ePropulsion has announced the launch of its X Series outboard engines. The X Series comprises three innovative electric outboard motors, the X12, X20 and X40, offering dependable electric propulsion with user-friendly features for eco-conscious cruisers. 

“With the new, incredible power that this line provides, we’re looking at a great opportunity to spread ePropulsion further in the market of electric propulsion in the United States,” said Tom Watson, President of ePropulsion USA. “Across the globe and here in North America, we’re looking forward to the X Series further propelling ePropulsion to a position of leadership as it sets the new standard for what electric propulsion is and can do.”

All motors in the new series offer a total powertrain efficiency of 88.2 percent. The X12 features 12kW power, the X20 generates 20kW of power and the X40, which made its debut at the 2023 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, boasts a massive 40kW of power. ePropulsion’s R&D team formulated a unique algorithm for the X Series’ propellers, refining over 20 key metrics to ensure optimal hydrodynamic performance. The new range incorporates frequency resonance isolation and vibration dampening technology, resulting in a quiet design that creates less vibration than comparable outboards.

Weighing up to 36 percent less than traditional motors, the X Series features a compact, fully integrated design. All motors in the series unify electric steering, power trim/tilt, the electric control unit (ECU) and the controller within a single assembly, simplifying installation and optimizing onboard space. 

The X Series features the ePropulsion Smart System Architecture (eSSA), which the company says will facilitate a seamless, worry-free experience for boaters. According to the manufacturer, the modular architecture of eSSA not only assures simple system configuration but also supports the integration of renewable energy systems for an enhanced, sustainable experience on the water. 

Engineered for intuitive and effortless operation, the X Series offers an accessible experience even for those new to boating. The digital helm and smart throttles provide instantaneous feedback, while the electric steering eliminates the need for cumbersome hydraulic components. This refined steering mechanism opens the door to Advanced Driving Assistance Systems that improve safety and redefine aquatic navigation. Cutting-edge driving assistance features like “Position Hold” and “Heading Hold” and “360 Motions” offer additional safety-focused options.

With a technologically advanced design, the X Series offers boaters a comfortable, responsive experience with its connectivity functions. The ePropulsion Connectivity Service is available for users of all motors within the X Series, so they can stay connected with their boat remotely, accessing real-time boat and system status with advanced monitoring, reporting and tracking.

Fully compliant with the latest IEC standards, the X40 is IP67 waterproof and built to yield a minimum service life of 5,000 hours. The motor is fully compatible with existing ePropulsion accessories including the Smart Throttle, Digital Helm, Smart Display, Propellers, G102-100 Battery, Battery Charger, Solar Charger Controller, MPPT and DC-DC.

“The inclusion of the X Series in our ever-expanding electric propulsion portfolio marks a significant step forward in electric propulsion systems,” said Danny Tao, Co-Founder and CEO of ePropulsion. “The X Series is the result of extensive R&D and we are always looking to go above and beyond the industry standards. With the advanced X Series, we deliver more than electric propulsion, it’s an intelligent and integrated platform accessible for consumers and OEM clients, ensuring a quieter, cleaner boating experience.”

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Aboard our 31-foot Hunter, Ragtime, our dinghy was the unsung hero of our cruising escapades. It was always the first thing we deployed upon arrival to a destination, and it was the last thing we packed away before we departed. It was our family Ford, our Honda for the harbor, our Miata of the marina (I’ll see myself out…). 

To the untrained eye, a dinghy might appear to be no more than a floating dock cart to tote provisions, pets and people. But as cruisers well know, it’s so much more. 

A dinghy is an all-access pass to exploring new coves and reaching short-water fishing spots. It’s a recon vessel for scouting surrounding depth, seafloor terrain and on-shore amenities. And, of course, it’s an escape pod should all hell break loose. A dinghy also provides endless amounts of fun, and even some boathandling education, for the kiddos. 

Ragtime’s dinghy was a 9-foot-6-inch Achilles with a 4 hp Mercury outboard. For 13-year-old me, it allowed a real taste of freedom. We named it Cascade (after Scott Joplin’s jubilant rag “The Cascades”). I can still feel the elation of hopping in the dink after dropping the hook in a new port of call and then roaming around the harbor, checking out neighboring boats, scouring the shallows for marine life. When there were no other boats around and the no-wake zones approved of it, I’d tear off on plane in a puff of sea spray to an imagined finish line across the bay. 

Our Cascade was state-of-the-art back in the ’90s, but it’s a dinosaur compared with offerings from the modern-day dinghy domain. Today, hybrid designs rule, combining the benefits of inflatable and rigid-­hull boats. Lighter-weight materials have enhanced ­portability and improved fuel efficiency. Some manufacturers offer sail-­conversion kits for multipurpose use. (Really, who doesn’t miss dinghy sailing?) Inflation systems have been enhanced; ­modular ­options for seating and stowage are often available; and electric propulsion has staked a serious claim in the power ­department.

 When the time comes to ­replace your dinghy or buy your first one, these four standouts in the market are fit to serve any mothership between 25 and 45 feet.   

Lammina AL 9.5

If strength and durability are atop your checklist, then the AB Lammina AL 9.5 is worth a look. AB’s line of marine-­grade aluminum-­hull ­inflatables comes with AWS certification, Orca 820 Hypalon fabric, and marine-grade aluminum and Axalta powder coating. The Superlight models, available at lengths of 9.5 feet and smaller, have a 0.09-inch-thick aluminum hull and are intended for boats with lighter-capacity davits. The hulls can resist abrasions from rocky shores, coral and sandy beaches, and the design cuts through wakes and chop with minimal pounding, resulting in a dry, stable ride. Check out the well-conceived bow locker and its capacity for a 6-gallon portable fuel tank.

Cadet Series

Compact and easy to stow in a cockpit locker, Zodiac’s Cadet series tenders hold their own against larger models. The progressive-diameter buoyancy tube design provides marked stability. Cadets have a longer life span and a high safety level because of a welded float closure and a glued overlap. Owners can choose among several versions. The Aero line, with an inflatable-air sole, is the lightest. The high-performance Aluminum line, with an aluminum sole, has an inflatable keel for quick planing and improved maneuverability. Fitting the slatted sole in the Roll Up line involves inflating buoyancy tubes. Stowage is a cinch; this tender folds up into a carrying bag, with no need to remove the slats.

Classic (CL) 310

In 10 years of manufacturing tenders, the 310 has carved out its niche as Highfield’s bestselling tender size—ideal for as many as five people and up to a 20 hp engine. The standard bow on the CL 310 can stow a 6.5-gallon fuel tank or other equipment. Construction includes 2.5 mm thick, powder-coated marine-­grade aluminum, coupled with tubes made of 1100-dtex coated fabric and a full-length keel guard. The optional FCT helm console forward gives the line a pickup-truck quality for long-range cruisers looking to haul gear and groceries. Total weight with the console and a 20 hp motor is about 400 pounds wet, which makes the 310 a solid, stable ride and puts it on a lot of davits. Highfield also makes an Ultralite line for cruisers who need a lighter platform that’s simpler to manage on deck.

Portland Pudgy

If lifesaving situations are high on your mind, then consider the Portland Pudgy. With or without the inflatable lifeboat canopy, the Pudgy is a dynamic lifeboat. It can’t deflate, and it can be sailed, rowed, or motored to safety. The Pudgy is constructed with rotation-molded, high-density compounded polyethylene (the same material used for top-quality whitewater kayaks). It’s stable, difficult to capsize, and easy to right. Closed-cell foam under the sole makes it “unsinkable,” according to the manufacturer. As for recreational use, the Pudgy is a fun family tender, a safe and sea-friendly sailing dinghy, and a great all-around rowboat/motorboat. Under sail, it can take surprisingly rough seas and heavy winds. Choose between a gaff or square-top Marconi sail. Every piece of equipment designed for the Pudgy can be stowed in the interior stowage chambers via five hatches. The Pudgy is US Coast Guard-approved as a dinghy for four people with a 2 hp or 3 hp motor.

The post Standout Dinghies to Bring Along on the Adventure appeared first on Cruising World.

After owning the same sailboat for a good long spell, I naturally became quite familiar with the ­electronic navigation kit, including our modest (by today’s standards, anyway) Garmin chart plotter. That is to say, when I needed to, I knew where to find most of its features without pushing too many buttons or resorting to the dreaded user manual.

