yacht. The propulsion system uses a shaft motor/generator designed to put surplus energy back into its battery banks. The yacht's total power consumption will be kept to a minimum by careful consideration of every technical element throughout; for instance, the vessel will have LED lighting, there will be more reliance on natural cooling to support the air conditioning system, and insulation and window materials are carefully selected. At anchor or in port, silent running can be achieved, by switching off the generators and running on the main battery banks. The vessel also has the ability to silently manouver in and out of harbour, by using its retractable bow and stern thrusters for propulsion.

Source: Sabdes Design

The biofueled powered Earthrace set to break new records starting March 29th

The Earthrace multi-hulled boat, powered by 100% renewable biofuel, is probably the fastest, sleekest, and greenest vehicle ever built.

Earthrace is designed to educate people about the potential of biofuels as it tours over 100 cities around the world, then embarks on a record-setting journey to circumnavigate the globe and set a new speed record.

The Earthrace team recently announced the start of the speed-record setting journey attempt will start March 29th. The team is currently performing sea-trials for speed and efficiency after a major refit in Spain.

According to the Earthrace site...

Pete Bethune (the skipper of Earthrace - pictured below) said, “We are fully committed to beating the round the world speed record this time, and we do not intend to leave anything to chance. There have been five attempts, including our own first attempt last year, since the current record was set in 1998 and we will do everything we can to mark this tenth anniversary by beating it!”

The wave-piercing, three hull construction means the boat can cut through large seas at speed. Her design was aided with help from Italian firm, XC Engineering, who used their revolutionary ‘Flow 3D’ simulation technology to test the effects of the flow of water and variables such as pressure and force on the hulls.

Source: Earthrace

Raymarine’s E-Series Multifunction Navigation System is Now Even More Powerful

The Raymarine homepage features details on the new upgrades for the E-Series Multifunction Navigation System, recently introduced at the Miami International Boat Show.

According to Raymarine...

Raymarine, Inc., a world leader in marine electronics, today introduced the latest software upgrade for its highly-popular E-Series Multifunction Navigation System. Offering new features and capabilities, Raymarine E-Series v4 provides current E-Series display owners with access to 3D chartplotting, HD Digital technology, Sirius Satellite Radio and more.

“Our customers demand the best technology the marine industry has to offer, and we’re committed to giving it to them,” said Dave Bimschleger, president of Raymarine, Inc. “With these additional capabilities, owners of our popular E-Series can now get more from their navigation display than they ever imagined, allowing them to more fully enjoy their time on the water.”

The E-Series Navigation System is available with two sizes of ultra-bright sunlight viewable displays: the 8.4” E80 and the 12.1” E120. New features offered with E-Series v4 include:

Enhanced Chartplotting
The re-loaded E-Series offers new chartplotter capabilities including animated tide and current graphics, user-enabled radar style range rings, improved heading and course vectors display options and improved distance track intervals. In addition, the E-Series 3D chartplotter includes a new 3D “depth plane” control that graphically highlights user-selected depth values, enabling captains to visualize the depth plane contour through shades of color.

Platinum Plus Compatibility
The expanded cartography capabilites include support for 2007 Gold Plus and Platinum Plus cartography and a softkey to select standard Navigation charts or Fish’n’Chip charts. Platinum Plus charts offer boaters a number of benefits including higher resolution aerial photo charts, improved panoramic port photos and smoother 3D rendering. In addition, coastal pilotbook data is now linked to every port icon.

HD Digital Fishfinder
The re-loaded E-Series is also compatible with Raymarine’s DSM400 HD Digital Sounder Module, the ultimate weapon in the hunt for fish. The DSM400 is armed with four independent digital sonar transceivers supporting simultaneous multi-frequency operation. Transmitting with up to three kilowatts of power on 28, 38, 50 kHz and two kilowatts on 200 kHz, the module takes Raymarine’s patented HD Digital technology to a new level. Raymarine offers a wide range of professional grade transducers for maximum performance and a new softkey interface with four preset screen modes for quick access to each frequency.

