TRICK OUT YOUR BOAT
While your nautical needs may not be up to the challenge facing UBC’s robotic sailbot on its unmanned voyage across the Atlantic this summer, there are gadgets that can make boating safer and more fun. Here are a few, from the indulgent to the economical.
Afterguard Heads Up Display for Sailing
If you already use the heads-up display technology from Vancouver’s Recon Instruments in your snow goggles, you may be happy to learn Afterguard Marine has put that technology into its Heads Up Display sunglasses for sailboat racing. Afterguard’s Central Communications Unit pulls data from all the instruments on your boat and delivers race-ready information to the crew. For serious racers with deep pockets, the Afterguard HUD is priced at $2,500 US. afterguard.co.
Furuno First Watch Wireless Radar
This is a first — a wireless radar that links directly to your iPhone or iPad. While traditional radar systems must be wired into navigation systems to be viewed on a nav screen, Furuno’s First Watch wireless radar antenna just has to be mounted and plugged into a power source and it’s good to go. Wherever you are on your boat, you can call up the radar image on the screen of your iOS device, whether it’s an iPad or an iPhone. The accompanying Marine Radar app is free in Apple’s app store. The antenna will set you back about $1,650. furuno.com.
Flir First Mate II
Thermal imaging as a navigation aid may get a boost this summer if the UBC sailbot safely navigates from Newfoundland to Ireland while relying on thermal imaging to help it avoid everything from icebergs to islands. The UBC Sailbot team has opted for thermal imaging because it doesn’t use as much power as radar, yet is able to create images based on heat. For example, an iceberg will have a different heat signature than the water around it; a person in the water could be seen on the heat map even in the dark or in high waves. While pricey, we can only hope that, like radar and other marine technology, thermal imaging will reach an affordable range for the average cruiser. The hand-held versions start at $2,000, Flir’s fixed mount thermal imagers start around $5,600. flir.com
Raymarine Dragonfly 7 Sonar GPS
If the fish have been evading you, check out Raymarine’s Dragonfly sonar GPS, which comes in two versions — one with a 5.7-inch screen and the Dragonfly 7 with a seveninch screen. Raymarine uses CHIRP (which stands for Compressed High Intensity Radar Pulse) DownVision technology that enables a dual view from this fish finder, both the traditional view and DownVision sonar, which offers high-resolution underwater images that are much more akin to photos than the regular view. Whether you’re looking for bait fish or sunken boats, the CHIRP technology will make it that much easier to see. You could buy a lot of fish for the $700 this unit will cost you, but you could say the same about the cost of your boat, so who’s counting? raymarine.com.
WeatherFlow Wind Meter
Plug this little pocket gadget into your iOS or Android mobile device and you have a hand-held anemometer that’s a considerably better measurement of the wind than holding your finger in the air. It measures wind speed, direction, the average speed and gusts and you can adjust the settings to read in everything from knots to kilometres per hour — from the lightest breeze to hurricane-force winds. You can also share the readings with your friends through social media and email. Listed at $35 US, you can find it in Canada under $45. weatherflow.com.