That’s not the case, though, when I step aboard friends’ boats and encounter less-familiar brands of plotters, often set up in peculiarly whimsical ways, or when I take the occasional charter and try to reset the previous skipper’s preference for, say, chart soundings in fathoms or meters instead of feet. 

And then there are those sea trials aboard newly launched sailboats that may or may not have calibrated instruments or even a cartography chip in the plotter, as was the case aboard a large cruising cat I found myself on in an unexpectedly shallow corner of Florida’s Biscayne Bay. 

Here’s my take on Situational Awareness 101: Having ­easy-to-use, familiar nav equipment isn’t just a convenience; it’s a real safety issue when you suddenly find yourself tacking into unfamiliar territory or when sea ­conditions change unexpectedly. That’s not when you want to go scrolling through pages of unfamiliar menus ­looking for settings and information such as tides and current.

As the Boy Scouts like to quip: Be ­prepared. And with relatively inexpensive prices for hardware and plenty of free or low-cost apps among which to choose, it’s pretty darned easy to put together a take-it-with-you navigation toolkit that can double as a backup should the primary system on your own boat fall prey to the electron demons.

I’ve used the free navigation app iNavX for a while now. I have it on my iPhone (it’s also available for Android) and use it mostly to check my surroundings underway, and to get an idea of what might lie between my location and the next waypoint. 

Call me old-fashioned, but I find ­planning longer routes much easier on a bigger screen such as what might be found on a tablet or multifunction display, or on paper charts. So, my first step was to contact customer support at iNavX to see what I should look for if I wanted to move up to an iPad. They promptly recommended any new iPad with cellular capabilities because it would have a ­built-in GPS receiver that works without a Wi-Fi signal; a used or ­refurbished device would need the same, I was told, plus it should have at least 64 GB of storage and be able to run iOS 13 or later software, or, even better, iOS 15 or newer software.

It took a little patience and hunting online, but I found an iPad Air 2 that met those specs on Amazon for just under $240. Had I searched longer, I probably could have found something suitable for even less, but with an upcoming trip, I was eager to get charts downloaded and sorted.

One of the things I love about iNavX is that it provides free access to charts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. There’s also an in-app store with offerings such as iNavX Professional+ charts, Blue Latitude Charts for Mexico, Explorer Bahamas, Waterway Guide, AIS Live coverage and Theyr Premium Weather. iNavX is also adding inland waterway cartography.

In basic navigation mode, iNavX is easy to use. You can set waypoints with the tap of a finger, plan out routes, view bearings in either degrees true or magnetic, get speed over ground, and customize a long list of other chart settings. You can also pair it on your phone or tablet with a vessel’s networked chart plotter to monitor depth, wind, engine, batteries and the like.

If you already have an AIS receiver or transponder on board, the app can display targets in chart mode. If you don’t, iNavX AIS Live coverage is available in some areas for a fee. The AIS Live server provides AIS targets within 30 nautical miles of your boat.

The price is right, though I initially found juggling the free NOAA raster charts a bit daunting. They are listed by region, and each chart needs to be downloaded for use. The USA East, for instance, lists charts from the US Virgin Islands to Cuba and northward to the Canadian border. That’s a lot of unfamiliar place names to scroll through.

The Professional+ charts also need to be downloaded, but they are listed by state and are much easier to find. Regional sets, such as the USA and Canada, can be purchased for around $25, and updates are included in the subscription fee.

For fear of being perceived as a big spender, I also downloaded Navionics’ latest Boating app and purchased ­cartography for the US and Canada, also for just under $25. Navionics offers similar packages for just about anywhere in the world you’d care to sail, and the charts are the same as what’s available on Garmin (its parent company) chart plotters. Navionics recommends an Apple device running iOS 13 or later.

The newly launched iNavX Professional+ chart series offers premium vector charts delivering ­country-­specific coverage at a very reasonable price.­

The app lets you add a number of layers of information on its cartography and download daily chart updates. It also provides some serious navigation power, including Auto Guidance+, which will plot a route automatically. Basic ­navigation is fairly intuitive, and route planning is as simple as tapping the chart to set a waypoint or route, a feature that would be quite useful when planning a sailing vacation in some new, warm and sunny place.

A few precautionary words about auto routing, though: Before relying on it, carefully review where the route will be taking you. Setting a course from my home north of Boston into Boston Harbor, it would send me through a narrow piece of water called the Small Boat Channel, which is probably fine for a powerboat, but it can be a nightmare for a vessel under sail in certain wind and current conditions. And on any charter, remember that the software might not account for areas where the charter company doesn’t want you to go. Straying into the wrong place when following a machine-generated route might cost you your security deposit if the boat should be damaged.

Navionics provides a number of ways to customize charts, with overlays for satellite imagery, relief shading to show depths, and sonar contours. Weather, tide and buoy reports are all included, and the app can pair with onboard AIS receivers. 

C-Map cartography, which I also use on the iPad, has similar features, and the same caveat applies when using its route-planning capabilities. C-Map charts are free when connected to Wi-Fi; offline cartography access and extended weather are available only to premium subscribers. 

While all of these nav apps can provide AIS data when paired with an onboard ­receiver, another handy tool is the app from Marine Traffic, which displays near-real-time AIS information for vessels worldwide. The free version of the app provides interesting information about targets, including flag of registry, call sign, MMSI number, speed and size. You can use the app to search for ships and ­pleasure boats by name, or scan a harbor to see what’s anchored or underway nearby. Marine Traffic’s starter plan, which costs around $10 for a year, adds a number of other tidbits about vessels, ports, ship’s tracks and weather maps. It’s all pretty cool stuff to have at your fingertips.

Before relying on auto routing, carefully review where the route will be taking you. What may be fine for a powerboat could be a nightmare for a vessel under sail. 

I’ve also loaded up the iPad with a few of my favorite weather apps, such as Windy, Predict Wind, Storm Radar, WindAlert and SailFlow, and I’ve added links to regional NOAA text weather forecasts so that they are available as Wi-Fi allows. And I’ve downloaded PDF copies of a few other free NOAA ­publications, including Coast Pilot 1 and Coast Pilot 2, which give detailed coastal information about the waters from Eastport, Maine, to Sandy Hook, New Jersey. I also have the US Coast Guard’s Light List, Volume 1, covering the Atlantic coast.

With my new toolkit in hand, I’ll be ready to plan my next trip ahead of time and be able to change waypoints on the fly using apps that are quickly becoming old friends. 

Boat of the Year judge and CW editor-at-large Mark Pillsbury is a ­die-hard sailor who has owned a number of sailboats, including a Sabre 34, on which he lived for 15 years.

The post Gear Review: Navigation Apps Help You Get To Where You Want To Go appeared first on Cruising World.

With the cold season approaching in many parts of the country, it’s time to take a look at gear that will let you enjoy time on the water with toys such as kayaks, rowing and sailing dinghies, paddleboards, and the like. 

Samples of cooler-weather kit were ­provided by the manufacturers and by Team One Newport in Rhode Island, which sells brands such as Helly Hansen, Musto and Patagonia. The hands-on testing was rather informal. 

Living outside Boston, where big boats often get put away by mid-October, I was launching my inflatable for dinghy rides and my paddleboard late into the fall thanks to Mustang Survival’s Taku dry bib and Taku dry top. The chest-high overalls and socks are watertight and rugged, with room to wear heavy socks and a pair of jeans or long underwear underneath. Made from waterproof fabric, the bib’s seat, knees and socks are reinforced with Cordura to resist abrasion, and the overall-style outerwear comes in designs for men and women. The men’s version includes a waterproof Aquaseal relief ­zipper, and the men’s and women’s bibs have an adjustable neoprene waistband.

Wearing the dry bibs and my trusty Crocs for footwear over the rocks, I was able to wade into some pretty chilly water and go as deep as I needed to mount a motor on the back of an inflatable or land a paddleboard without grounding out its fin. On windy days, spray was not an issue, nor was rain, especially with the dry top on.

The dry top, made from the same waterproof, breathable fabric, has an extended skirt for kayaking, and has trimmable latex neck and wrist seals to keep water out. The top’s neoprene waist has hook-and-loop flaps on either side, so it’s adjustable too.