Sirius Satellite Radio Service
Raymarine’s SR100 Sirius Satellite Receiver for E-Series now allows boaters to tune into Sirius Radio channels directly through the E-Series display. In addition to accessing animated weather forecasts from Sirius’ Marine Weather Service, E-Series owners can also enjoy over 130 channels of original satellite radio programming, including commercial free music, sports, news, talk and more.

SeaTalk Autopilot Integration
E-Series v4 allows owners of Raymarine SeaTalk compatible autopilots to integrate their autopilot with their navigation system. New features include the ability to put the autopilot in auto or standby mode and an option to both engage and disengage autopilot waypoint tracking directly from the E-Series display.

More features and details are on the Raymarine homepage.

Source: Raymarine

Boston Whaler To Be Featured on Discovery Channel Television Series

The Discovery Channel will offer a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse of how Boston Whaler boats are built.

Boston Whaler recently announced that it will be featured in an upcoming episode of Some Assembly Required, a new television series on the Discovery Channel.

According to Boston Whaler...

The episode featuring Boston Whaler will first air on Feb. 12 at 10 p.m. EST/PST, and then in later repeat episodes on Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. EST/PST and Feb. 17 at 12 a.m. EST/PST.

Some Assembly Required's premise is a complete, step-by-step explanation of unique or well-known products' manufacturing processes. The show's hosts, Brian Unger and Louis Bloomfield, work with the machinery or materials to show viewers how the featured items are built.

A highly specialized boat building process used in its Edgewater, Fla. facility, Boston Whaler's Unibond™ construction consists of inner decks and outer hulls made of fiberglass, gelcoat and resin with a unique chemical foam that is injected between them resulting in a solid, robust and unsinkable boat.

“When we were contacted by the production company, we were thrilled to be given the opportunity to showcase our unmatched production process for building boats,” said Boston Whaler President John Ward. “Our employees and dealers are proud of the safety and reliability of our products. Being able to walk the Discovery Channel's Some Assembly Required viewer through how we deliver this is exciting.”

Some Assembly Required airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. EST/PST on the Discovery Channel. For program information or your local listings, visit www.dsc.discovery.com.

Source: Brunswick Marine

Two Florida marinas to offer demos of the MerCruiser Axius System

The website for the MerCruiser Axius System looks impressive. Animated graphics and CGI demonstrate how you can control and dock a boat with joystick.

If you want a chance to try out the real Axius System on a powerboat, now you get your chance.

MerCruiser is giving boaters the chance to take the MerCruiser Axius Piloting System for a test run when Two Florida marinas offer demos this month.

This demo offers you the chance for to stand at the helm of a Formula, Rinker or Maxum boat and try the joystick docking capabilities and advanced piloting features.

What is Axius?

Axius is a sterndrive package that uses twin, independently articulating MerCruiser Bravo Three sterndrives to provide joystock docking.

Additionally, its Digital Throttle and Shift and Electronic/Hydraulic steering system make piloting a larger boat simple and intuitive. Axius-powered boats can move laterally, at an angle, forward, backward and even turn in a circle on its axis – all with a simple touch of a joystick.

Axius utilizes traditional sterndrives that, because of their ability to move independently, deliver performance well beyond that of traditional sterndrive- powered boats. Sterndrives are well known for their performance benefits compared to traditional inboards or pod drive systems and Axius increases that advantage.

Axius is especially attractive to boat builders because it doesn't require modifications to boat hulls, and the only visible modification is the addition of the joystick and a small control pad at the helm.

Mercury was recently awarded an IBEX Innovation Award by the National Marine Manufacturer's Association and Boating Writers International for "Innovative Achievement" of the Axius System.


Try Out Axius For Yourself

Here are the dates for the demos in Florida...

TWO DAYS ONLY (Tampa/St. Petersburg)
Saturday, January 26 and Sunday, January 27
from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort marina in St. Petersburg.

Find location on Google Maps


FOUR DAYS ONLY (Fort Myers)
Thursday, January 31 through Sunday, February 3
from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
at Salty Sam’s Marina in Fort Myers Beach.

