Here at last!
Icom IC-M93D Euro
Icom’s new flagship hand-held radio has finally made it to the chandleries!
Launched at the London Boat Show back in January, the IC-M93D Euro takes over the top spot from the popular IC-M91D.
Like its predecessor, the IC-M93 incorporates a full DSC Class D controller, with a dedicated DSC receiver that constantly monitors Channel 70 even when the radio is in use on another channel, and a GPS receiver with compass, man overboard and waypoint functions. Active noisecancelling technology cuts out as much as 90% of background noise for clearer transmission and reception.
Major changes from the older model include a significantly larger display, and a sleek membrane-covered control panel in a casing that is 4mm narrower, 5mm thinner, and almost 20g lighter than its predecessor. It may be only a few grammes and millimetres, but it makes a surprising difference to the overall look and feel of the radio, and allows Icom to claim it as the world’s slimmest floating DSC handheld.
The battery capacity has been kept at 1500mah, but power consumption has been reduced to give an impressive 14 hours of use between charges (at the standard 5:5:90 duty cycle) with a recharge time of just 2.5 hours from flat to fully charged. From £349.95 including VAT. Contact www.icomuk.co.uk
That looks like the result of an unholy union between a Hobie Cat and a pushchair
It does a little, I grant you, but what we have here is the humble pedalo, reimagined for the 21st century. A chap called Florent Vitiello was on his honeymoon and fancied trying some watersports… Unfortunately there were only jetskis and kayaks available – he and his new wife just wanted a nice stable floating platform, like a pedalo, to potter around to the next cove. Florent, who runs an electric bike company, suddenly came up with a great idea. And so the Ceclo was born.
Whoa doc, do you mean to tell me that this sucker is electric?
Absolutely. You can pedal it in the traditional fashion, pedals spinning the prop via a belt drive, or engage the services of a brushless electric motor producing 250 watts of nominal power and 500 watts of maximum power.
What does that mean in real life?
Five knots flat out, with a 3-knot cruising speed. All in serene silence. The 36-volt lithium-ion battery will give you between six and nine hours running in return for a sub-seven-hour charge.
How many will it carry?
It comes with one Fatboy beanbag that’s big enough for two people, but you can add a second beanbag so that as many as four people can use it.
Is it heavy?
190kg apparently, so manageable. Absolutely. You can choose from nine wood veneer options for the deck and 16 for the Fatboy beanbag, fit a leather wrap to the stainless steel, add a refrigerated coolbox, some deck lights and a swimming ladder and have it painted in the colour of your choosing. It’s made in France and comes with a two-year warranty. Think in terms of £12,000 for the basic boat, plus whatever options you’d like to add, of course. A lot for a pedalo maybe, but arguably good value for something as beautifully designed and customisable as this.