For paddleboarding in the dead of winter in icy water, a drysuit would probably be more advisable, but in late fall and spring, I found that if I tightened the waist straps built into the bib and top, not a lot of water came in when I went for an unintended dip. As a bonus, air trapped in the clothing added buoyancy.

Prices for the top and bib varied online, but expect to pay $400 to $450 for each.

Gill offers its own cool-weather ­protection for active watersports such as paddling, windsurfing and kayaking with its ThermoShield top, available in sizes small to extra-large. On paddling and boat rides, I found it warm and comfortable for extended periods. The ThermoShield is made from a nonabsorbent laminated fabric, and a fleece lining keeps in the heat. I really liked the fleece-lined collar, which can be drawn tight or left loose. The top’s neoprene waistband seals tight with hook-and-loop flaps. 

I paired the ThermoShield Top with Mustang’s Taku bib. The combo worked quite well and kept me mostly dry, even with an occasional dunking so long as I didn’t go under all the way. You can find the ThermoShield top for $165 online.

Gill has a few other neat things to consider when the mercury dips and the water beckons. The Fisher fleece is a heavy-pullover wind-resistant top that’s comfortable to wear around the yard or on the boat. Its large kangaroo-style pocket is a good place to warm up your hands on a cold day. It sells for about $130.

And for cold, raw nights in the ­cockpit—or to change into dry clothes on the beach or in the parking lot—Gill’s Aqua parka has you covered. Literally. The parka is a big coat, with a waterproof shell, welded seams, a soft high-loft thermal lining, a big hood, and large zippered pockets. The one I tested fell well past my knees, had tons of room if I wanted to pull my arms inside to juggle shorts, and kept me warm as toast. Top it off with a Seafarer beanie, and you’re ready to chill. The coat is available in three color schemes and in sizes from extra-small to large. Expect to pay around $200 for the parka and less than $30 for the hat.

For three-season inflatable rides and dinghy sailing, Musto’s ESS Softshell jacket is lightweight, comfortable and warm. The coat has a water-repellent coating and stretch cuffs for a close fit. The ESS is available in black, navy and platinum, and in sizes ranging from small to extra-extra-large. I tried on an extra-large, my normal size, and found it a bit tight. The coat is priced at just under $150.

I have a daughter who likes sailing and fishing, and on a blustery day this past fall, she found that Helly Hansen’s Pier 3.0 sailing jacket and bib would be fine for either activity. The bibs were easy to adjust and move around in, and she liked the elastic cinch around the waist, which she said made the pants snug and warm.

The Pier 3.0 jacket is designed for coastal and inshore sailing. It’s fully waterproof, windproof, and breathable, with adjustable cuff seals, a high collar, and fleece-lined hand-warmer pockets. Expect to pay around $200 for each piece of kit.

Wearing the dry bibs and my trusty Crocs for ­footwear over the rocks, I was able to wade into some pretty chilly water and go as deep as I needed to.

For a midlayer, HH’s Verglas tops for men and women are comfortable and warm. The ones I tried out fit well and weren’t in the way when I moved about. They come in a variety of styles, including half-zipper and hoodie. Prices range from $30 to $60.

Another good layering top was Patagonia’s Capilene Cool Daily hoodie. The sample I tried was thin, but it was warm and fit well. The top is available in sizes extra-small to triple-extra-large and runs right around $60. 

The above is just a sampling of the smart clothes available these days to help you handle the elements. With winter coming and the holidays approaching, hit the fall boat shows and keep an eye out for deals on duds that can withstand whatever Mother Nature has in store.

The post Review: Gear Up for Cold Weather appeared first on Cruising World.

The International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) have announced the winners of the 2023 IBEX Innovation Awards Program. The program is managed by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and judged by Boating Writers International (BWI). The judges selected 13 Innovation Award winners and four honorable mentions from nearly 100 entries submitted by exhibiting marine industry companies. Awards were presented during the annual Industry Breakfast, Innovation Awards Presentation, and Keynote held Tuesday, October 3, 2023, from 7:30 – 9:30 a.m. 

Products can also be viewed on the online showcase. The winners of the 2023 IBEX Innovation Awards are:

BOAT CARE AND MAINTENANCE

PowerTech! Propellers, Seascour by PowerTech!/Hendry

Judge Julia Carleton said, “Seascour combats scale and barnacles at the chemical level by breaking down the calcium bonds using an organic, non-corrosive solution. From flushing heat exchangers to cleaning hulls, the environmental benefits are far-reaching.”

Honorable Mention: SeaWide Distribution, Hempel Silic One

BOATBUILDING METHODS AND MATERIALS (dual winners)

beSpline, Shaped Foam Kit

Judge Tim Murphy said, “One of the longstanding problems in composite boat building is how to turn flat foam panels into the complex curves of a boat hull or deck. beSpline’s new North American facility uses heat to ‘thermoform’ flat panels into complex curves, omitting kerfs, that are delivered to boatbuilders in kit form. The result is lighter, stronger, higher-quality boat structures.”

Infinity Luxury Woven Vinyl, Infinity Grip: Judge Andy Adams said, “Infinity Luxury woven flooring with self-adhesive backing delivers significant labor and cost savings. Installation is simple and best of all requires no mess.”

BOATYARD AND MARINA HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE

VoltSafe, VoltSafe Marine

Judge Ed Sherman noted, “Voltsafe is the future of dockside shorepower systems for marinas and boats. It revolutionizes shore power connectivity by addressing critical drawbacks of traditional methods.”

Honorable Mention: Sunstream Boat Lifts, Sunstream Power System (SPS) 

DECK EQUIPMENT AND HARDWARE

Lippert, Lewmar® Venta Pontoon Winch

Judge Steve Davis observed, “The underdeck pontoon winch is completely waterproof and stays clear of passengers on deck. The unit slides into a mount so the winch is easily installed and removed as seasons change, and the spring-loaded roller keeps the anchor under the deck until deployed or retrieved.”

ELECTRIC MOTOR/BATTERY POWERED PROPULSION/HYBRIDS

TEMO, TEMO 450

Judge Steve Davis noted, “The simple, lightweight design of the Temo 450 electric motor is an innovative way to power small boats and dinghies. The tubular design with built-in motor and battery is waterproof, simple, efficient, and easy to mount and operate.”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS

ARCO Marine, Zeus High Energy Alternator Regulator

Judge Ben Stein stated, “Arco’s Zeus answers the call for advanced alternator regulation aboard today’s boats and their increasingly complex DC power systems. With connectivity capabilities not previously seen in an alternator regulator, Zeus delivers the configuration, insight, and diagnostics needed for advanced, high-output 12-, 24-, and 48-volt systems.”

Honorable Mention: Navico Group, Mastervolt Mac Plus 48V

ENTERTAINMENT

Hertz Marine, HTX 8H S-FL-G

Judge Ryan Gullang observed, “Thanks to Hertz’s novel approach to horn design, the HTX 8H S-FL-G tower speakers delivers crystal-clear audio well outside the wake.”

FURNISHINGS AND INTERIOR PARTS

Roswell Marine, Auto-Rolling Fabric System

Judge Tim Murphy said, “Roswell Marine uses the magic of slap bracelets to solve a longstanding problem in marine canvas – how to roll sections of biminis or dodgers when they’re opened up. With Roswell’s Auto Rolling Fabric System, boaters simply unzip sections of the canvas, and it automatically rolls out of the way – no snaps, no Velcro.”

MECHANICAL SYSTEMS

Scanstrut, ATMOS 12V Integrated Airstation

Judge Ryan Gullang noted, “Scanstrut’s ATMOS 12-volt Integrated Airstation is an elegant and effective solution to the relative drudgery of inflating water toys.”

OEM ELECTRONICS

Garmin USA, GPSMAP® 9227 with Garmin BlueNet

Judge Ben Stein said: “The GPSMap 9227 is a quantum leap forward for marine navigation electronics. 4K resolution on its large display means more information at the operators’ fingertips. Plus, dramatically faster processors and gigabit Ethernet ensure nearly instant response.”

Honorable Mention: Syntec Industries, Murano Multifunction Display 

PROPULSION PARTS, PROPELLERS

Volvo Penta, Joystick Driving

Judge Steve Davis noted, “Joystick control has been around, but primarily used for docking, and Volvo Penta has taken to new heights with the innovative ability to drive the boat without touching the steering wheel. The system integrates shifting, steering, and throttle and easily installs into the driver’s armrest for ergonomic driving and comfort.”