Find location on Google Maps

Source: Mercury Marine

Steyr Motors and Frauscher Bootswerft to introduce hybrid propulsion system

As the price of fuel rises and emission standards get tougher, the boating industry is exploring the concept of hybrid boats.

Steyr Motors and Frauscher Bootswerft plan to introduce a new serial hybrid propulsion System in Düsseldorf this month.

According to Frauscher Bootswerft...

The long standing collaboration between the Austrian companies STEYR MOTORS (www.steyr-motors.com) and Frauscher Bootswerft (www.frauscherboats.com) has now resulted in the exciting commercial launch of the worldwide first serial Hybrid Propulsion System for pleasure boats at “Boot 08” Düsseldorf in January 2008.

The environmentally friendly hybrid solution marks a new chapter in the history of pleasure boat propulsion. It not only assures zero emission and low speed manoeuvring in harbours, noiseless drive on inland waters and nature reserves, but also eliminates the need for separate generator units for other onboard equipment. The “zero emission” electric drive mode allows for a speed of 5 knots using solely electric propulsion and switches to the combustion engine with an easy turn of the ignition key. The ingenious propulsion then gets “boosted” by the electric drive and secures a quicker acceleration into the planning phase lowering fuel consumption and improving response and dynamics.

Source: Frauscher Bootswerf

The Schottel Twin-Propeller system

While the Schottel Twin-Propeller might remind you of a kitchen device that slices and dices, the design makes a big difference when you are in the water.

Featuring two propellers mounted on a common shaft, the system's unusual look translates into greater efficiency and fewer maintenance calls.

According to Schottel...

The SCHOTTEL Twin-Propeller (STP) is the successful optimization of the complete Rudderpropeller system with an efficiency up to 20% higher. It is the ideal means of propulsion for all vessels in the medium speed range with application-related higher propeller loads.

Two propellers mounted on a common shaft and rotating in the same direction, with guide fins integrated into the complete system, result in a host of advantages, including high reliability due to the straightforward construction with a small number of moving parts, reduction of the propeller diameter without penalizing the efficiency, lower fuel costs and low maintenance requirements.

Source: Schottel

Scout Boats introduces hybrid boat

Scout Boats, Inc. has developed the marine industry’s first fiberglass hybrid boat, the 145 Hybrid.

“Scout is an energy conscious company and we strive to create increased fuel efficiency with our model designs,” said Scout Boats President Steve Potts. “We are also the first to market with many new innovations. The 145 Hybrid is no exception. It garnered rave reviews from not only our dealer network at its debut, but also from the editorial staff that attended our media day. We currently have a 16’ version in the works as well.”

Developed in conjunction with Lenco Marine, the 145 has a 20hp Yamaha outboard flanked by Lenco dual 36-volt drives. The drives are controlled easily with a joystick mounted at the helm, which ultimately replaces the steering wheel on this model. The model’s drives can run up to 8 hours on a full battery charge. The model has a three bank 30-amp battery charger for its deep cycle batteries.

The new 145 by Scout offers many of the same features as the original 145, such as a side console, bench cushion, thwart seat and bilge pump.

Options on the 145 Hybrid include side rails, tempress seats, aluminum bimini top and a stainless steel base plate.

Source: Scout Boats

Furuno introduces NavNet 3D navigation system with advanced 3D charts

The Furuno has setup a homepage featuring details on the recently introduced NavNet 3D chart plotter.

The NavNet 3D chart plotter utilities 3D Mapmedia charting architecture to bring a full time 3-dimensional presentation, unlike conventional chart plotters that utilize 2D charts that require special effects to appear 3D. On top of the 3D chart presentation, the NavNet 3D’s powerful graphic engine has delivered the Satellite PhotoFusion™, total fusion of high-resolution satellite imagery and critical raster or vector chart data. In this presentation option, land areas (zero depth) are shown with completely opaque, high-resolution satellite photos.

