NEW GEAR

Toby Heppell sifts through the latest gear and technology out this month for cruising sailors

Crew-talk headsets on test, plus a look at the latest marine kit

DOLPHIN 1 LIFEBUOY POWERED, UNMANNED LIFEBUOY

This is the second remote-controlled, propelled lifebuoy we have seen being marketed in the marine industry. There are already several Dolphin 1s in operation across the world, including Brighton Beach Patrol in the UK and the Royal Yacht Club Perth, Australia. It enables the lifebuoy to be thrown into the water, driven via remote to a casualty and used to retrieve them. If it gets turned over, then a few metres of driving in reverse will flip it the right way up. www.oceanalpha.com

GARMIN QUATIX 6 UPDATED MARINISED SMARTWATCH

When paired with onboard

Garmin electronics, the sixth iteration of this marine-focused smartwatch can stream NMEA 2000 boat data to give users access to sensor information like speed, depth and temperature. Like previous models, the Quatix 6 can control the onboard autopilot or put in new waypoints to a chartplotter. The update offers a bigger screen, a wrist-based HR monitor, Pulse Ox 6 blood oxygen saturation to support sleep monitoring and an energy monitoring feature that lets users see their body’s energy levels. www.garmin.com

MOBILTECH ZEUS 200 GENERATOR ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY POWER

The Zeus 200 generator from Italian firm Mobiltech uses its own efficient burner instead of a thermal engine for energy production. The generator uses the Seebeck effect, which was discovered in 1821 and is used to supply electricity in special applications, such as NASA space probes and lunar rovers. The generation of electric current is created by exploiting the combustion temperature of the diesel set against the cooling of sea water on the other, allowing the unit to produce about 200W. www.mobiltech.it

RAPID MARINE PADEYE WATERTIGHT PADEYE SEAL FOR TENDERS

The new Flush Fitting Padeye from Rapid Marine is suitable for all tenders and personal water craft up to 500kg in weight. The Padeye is engineered with a weather tight springloaded seal, designed to prevent any water or debris entering the padeye.

For a safe, secure tender simply insert the attachment key into the Rapid Padeye and rotate 90 degrees. Releasing the pressure will locate the key in a retaining slot. www.rapidmarine.co.uk

FUSION SIGNATURE SERIES SPEAKERS LIGHT UP SPEAKERS

Garmin recently announced it has redesigned its Fusion-branded Signature Series marine speakers and subwoofers with LED lighting that delivers an unprecedented spectrum of colour variations if you fancy adding a bit more bling to your marine sound system. They’re certainly not the cheapest marine speakers on the market but the Fusion brand consistently delivers quality. www.fusionentertainment.com