SAFETY EQUIPMENT

WIF-Pro, WIF-Pro

Judge Ed Sherman said, “The float/sensor technology of the WIF-Pro offers outboard boat owners a safety feature when out at sea through a fuel filter system with an externally mounted sensor ring that detects and alarms the captain when five ounces of water gets in the fuel system. Once the filter bowl is drained, the system clears and you’re back underway.”

“The participating exhibitors in this year’s Innovation Awards program have successfully showcased how incredibly forward-thinking the marine industry is,” said Anne Dunbar, IBEX Show Director. “The products entered include a remarkable level of ingenuity and innovation in product design and development. We’d like to thank the judges for their time and hard work in deciding which products would be selected in each category. Congratulations to all our winning exhibitors and a big thank you to everyone who participated.”
IBEX is scheduled to return to the Tampa Convention Center, with IBEX 2024 Show dates set for October 1 – 3, 2024. For more information, visit www.ibexshow.com.

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Newport, RI — The Newport International Boat Show recently announced the winners of this year’s Newport For New Products (NFNP) Awards. Judged on Thursday during the show’s opening day and announced at an awards ceremony on Friday, September 15, the winners are:

• Best New Navigation Product (Including Marine Electronics) — B&G Hercules
• Best New Boating Operation, Maintenance or Safety Product — Ronstan Orbit Winch with QuickTrim
• Honorable Mention Boating Operation, Maintenance or Safety Product — Revolve Technology Emergency VHF Antenna
• Best New Sailboat — YYachts Y70
• Best New Powerboat 30 Feet and Over — Solara S-310 SC
• Best New Powerboat Under 30 Feet — Hyfoil 28, Hyfoil Marine
• Best Overall New Powerboat — Hyfoil 28, Hyfoil Marine
• Honorable Mention: Powerboat — Wolfeboro Boats Classic 15
• Accessible Product Award — Laguna 330, Further Customs
• Green Boat Award — Hyfoil 28, Hyfoil Marine
• People’s Choice Award — Solara S-310 SC

An annual industry highlight, NFNP entries were open to domestic and foreign products launched after April 1 that made their boat show debut at Newport. Category winners were selected by a team of industry experts (including CW Senior Editor Theresa Nicholson and CW editors-at-large Mark Pillsbury and Jennifer Brett) based on innovation, value to the consumer, safety and aesthetics. Show attendees selected the People’s Choice Award winner.

Celebrating its 52nd year, the Newport International Boat Show is one of the largest in-water events in the country and the premier show in New England. The show kicks off the fall boat show season in the US. It encompasses over 15 acres of Newport’s famed waterfront and hosts hundreds of exhibitors, dealers and manufacturers, and features new powerboats and sailboats ranging from 15 to 90 feet, plus an extensive selection of marine equipment, services, and accessories for boaters.

The post Newport For New Products 2023 Award Winners Named at the Newport International Boat Show appeared first on Cruising World.

I will admit to being a ­low-tech sailor. On my own cruising boat, the water toys are typically limited to a paddleboard, snorkeling gear, and maybe a couple of pool noodles if we go all out. 

But I have seen the other boats with all the cool gadgets, and envied their fun in the sun. I asked for advice from Capt. RJ Portman and chef/mate Jenna Taylor of the 50-foot Lagoon Delana Mae. Their boat charters in the Caribbean, so they look for toys that amplify the guest experience while being simple to deploy, and easy to clean, stow, and maintain.

The top toy aboard Delana Mae is the Bote Dock Hangout, an inflatable, ­horseshoe-shaped lounge. “Guests absolutely love this thing,” RJ says. “We put it out at every anchorage and even anchor it near the beach occasionally. It has this paddleboard-style base with soft, inflatable back pillows for relaxing with a beverage. It’s rigid in use, then totally collapsible when you’re done.”

Next on their list is a pair of submersible scooters from Sublue: the WhiteShark Mix and WhiteShark Mix Pro. 

“They move you about the speed of decent flipper kicks while snorkeling,” Jenna says, adding that these toys run for 30 to 45 minutes. “For more-advanced users, it’s a lot of fun to get deep fast and cruise around without burning much oxygen. You can cover so much ground without a whole lot of effort.” 

RJ’s personal favorite toy is also the boat’s priciest: the Lift eFoil.

 “It comes with an $11,000 price tag, but, oh baby, is it cool,” he says. “I can teach a person how to foil in about two hours over two to three sessions.” 

Battery life varies for the eFoil, he says, but typically the battery outlasts the sessions, and takes only about two hours to fully recharge. 

Another guest favorite is the Subwing towable. Guests hold the board, as opposed to a rope, and can quickly learn to submerge, corkscrew, and otherwise indulge their inner dolphin. “It’s the most fun you can have at 1 mile per hour,” RJ says. “But Subwing requires a dinghy driver and me to be away from the boat and other guests, so we favor the ­underwater scooters instead.”

Another toy that they have is the Sea LiOn, a battery-­powered, tankless diving ­system that floats ­independently on the ­surface and allows for up to three divers to go as deep as 65 feet. It requires a more involved setup, evaluation and ­monitoring of the divers, and a more tedious breakdown and cleaning process after use. This system, however, does come in doubly handy for the crew when cleaning the bottom of the boat or doing repairs. 

The couple also recommends investing in good beach-party gear. They like the Sun Ninja tent with UPF 50 protection. “It’s easy to set up and packs down smaller than a GoodStuff sleeping bag,” Jenna says. “Get the one with four poles; it’s worth it.”

They’ve used the tent in up to 20 knots of wind. Another pro tip: Fill the bags at each corner with sand, and stretch the corners tight before installing the poles. If they still move, add water to the sand.

To complete the party, they bring ashore four Cliq chairs, which collapse to the size of a large water bottle, and a pair of Ultimate Ears Wonderboom portable, waterproof speakers. 

“A cozy spot with your favorite tunes on a beautiful beach,” RJ says. “It’s an ideal finish to a great day on the water.”

I must say, RJ and Jenna have inspired me to ramp up the game on my own cruising boat. And I look forward to the next time I can set sail with Delana Mae and play with the latest and greatest toys again. 

Paddling Gear

More and more cruising boats are carrying stand-up paddleboards, or SUPs. If inflatable, they are easy to roll and stow inside (we keep them in the head shower on our boat). On our Beneteau 36 Liberte, we carry the noninflatable versions using a Magma rack, which attaches easily to the stanchions. This setup keeps the decks clear and the boards easier to access, and therefore more likely to be used. 

Kayaks are also easy to ­deploy and fun to ­paddle. Sea Eagle makes an excellent line of SUPs and kayaks. My advice is to test-drive a few to see what kind of paddler you are. Do you want more stability or more speed? In general, on a cruising boat, I would opt for the stabler option. You will be more inclined to take it out in choppier conditions, and your guests will appreciate the training wheels.

An intriguing option is the Bixpy electric motor, which fits snugly into the fin box of Sea Eagle’s kayaks and SUPs, and works as a paddle assist or stand-alone propulsion option. While you’re at it, throw in a two-stage electric turbo pump to make life easier with inflatable toys. 

On Liberte, we began cruising with a kayak, but we found ourselves using the paddleboards more and more over time. There’s many a day when we don’t even launch the dinghy. We have amazed ourselves with what we can cart to and fro across reasonably calm water: laundry, groceries, propane tanks and certainly the boat dog, who loves the ride. —DK

The post Boat Toys: Submersible Scooters, eFoils and Tankless Dive Systems Amplify the Fun appeared first on Cruising World.

When I tell friends that I’m going off sailing, really, I should add, “and motoring,” because that’s what I’ll be doing with our dinghy to reach our sailboat out on its mooring. And often, the first thing we do after sailing to a new anchorage is launch the inflatable with its 4 hp gas-powered engine to putt around and explore. Don’t get me wrong: I’m all in on sailing, but I live for those little joyrides to nowhere too. 

But even on a good day, our Suzuki outboard requires multiple pulls to start, especially when it’s cold, or if I put it away after running the carburetor’s bowl dry (I always do) to avoid it turning into a bowl of E10 jelly. And then there’s the racket our “quiet four-stroke” makes, and the smell of exhaust fumes when the beast roars to life.