The NavNet 3D’s high-speed processor delivers TimeZero technology. This enables instant, real-seamless chart redraw and chart handling with no waiting. The chart can be zoomed seamlessly and continuously in and out to whatever chart scale desired (TimeZero Zoom), instead of limiting the chart scaling options of conventional chart plotters.

The chart can be smoothly panned to allow observation, with greater intensity, the area away from own vessel such as area ahead, destination and other points of navigational interest (TimeZero Scroll). TimeZero technology redefines the meaning of stress-free operation by smoothing out all the chart handling actions, and it is available in any chart presentation options, including 2D/3D chart, Satellite PhotoFusion™ chart, bathymetric chart, and even in NavNet 3D radar-chart overlay.

FURUNO Digital Filter technology is featured in FURUNO’s DFF1, the new digital Network Sounder. It can turn any NavNet display into a powerful, dual frequency digital fish finder. Surface clutter, mainly caused by your craft’s propeller can be greatly suppressed by the digital filter, resulting in exceptional shallow water detection. This makes it easier to spot fish targets that are close to surface. This digital filter also optimizes gain to obtain highly defined images of underwater conditions to show fish targets close to the seabed. The digital filter also eliminates noise to deliver sharp and detailed echo presentation, achieving detection of fishing reefs and individual fish with absolute clarity.

Source: Furuno

Pedal-powered boat to cross Atlantic Ocean in 2008

Adventurers have sailed and flown across the Atlantic Ocean to set records. Now Greg Kolodziejzyk plans to pedal 3000 miles across the Atlantic in his foot-powered boat "WiTHiN" as part of an effort to encourage children to lead a healthy life and fight childhood obesity.

According to the Pedal The Ocean website...

Greg Kolodziejzyk is a highly regarded ultra-endurance athlete, 12 time Ironman finisher and has qualified to compete at the Ironman world championships in Hawaii. He has completed over a dozen marathons and qualified for Boston marathon twice. Greg owns two world Guinness(tm) World records for endurance cycling – in July of 2006 he pedalled his human powered vehicle 647 miles in 24 hours, and in June of 2007, Greg pedalled his human powered boat 173 km in 24 hours.

The fastest man on land now plans to turn his passion for Human Power to the sea in a challenge he calls "Pedal the Ocean". In late 2008, Greg will set out to pedal across the Atlantic Ocean in a boat that he calls "WiTHiN", designed specifically for the human powered speed record.

In Dec. of 2008, Greg is planning on pedaling his human powered boat "WiTHiN" 3000 miles across the Atlantic ocean in less than 40 days setting a new world record for the fastest human powered Atlantic crossing. Pedal The Ocean explores the limits of what is possible with human power.

The WiTHiN boat is specially designed for challenges and hazards of a cross-ocean journey. From tall waves to the wakes of passing boats, the WiTHiN is built to handle rough seas.

WITHIN will be a fully faired self-righting pedal powered boat capable of high speed in good conditions and maintaining way in adverse weather conditions. The boat will be performance optimised for Greg’s continuous power output and weekly provisioning requirements. WITHIN will incorporate modern materials and technology to ensure a lightweight craft without compromise for Greg’s safety and overall performance.

WITHIN-Prototype is a proof of concept boat based on a 2- man kayak hull that will enable rapid development of the technology required to make WITHIN viable. Phase one of WITHIN Prototype has been named WITHIN-24 and will be used early in the development phase of the project to attempt a new 24 hour record for human powered boats.



Source: Pedal The Ocean

Make your boat name light up with a custom logo

How did you pick your boat's name? Was it something special you always had in mind or did it already come painted on the boat? If you are really proud of your boat name, why not put it up in lights?

Art Inscriptions line offers boat builders and boat owners the opportunity to personalise their boat in a unique way, through a wide range of standard characters.

Entirely made in stainless steel 316, with a high gloss finish, logos, inscriptions and backlighted inscriptions are a rare example of aesthetic beauty.

All the inscriptions are equipped with a positioning template in order to make installation and positioning easier.

Each letter is provided with acrylic structural adhesive on the back of each letter which avoids drilling operations.