Weight’s a factor too. At 60 or so pounds all gassed up, it feels a lot like work to lift the outboard in and out of the back of a pickup, schlep it up and down a slippery, algae-covered boat ramp, or swing it on and off the dinghy’s transom and onto a dock. Don’t ask how much fun it is to stand in a bouncing inflatable while lifting an outboard or lowering it from the aft pushpit or deck of an also-bouncing sailboat.

So, I was intrigued this past fall when I got an opportunity to see what’s up with the current line of small electric outboards that are readily available through online outlets and marine stores. I reached out to distributors for Torqeedo, ­ePropulsion and relative newcomer Temo, all of which had models on display during the United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland. My idea: Borrow dinghy-size models from all three manufacturers and take them for a spin to get a feel for how each model works.

Before diving into the details, consider these benefits of going electric. The first is obvious: These motors eliminate the need to carry gas or oil on board. Sure, they need to be recharged, but at home, you can plug them into a 110-volt charger overnight and they’ll be ready to go. And all three have optional 12-volt DC power cords if access to shore power is a problem.

And they are quiet. That’s the benefit I marveled at most: how relaxing it was to cruise along in the inflatable, hearing only the gurgle of water and the wind. At one point while riding with the Torqeedo in open water, I was fiddling with the throttle and watching the motor’s control screen instead of paying attention to my whereabouts. All of a sudden, I was surrounded by a gaggle of geese that must not have heard me coming. With a whoosh, the water all around us churned as dozens of them took flight at once. What a sight to see!

Two of the motors, the Torqeedo Travel 1103 S and the ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Evo, are at first glance fairly similar, and loosely resemble traditional outboards. Each has three components: a lithium battery, a control tiller, and a shaft containing a motor and propeller at the lower end. The battery and shaft each weigh about 20 pounds, which makes them easy to handle separately; assembled, which takes a matter of minutes, each weighs about 40 pounds. 

The third motor, the Temo 450, is radically different. It resembles, oh, I don’t know, a sculling oar with a propeller rather than a blade on its in-water end, or maybe it’s reminiscent of a long-tail engine on a workboat in Southeast Asia. The lighter-weight Temo didn’t match the power or range of the other two—and to be fair, it wasn’t supposed to—but it did its intended job to perfection, was simple to use and, stored in its carrying case, was light enough to sling over my shoulder for a walk or bike to the dock or beach.

With the three motors unpacked, charged and ready, one day in early November I set off for the Boston Sailing Center with a photographer and sailing buddy in tow to borrow a late-model West Marine 8-foot inflatable and a workboat to document my informal sea trials. Here’s what I found.

ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Evo

The Evo, manufactured in China, is intended for use on dinghies, small runabouts and sailboats. For sailboats, it’s available with a long shaft, and it is unique in that it has hydrogeneration capability. I didn’t get to see the Evo’s regeneration while sailing, but according to the company, if the engine is left tilted down under sail, the spinning propeller will generate power once the boat is sailing at just over 3 knots. As long as the boat holds that speed or goes faster, the Evo’s battery will continue to recharge until it reaches 90 percent. 

When used as a sailboat’s auxiliary engine, the motor can be locked and prevented from turning by using a simple plastic pin. In close quarters, or when mounted on a tender, the pin can be removed easily to steer using the motor. The Evo is also available with a remote-control throttle, another nice touch when the motor’s mounted on a sailboat (or on an inflatable with a console) because it saves reaching back to adjust the throttle and shift between forward and reverse.

The Evo I used had a tiller. Twist its handle to the right, you go forward; center it for neutral; twist left, you go backward. Immediately. With all the electric motors, there is not the hesitation that you experience when you shift a gas engine into gear. The torque of all three motors was instantly apparent, a reality that took some getting used to in close quarters around the dock.

Evo says that its engine has a peak speed of 5.4 knots at wide open throttle, which means drawing 1,000 watts of power. At that speed and power setting, the lithium battery’s range would be right around 6.8 nautical miles with a run time of one hour and 15 minutes.

In practice, in about 5 knots of wind and small waves, the top speed I saw was 4.2 knots. At that speed and power setting, the motor’s digital screen told me that I had a run time of just over an hour.

At half throttle, or about 500 watts, my SOG was 3.3 knots, with the engine showing a run time of about two hours and 20 minutes. In putt-along mode, making 2.3 knots and using about 100 watts, estimated battery life jumped to nine hours. 

Battery life, run time or time ­remaining, and power consumption are all viewed on the tiller’s digital display screen. 

Of the three, the Evo was the most difficult to set up right out of the box. That was primarily because a threaded pin used to lock the tiller in place, called the handle shaft, has reverse threads, which wasn’t intuitive, nor was it mentioned in the user manuals. Once we figured that out, though, I was able to assemble and disassemble the engine without a hitch. A note on the user manuals: The one that came with the engine was English only; online, I found a digital version in English and German.

To get going, I used the screw clamps to attach the Evo’s shaft to the transom, then installed the tiller and locked it into place with the handle shaft. Trial and error quickly taught me that it was better to connect the tiller’s control cable to the shaft before locking in the tiller or else it was difficult to see the connection point. Installing the battery was as simple as lining up two tabs and slots, and then dropping it into place, where it’s held by a push-button lock. All that was left was to attach the power cable to the battery and place the magnetic kill switch on the tiller, and we were ready to go. (All three engines had magnetic kill switches on lanyards that could be worn around the wrist to prevent crew-overboard injuries.)

If assembled off the dinghy, the Evo’s tiller will fold down to make the motor easier to carry. Or, underway, it can be tilted up if the driver desires.

Mounted on the Sailing Center’s 8-foot inflatable, it had a good deal of prop walk at full throttle, and I had to compensate by turning the motor, so it was quite a bit off-center. At lower speeds, this effect went away, and it wasn’t nearly as noticeable when I used the motor later on my own larger inflatable that has an inflatable V built into the bow to make it track better. Slowing to about two-thirds power solved this problem.

I ran the motor hard for an hour; with 10 minutes of battery life left, a beep alerted me to the low charge. Even after the display screen showed zero battery life, the motor continued to run for several more minutes before shutting down. In normal use, I’d have heeded the warning, of course, and headed to shore or back to the big boat with plenty of time left on the clock. Instead, I ended up rowing ashore.

Price (online): starting at $3,100
Spare battery: $1,150

Temo 450

The French-made Temo was the simplest of the motors to set up and run. It came with two oarlock-style mounting brackets—one that could be permanently bolted onto a transom and the other with a single screw clamp that allows it to be moved from boat to boat. 

The Temo weighs just under 11 pounds, so it’s easy to lift off the dock and install on the hinged pin on the mounting bracket. It gets secured there with a plastic nut. And just for insurance, a flotation collar can be put on the motor so that it won’t sink if it should slide overboard. The company also offers a locking mechanism that resembles a pair of handcuffs, should you frequent busy dinghy docks.

The motor’s shaft length is adjustable, from 4 feet, 3 inches to 5 feet, 6 inches, so you have options on where to sit. To get going, simply pop the magnetic kill switch into its receptacle by the handle, lower the prop into the water, and squeeze the trigger to go forward. For reverse, push the button on the end of the handle grip at the same time you pull the trigger, and back you go. It’s all pretty simple.

Underway, it took a little playing around to find the optimal depth for the propeller, which is housed in a cage at the end of the shaft. The ideal inclination, according to the company, is 30 degrees. To turn, you sweep the shaft from side to side. But for sharp turns, I found that it worked better to push the prop deeper so that the shaft could twist below the end of the inflatable’s tube.

With this engine mounted on the Sailing Center’s inflatable, I noted a top speed of 3 knots. Later, on my own inflatable, SOG topped out at right around 2.7 knots. At that speed, the battery life is about an hour. That might not be enough if you have long distances to cover, but it should be fine for getting from shore to the boat and back, or for a cocktail cruise in a snug harbor. Recharging with shore power takes about five hours, and there is a 12-volt charging option as well.

Unlike the two other engines with digital display screens showing battery charge, time/distance and other information, the Temo displays only approximate battery life, using four lighted boxes. When the last one goes dark, a red border around them lights up to warn you that you have 10 minutes left. Again, pretty simple. As the juice ran out with only a couple of minutes left, speed was reduced to about 2 knots, something to remember when gauging when to head for home.

Temo makes manuals available online in English and most European languages.  

Price (online): starting at $1,700
Spare battery: N/A

Torqeedo Travel 1103 S

German manufacturer Torqeedo has been in the electric-marine-engine business since 2005. The company offers electric inboard and outboard motors that can power vessels ranging from fishing kayaks to larger powerboats. The Travel 1103 is the larger of its two portable small-boat models, and weighs 38 pounds when assembled. It’s intended for use on boats up to 1.5 tons.

Out of the box, the Travel was the­ easiest to assemble, and underway, its digital display provided the most information. I found it the most intuitive to operate.

The three-piece motor is roughly the same size and offers the same top power
—1,000 watts—as the ePropulsion Evo. Assembly is also similar. Once the shaft has been clamped to the transom, the tiller is inserted into one bracket atop the shaft, and then the lithium battery is attached and locked in place with a plastic pin. A power cord and control cable are then attached and secured by threaded plastic covers. 

A word about the cables: Both the Torqeedo and ePropulsion motors use multiwire cables that have fittings with pins that need to be inserted correctly into receptacles. An owner will want to take care connecting and disconnecting them to make sure the pins are not damaged because this would take the engine out of service until repairs could be made or a replacement delivered. Care also needs to be taken to make sure the caps go on straight so that threads aren’t damaged.

Underway, I found it easy to toggle through the options offered on the Torqeedo’s display screen, and I appreciated that the tiller houses an internal GPS that enables it to provide readouts of range of mileage at present current draw and ­battery life remaining, as well as speed. Range can also be read in terms of time remaining at current speed. Knowing both time and distance has obvious benefits. One can estimate the length of a dinghy trip, say, to another cove or harbor, and know ahead of time if there will be enough power to make it that far at a given speed (the faster you go, the shorter the range).

As battery life wanes, the Torqeedo emits warning beeps and the display flashes a message of “drive slowly” when the battery charge falls to 30 percent; beeps also sound at 20 percent and 10 percent.

With the engine mounted on the Sailing Center’s inflatable, I got a top speed of 4.3 knots, with a range of 3.1 nautical miles. Later, with the Travel mounted on my own inflatable, I saw similar speed and range figures running wide open. By contrast, at a miserly 20 watts, boat speed was 1.1 knots, but battery life jumped to 37 hours. Running with the throttle wide open, I noticed a good deal of vibration in the tiller and also felt it in the inflatable tubes. Cutting to half throttle, 500 watts, eliminated this, and improved battery life immensely to an hour and a half (battery was no longer at full charge), though we still cruised along at 3.6 knots.

For use with a sailboat, like the Evo, the Travel includes a plastic plug to prevent the motor from turning, and there is a remote throttle that’s available too. Engine trim on both motors can be adjusted by moving a pin on their mounting brackets, similar to a traditional gas outboard.

Last, I found Torqeedo’s print manual and online documentation to be quite thorough, with text available in a number of languages.

Price (online): starting at about $2,950
Spare battery: $1,000

Parting Thoughts

One afternoon, at my local boat ramp, I got to talking with a lobsterman as I assembled the Torqeedo Travel on our inflatable. Most of the lobstermen in town use heavy wooden skiffs and modest-size outboards to go from shore to boat and back daily. The relatively lightweight Evo and the ability to come and go without bringing along a gas tank intrigued him.

Indeed, many of the sailors I know have similar habits. They motor out to their sailboat, leave the dinghy tied to the mooring, and then motor back in to go home when the day’s over. The distance traveled by outboard is short, a few hundred yards, and the time spent running the motor is brief, well less than a half-hour.

If that’s the type of sailing you plan to do, then even the Temo would meet your needs. Heck, keep the speed down, and you could even do a little harbor tour on your way back in. An hour, after all, is a long time to sit in a small inflatable. 

The two larger motors—the Travel and Evo­—would more than cover your needs, even if you were to tow the dinghy to an overnight destination and use it to putt to the beach and back or into town for dinner.

As part of my informal sea trials, after I ran all the electric motors on the Sailing Center’s inflatable, I mounted one of the Center’s 2.5 hp Mercury gas outboards on the boat and took it for a spin. As I choked the engine and pulled the cord a few times to get the engine started, I was ­immediately reminded that with the electric motors, I could step aboard, put the kill switch in place, turn the tiller (or pull the trigger on the Temo), and I was off. For the record, you can find a Mercury 2.5 hp engine online for about $900; a 3.5 hp Tohatsu runs about $1,120. 

With the Mercury wide open (and ­whining), I read 4.6 knots on my nav app—not a whole lot better than I saw with the Evo or Travel, and the ride sure was a whole lot noisier.

Even for long-distance cruisers, the time may be here to ditch the gas motor. Many boats have battery banks (and gensets or solar arrays) designed for power-hungry devices. All of the electrical motors have 12-volt cords available for recharging with DC power, along with their own solar chargers as well. 

CW Gear and Electronics Editor Mark Pillsbury is a die-hard sailor who has owned a number of sailboats, including a Sabre 34, on which he lived for 15 years. He also served as a judge for CW’s 2023 Boat of the Year contest.  

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When Drew Lyman says his new Lyman-Morse 46 is “a cruising boat that can sail really freaking fast,” believe him. 

That was a quick mental note I took during Boat of the Year sea trials as we popped up the sail kit and shot off faster than a spooked buck in hunting season. The LM46 proved to be a showstopper on multiple levels while earning Cruising World’s 2023 Domestic Boat of the Year award. 

“Cold-molded construction, top-notch systems, a powerful sail plan, and an interior that is practical and lovely at once; wow!” judge Mark Pillsbury commented. High praise in modern times, and, for the venerable Maine shipyard that decades ago gave us the classic Seguin line, a revelation of just how far we’ve come in the modern world of boatbuilding. 

The 2023 Boat of the Year contest was hardly a runaway. This year’s field was among the most competitive in years. Innovation was thick in the air, which happened to be blowing between 15 and 25 knots out of the north, superb conditions for putting 17 thoroughbreds through their paces. Over the course of four days that featured some spectacular sailing, it became obvious that a number of technological advances are making boats faster, safer and more comfortable in all kinds of winds. 

PERFORMANCE INNOVATION

When we talk about performance innovation in boatbuilding, we’re generally talking about evolutionary changes to existing building processes, designs and tooling. These are made better by one (or several) contributing developments that are trickling down from the racing sector into mainstream sailing.

Proof of that lies in the America’s Cup foiling effect, which informed the fierce-looking 40-foot G4 from carbon cruising cat specialist Gunboat a few years ago. True, most ordinary sailors have little desire to sail at speeds over 20 knots, but it’s hard to ignore a production boat that employs that technology.

“With what the America’s Cup boats are doing, the innovation is pretty easy to catch,” says Lyman, whose company is also now playing in the foiling arena with its Navier line of electric foiling powerboats. “What has me and all of us at Lyman-Morse excited about the partnership with Navier is that we are developing something that is cutting-edge and certain to be the future of yachting in this type of market. To build a carbon-fiber, foiling all-electric boat fits well with what we do at Lyman-Morse, plus it’s a boatbuilder’s dream project. We built a reputation for beautifully crafted boats, and we are extremely proud of our ability to implement advanced systems and technology.”

The question for Cruising World readers is: When might we see foiling come into monohulls?

“It might not be for the faint of heart, but I think it’s only a matter of time,” Lyman says. “I do think at some point that a lot of these boats are going be using foil-assist in the future, at least to some capacity.”

In terms of construction, Lyman considers computer numerical control and 3D printing to be game-changers when building in sustainable wood. The yard’s Haas GR-712 CNC machine is used to cut planks, bulkheads and joinery, reducing the cost for hull and deck construction. All items for the LM46 were built as modular units outside the boat using a combination of time-tested processes and high-tech tools such as lasers and 3D printers. The result is an LM46 that stands out amid a world of fiberglass boats.

“We’re looking for that time when parts can be 3D-printed,” Lyman says. “You can do it now, it’s just very expensive, and they’re smaller parts to get the resolution and quality you want, but we’re getting closer. We just need some structural components that can be 3D-printed. Boat parts or tools that can be printed in short order for repairs. Can you imagine? That’s the future. It’s fascinating, and it’s coming.” 

Jeff Johnstone, president of J/Boats, which specializes in high-performance sailboats, agrees that technology can simultaneously improve performance and handling in racing, while providing huge benefits for cruisers. His company’s newest model, the J/45, was the 2023 Boat of the Year’s Best Performance Cruiser. 