Source: Mach2Marine

Mercury MerCruiser's Axius System recognized for innovative achievement

Mercury MerCruiser's revolutionary Axius System was recognized today by the National Marine Manufacturer's Association and Boating Writers International for "Innovative Achievement" – the third IBEX Innovation Award presented to Mercury in the past four years.

Mercury and Mercury MerCruiser officials accepted the award this morning at the 17th annual International BoatBuilders' Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The show, which concludes today, is crucial to boat, engine and parts suppliers because it typically presents the industry's newest products and innovations.

"This is a wonderful honor," said Patrick C. Mackey, president of Mercury Marine. "We have great respect for this event and its judges, so it's especially rewarding to see Axius and its amazing benefits recognized.""Axius will truly change boating forever, and we're excited to bring this concept to the industry."Axius is a sterndrive package that uses twin, independently articulating MerCruiser Bravo Three sterndrives to provide joystock docking.

Additionally, its Digital Throttle and Shift and Electronic/Hydraulic steering system make piloting a larger boat simple and intuitive. Axius-powered boats can move laterally, at an angle, forward, backward and even turn in a circle on its axis – all with a simple touch of a joystick. "This product overcomes the greatest challenge for every boater – close- quarter maneuvering," said innovations judge Jan Munday, editor of DIY Boat Owner. "Until now, we've never seen two sterndrives that move autonomously. Axius is truly a unique innovation in the industry."

Source: Brunswick

XSR48 earns the name "supercar on the water"

Comparing a boat to a sportcar seems a bit of a stretch, but one look at the XSR48 in action and it is easy to see why it earned the description of "a supercar on water". Even the dashboard has a sportscar feel.

According to the XSMG site, the XSR48 is a luxury powerboat with supercar looks. With a total of no less than 1600hp from two bi-turbo diesel engines, the XSR48 has supercar acceleration to match its stunning appearance.

But style has not been sacrificed for speed. The XSR48 combines the DNA and high performance of a supercar with superyacht styling making it the ‘Bugatti Veyron’ of the sea.

The XSR48 has been developed in collaboration with a number of world class design and construction partners including legendary hull designer Fabio Buzzi, award winning superyacht designers Redman Whiteley Dixon and High Modulus the world’s leading exponent in composite marine structures.

The XSR48 will be manufactured at the internationally renowned Berthon Shipyard in Lymington.

Source: Born Rich and Gizmag

Stainless steel propellers by SOLAS

According to the SOLAS website, one of their stainless steel propellers was submerged in polluted water for two years and still shines.

SOLAS site features details on their line of stainless steel propellers and the 24-10 stainless steel used to ensure better corrosion resistance than traditional 15-5 stainless steel. The high Chrome and Nickel composition of SOLAS propellers are also highly wear resistant.

The SOLAS site adds...

Unlike the traditional material, the new material is a true Stainless Steel. It will never rust and is also very difficult to be worn out. SOLAS offers variety propeller series to meet different requirements.

Source: SOLAS

N2KView from Maretron offers PC based vessel monitoring and control

Maretron now offers PC based vessel monitoring and control software (N2KView). N2KView monitors virtually all NMEA 2000® information including engines, gensets, tanks, rudders, navigation instruments, local weather, electrical systems and more.

Information can be viewed from one or more stations on the vessel or remotely via an Internet connection.

N2KView is completely user-configurable and users are free to design different screens to their exact requirements while easily switching from screen to screen for monitoring different vessel systems.

Digital displays, analog gauges, graphical displays, warning lights , bar graphs – all can be configured exactly as desired.

Maretron says they have a complete product roadmap planned for the N2KView software including such things as alarms and electrical system integration. Together with their sister company Moritz Aerospace and under the umbrella of Carling Technologies, N2KView will eventually allow the user to turn on or off electrical devices with a touch of the screen while monitoring the status of those circuits as well.

Source: Maretron

Cummins MerCruiser Diesel Zeus Propulsion System to be intergral part of 2008 models

The Cummins MerCruiser Diesel (CMD) website reports that the Zeus Propulsion System will be an integral part of their propulsion line-up for the 2008 model year.