“Starting with our first cruising design, the J/40, we’ve prioritized stability and seakindliness in all of our cruising designs,” Johnstone says. “This starts with lowering the vertical center of gravity by optimizing hull and deck laminates for maximum strength-to-weight ratio, introducing carbon-fiber spars as a standard option, and new keel designs that concentrate the lead ballast low without adding excess draft. Then we add a moderate-size sail plan (main and small jib) that can sail in as little as 5 knots of wind, and can depower with sail controls to handle 25-plus knots. With the J/45, we took it a step further, by also prioritizing liveaboard comfort and systems.”

Hylas Yachts, whose Swiss Army knife of an H57 won for Best Overall in the 2022 Boat of the Year contest, has a company philosophy that is somewhat of a testing lab in itself. 

“We still receive a ton of client feedback and are constantly improving on the H57—things like slightly extending the hardtop, a better-looking spray shield, moving the water heater to a more serviceable location, and more,” says Hylas Chief Operating Officer Peggy Huang. 

The team prioritizes the innovation process, employing people who are constantly driven and incentivized to improve the product and how it’s made. According to Huang, this culture of innovation extends to awareness of clients’ needs. 

“Some of our best resources are our clients,” Huang says. “It’s very rare that a new-build client hasn’t spent a great deal of time considering the options they might wish to introduce into their dream yacht. We actually have a great network of loyal Hylas cruisers who are constantly sharing ideas and flagging up new developments.

“So often, performance in yachting is measured in knots, windspeeds and polar plots,” Huang continues. “The reality is that durability, longevity, ease of handling, comfort, and efficiency are all part of how a yacht performs relative to the objectives set by the manufacturer and designer. Durability and longevity come from developments in the composites being used in construction. Not only are the materials important, but also how they’re formed. The introduction of vacuum infusion into mainstream yachtbuilding has helped considerably, as has the use of CNC equipment in the forming of component parts.”

Huang also says that the vast majority of Hylas’ suppliers are constantly striving to better meet those needs, directly benefiting the end product. 

“Everything from North Sails and their new 3Di technology to the ability to combine advances in lithium batteries with variable-speed air conditioning has really got people’s attention,” Huang says. “Although the wind is our primary source of power, we do have to keep an eye on the new hybrid developments in engines as solar power becomes increasingly efficient. The ability of batteries to hold a charge while reducing in size and weight is enormously important. If it isn’t already standard for other builders, then lithium has to be a consideration. We get a big response at shows when cruisers realize that the combination of battery improvement and air-conditioning efficiency means they can get a good night sleep with the AC running and no need for a generator.”

Naturally, multihulls remain on the front lines of any trickle-down effect from racing technology, and Chris Bailet, sales and commissioning captain at HH Catamarans, likes what he’s seeing in terms of vessel integrity. 

“You see things; and you say ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say ‘Why not?’”

—George Bernard Shaw

“Take a newish construction material such as carbon fiber—weight savings is everything on a performance catamaran,” Bailet says. “The structure and strength we can integrate into these boats today is incredible. The loads we see on HHs are astronomical, similar to loads on much bigger monohulls. The integrity has to be there.”  

So does safety, which, according to Bailet, is always at the forefront. “With the high level of performance involved, we try to keep some training wheels on the owner-operators, such as integrating a mainsheet release system that is connected to the cap shroud loads, based on heel and pitch, and it can also be connected to the main sheet load,” he says. 

With so many new technologies and products coming down the pipeline, from batteries and hybrid systems to deck hardware and digital switching, Bailet underscores the challenge of integrating it all. 

“I think we’re good on the cutting-edge side of the structures,” Bailet says. “Now it’s a matter of what you can drop in there while keeping the power-to-weight ratio as consistent as possible for a high-performance boat; adding bells and whistles while remaining a performance cruiser, not a clunky tub full of fun stuff. We still want to have those 250-mile days, but also with the air conditioning running and the pizza oven hot. That’s the challenge.”  

RESPONSIBLE BOATBUILDING

We tend to equate innovation with performance, sleek design and cutting-edge amenities. But innovation isn’t always about winning the race. For some builders, it’s as much about finding solutions to the world’s problems. 

“Maybe more on the constructive than the disruptive side, we’re seeing more focus today on sustainability,” Johnstone says. “We’re looking at advances in fiberglass recycling and end-of-life initiatives, new and innovative composite fiber, matrix resins and core materials that are sustainable, clean options for auxiliary power to replace traditional diesel, and solar technology. Is it conceivable that for every new fiberglass boat built in the future, one gets recycled? Well, yes.”

In an industry that exists on the front lines of climate change, there’s little debate about whether manufacturers should be taking a lead role in employing more environmentally friendly building practices and materials. Two French boatbuilders—Groupe Beneteau and Fountaine Pajot—are driving that initiative with tangible results. Their efforts caught the eyes of our Boat of the Year judges, who awarded special recognition for clean and innovative building practices. 

“As boaters, we’re dependent on nature every time we step on a boat,” says Damien Jacob, sailboat product director at Groupe Beneteau. “We have a responsibility to be aware of our impact on the environment. As builders, that starts with being honest with our own processes. The truth is, it’s not a clean industry, but we can improve it.”   

For Groupe Beneteau, that meant looking at product development and manufacturing processes. On the product-development side, the company is reducing environmental impact in two key areas: composite materials and propulsion. The first results were seen at December’s Nautic boat show in Paris with the premieres of the First 44e and the Oceanis 30.1e, which have two different types of electric engines developed in partnership with Torqeedo.

The Oceanis 30.1e uses all-electric propulsion based on a Torqeedo pod that can be recharged dockside or by solar panels. 

The First 44e is made entirely from Arkema’s Elium resin, which is recyclable after the separation of the fiberglass from the resin during the dismantling of the boat. The resin can then be reused for new parts, reducing the amount of waste and the need for raw materials. Instead of traditional teak decking, there’s iroko from Forest Stewardship Council-certified forests; iroko is comparable to teak in terms of resistance, grain shade and touch. The builder also favors natural fibers and bio-based resins for nonstructural composite parts. In the long run, the company hopes to spread these innovations through all of its sailing and powerboat lines.

Fountaine Pajot has taken a similar tack, with a corporate goal of zero carbon emissions by 2030. 

“We are living through a great cultural change, and the new generation expects much of us at the dawn of this new era,” says Fountaine Pajot Deputy CEO Romain Motteau. “Our owners are also changing their needs and today expect their boat to be more environmentally responsible, while maintaining a high level of comfort. We [know] that 20 percent of our carbon footprint comes from production and 80 percent from the use of the boats.” 

According to Motteau, three objectives will help the builder achieve its goal of carbon neutrality: Reduce carbon-dioxide emissions from thermal engines by developing electric propulsion and helping owners understand how they can reduce engine and generator time; reduce the impact of construction materials, particularly wood and glass fiber and resin; and reduce the impact of the builder’s industrial footprint with a more sustainably oriented production system, through significant investments in factories to limit the use of gas and electricity, and to limit and recover waste. 

The Aura 51, which debuted at the 2022 Cannes Yachting Festival, is the early result of the company’s Smart Electric initiative to offer a sustainable cruising catamaran, a part of its Odysséa 2024 strategic path toward sustainable boatbuilding.

The technological advances aboard the Aura 51 involve two pods, one under each hull, that propel the boat while their hydrogenerator is producing electricity. The energy is stored in two batteries no larger than those found in a small electric city car. An electronic power-management system and the interface between the various components complete the block. 

“It’s offering the possibility of zero carbon emissions while cruising,” says Fountaine Pajot deputy managing director Mathieu Fountaine. “The boat has enough solar production, hydrogen generation and storage to spend a weekend sailing 100 percent electrically, or a week at anchor without using an internal combustion engine. At full electric power, the battery will provide two hours of autonomy, and at reduced power, three to four hours. If the air-conditioning system is used sensibly, it may be unnecessary to start the generator. Ten similar prototypes will be produced next year in the 40- to 50-foot range.”

Paying lip service to sustainability is easy. It’s been done for years. How refreshing to see some builders putting plans in motion. If their current progress is any indicator, perhaps we’ll have a chance to continue enjoying this great life afloat for generations to come.