Cummins MerCruiser Diesel’s Zeus uses steerable pods, along with an advanced joystick control system, to deliver precise turning and tight maneuvering that is far superior to bow thrusters.

CMD’s Skyhook Electronic Anchor, a component of CMD’s highly advanced Precision Pilot system, keeps a Zeus equipped vessel on a fixed heading within a tight area, even in strong currents and windy conditions.

Unlike other pod systems, Zeus delivers an added level of safety with pods protected by tunnel mounting, rear-facing props and a breakaway skeg. Independent vectoring for each pod delivers dramatically improved high-speed handling, offering 15 percent faster top speed and up to 30 percent increased fuel economy at a higher cruise speed.

With up to 550 horsepower, Zeus offers more power density than comparable pod systems.Source: NauticalExpo, Cummins MerCruiser Diesel, and YouTube

Raymarine offers new color displays and satellite TV attennas

Raymarine now offers the ST70 Multifunction Color display. Designed for simple setup and extensive user customization, ST70’s capabilities include depth, speed, wind, navigation data, autopilot status, engine monitoring and more.

Built on a waterproof chassis, ST70 has sunlight viewable 3.5” TFT color LCD display with 320 x 240 pixel resolution. The display has high contrast and a very wide viewing angle for easy visibility from anywhere in the cockpit or pilothouse. ST70 offers selectable day and night mode color pallets for optimum viewing under all conditions.

The new 37STV Satellite Television Antenna System delivers High Definition digital television to vessels underway or at the dock. 37STV's ultra compact 14.6" (37cm) dish is suitable for vessels as small as 25 feet.

With features like Raymarine's unique Wide Range Search and Dynamic Beam Tilting and NMEA 0193 GPS input the 37STV tracks DVB compatible broadcast satellites no matter what the weather or sea conditions are like.

Source: Raymarine.com

Volvo Marine Engines and IPS at the Virginia In-Water Boat Expo & SailFest

One of the engines on display at the Virginia In-Water Boat Expo & SailFest was the 5.7 GXi by Volvo Penta.
Volvo's website describes the 5.7 GXi a cast-iron V-8 with electronic fuel injection, low emissions and responsive acceleration.

Here's a comparison between the fuel filter on the 5.7 GXi and a regular fuel filter. The longer filter is a water separating fuel filter, which is recommended when using ethanol fuel.

The oil filter on the 5.7 GXi is also easy to remove and service.

The Volvo Penta booth also featured a demo of Volvo's IPS joystick, which allows you to park your boat in a dock almost as easy as you can drive your car in a parking space.

Volvo's IPS system has the propellers facing forward, pulling the boat through the water the same way aircraft propellers pull a plane through the air. The advantage is that diesel noise and exhaust are reduced.


RESOURCES

• You can learn more about Volvo Penta engines on the Volvo Marine web site.
• Boats on Boat Trader Online with Volvo IPS
• Boats on Boat Trader Online with Volvo 5.7GXi engines

Lighter and stronger boat hulls created by Yamaha's new nanotechology

Yamaha Motor Corporation's web site features information about NanoXcel™, the first hull material that uses nanotechnology.

This new material creates boat and PWC hulls that are lighter and stronger than regular fiberglass hulls, dropping hull weight by 25%.

The Yamaha Motors site features details about the new hulls and previews of their upcoming 2008 models that use the new technology.

Luxury submarines are a secret of the seas

Having a big yacht is not enough for some wealthy boat owners. Once you have a big boat that rules the seas, the next step is to conquer the depths.

Bloomberg.com features a story on private submarine owners and the market for luxury subs.

These submarines are not the cramped and steely subs that are used for deep-sea exploration, nor are they as spare and crowded as military subs.

These subs are designed to be as luxurious and stately as the yachts that carry them.

Sub owners are also secretive about their new toys. While there are over 100 luxury subs on (or under) the seas, details about who owns them and what their capabilities are is still a mystery.