 “Where are you?” my friend asks, peering at me through the video call. In the picture-in-picture, I can see myself and the view out the window behind me. Our Fountaine Pajot 44, Starry Horizons, is rolling, with the swells of the Atlantic Ocean picking the catamaran up and sliding it down. Intermittent bursts of sunlight constantly cause my camera to adjust the exposure. 

I glance at the chart plotter, wondering how to describe my location and the technology I’m using in a way that portrays just how amazing it is.

While in Rhode Island for the summer, we picked up the latest accessory riding the crowd of sailboats down to the Caribbean this year. Its name is Dishy McFlatface, and it’s the hottest topic in offshore communications since, well, ever.

Most cruisers are familiar with the two predominant satellite companies: KVH and Iridium. KVH claims a data rate of 6 Mbps, which is close to 3G cellular speed, but the company also has costs that are prohibitive for the average cruiser—tens of thousands of dollars for the equipment, and thousands more every month for high-speed internet. Iridium’s Go service allows unlimited data for a lower price, but download speed is at best 2.4 Kbps, and the selection of apps and features is small. Neither option is viable for cruisers like me who want to work remotely, share photos or stream entertainment.

Enter Starlink. Dishy McFlatface is the 19-by-12-inch dish for its residential satellite internet service. With a network of more than 3,000 satellites in low-Earth orbit, Starlink is bringing high-speed internet all over the world.

Cruisers have two options: residential service with portability, and the RV plan. Upfront costs for each are $599, with a monthly fee of $135. When I performed a speed test in the Atlantic Ocean, the results were astounding: 149 Mbps.

This kind of service simply wasn’t an option for us eight years ago, when my husband and I took a sabbatical to sail around the world. There were months of spotty, expensive cellular service in beautiful, exotic destinations. When we finished our circumnavigation, our priorities changed. We turned our boat into a home office where my husband and I both work and cruise full time. This past season in the Bahamas, I was balancing being disconnected in the out islands with bouncing my novel between editors. It was a disappointment to have to coordinate a half-day’s sail to have enough juice to send a small text document and then wait to get it back.

This year, we plan to spend even more time away from busy areas. We want to visit less-crowded islands, have few neighbors, and lose all cellphone service. Starlink seems to be a good choice for us to blend our desire for remote locations with a need to stay connected.

The service is mostly working. In congested areas, video calls freeze. At sea, we sometimes have outages and need to restart the router. We won’t be ditching our Iridium Go or backup offshore communication systems yet; we want to be able to place a video call to show our rigger the problem we are having, and in an emergency, we don’t yet trust Starlink to save the day.

There’s also the matter of installation. The Starlink dish self-aligns with an electric motor, so it must be free to move. Dishy also comes with a 75-foot cable and a four-legged base that allows the dish to be set on a flat surface. It’s a starting point, but there are better options for boats, which often have obstructions, curved decks, and limited access to power.

In anchorages now, I can look to either side and spot a few of Dishy’s clones hanging out on various locations on their host boats. Online forums are filled with pictures of how to mount the dish. We have opted to keep it mobile for now, to try to get the best view of the satellites when we swing around at anchor. We found a robust, marine-grade stainless rail mount that we can easily move from one location to another, and we kept the standard base in case we want to put the dish on a flat surface.

We’ve heard from fellow cruisers all over the world who love their Dishy. But Starlink is still in the early stages, and new hardware and features are constantly coming out or rumored in forums. There are multiple plans such as a maritime service (similar to KVH in pricing but at a much higher speed) and RV service (with an option for in-motion hardware), in addition to the standard residential. There are rumors of add-ons for transcontinental service and ocean data. 

There are also concerns about Starlink enforcing its policies. The RV plan states that using the service for more than two months outside your home country will require you to move your account to that country or get a new dish. The residential with portability plan threatens “performance degradation” when used in a secondary location for an extended period of time. 

There are cruisers buying dishes on one continent and moving to another with no effect on service, even though the contract says that service is restricted to one continent. The terms and conditions also state that use of a Starlink kit (that’s the antenna, router and so forth) is not approved for in-motion service on an in-motion vehicle, and might result in your account being terminated.

Reports are minimal of Starlink enforcing these terms, but it might be only a matter of time, with a future flood of secondhand dishes hitting the market.

Still, to me, it feels incredible to have high-speed internet 500 miles from shore. Most people don’t know the struggle of spending hours trying to troubleshoot a tricky antenna or the agony of someone sending you a “big mail,” but we cruisers do. For us, Starlink feels like a game-changer.

Cruising World’s 2023 Import Boat of the Year, the Hallberg-Rassy 400, is a perfect example of what I think will be a trend for powerboats and sailboats as we look ahead: fully equipped cruising boats without an onboard AC generator to run traditionally high-current-demand electrical equipment. 

The forces driving this trend are both economic and technical. On the economic side, one of the biggest problems that boatbuilders have been facing since the start of the pandemic in 2020 is supply-chain backups. Truth be told, acquiring generators became nearly impossible. Learning how to build boats without them became as much a necessity as a desire. 

On the technical side, meanwhile, several developments gave these boatbuilders options that quite simply haven’t existed in the past. There not only was a problem, but there also were potential solutions—and builders began to embrace them in ways that we’re now seeing coming to market with smart benefits for sailors.

Most important, from a technical standpoint, is that lithium-battery technology is now coming of age. With leading companies such as Brunswick Corp. (parent of Bayliner, Boston Whaler, Sea Ray and other boatbuilders) and its newly formed Navico Group introducing Fathom e-Power late last year, targeting a no-generator approach for powerboats, we can expect this trend to take off on new sailboats. We also now have an American Boat and Yacht Council standard in place (ABYC E-13) to address the details of proper lithium-ion battery installation, so I’m quite comfortable with this technology being on board, as long as the standard is followed. 

The Hallberg-Rassy 400 followed the standard and utilized a pair of Mastervolt lithium-ion batteries as the heart of its system. The ability to deeply discharge these batteries without harm, and their ability to be recharged very quickly, are several of the keys to this no-generator concept. 

Also key from a technical standpoint is the evolution of onboard electrical systems. We now have LED lighting and modern refrigeration systems that use a fraction of the electrical power that older equipment consumed. The Hallberg-Rassy 400 had a refrigerator and freezer that ran on battery power when offshore. At the dock, the Mastervolt inverter charger took over to recharge the batteries that supply the power. 

This particular Hallberg-Rassy 400 is based in the Chesapeake Bay area, so it also needed air conditioning to handle sweltering summer getaways. It had not one but two units. One was rated at 6,000 Btu, and the other at 12,000 Btu. These ran on 120-volt AC power. With two units available, the owner could use the smaller one to cool the sleeping quarters at night, and the larger one for the saloon during the day. This approach saves energy, so the Mastervolt inverter at 3,000 watts could handle the power needs, again with the two 400-amp-hour lithium batteries.

Additional equipment besides the usual selection of navigation and communication devices are a bow and stern thruster, as well as electric winches. This gear is powered by an AGM battery series that’s connected to provide 24-volt service. Most lithium batteries cannot deliver the instant high amperage needed to drive electric motors; the batteries are engineered to deliver steady current over time, as opposed to a sudden high demand required by engine cranking motors, electric winches, and thruster motors. On this boat, the bow and stern thrusters were 24-volt DC, and the engine-cranking motor was 12-volt. All were AGM-type batteries. To deal with this combined voltage system, the boat was equipped with an increasingly popular device known simply as a power converter, which is essentially a step-up (or a step-down, in some cases) transformer. I’m seeing this approach more and more on new boats as 24-volt equipment—and, in some cases, 48-volt equipment—becomes more available.

The Hallberg-Rassy also had a small solar-panel array to add regenerative power back to the lithium batteries. These solar panels were led through a maximum power point tracking voltage regulation system, which offers about a 30 percent better charge utilization compared with a pulse width modulation option, which is beginning to fall into the obsolete category among solar charging systems.

Finally, this boat was equipped with a 60 hp Volvo Penta saildrive that had two 130-amp-rated alternators. With 260 amps of recharge power available here, the owner of the Hallberg says, it takes approximately 90 minutes to two hours of engine run time at 1,500 rpm to get from a 25 percent state of charge to an 80 percent state of charge. 

So, while the Hallberg-Rassy 400 did not totally eliminate fossil-fuel consumption, it did eliminate at least one diesel-fuel consumer, and reduced routine engine maintenance down to one engine instead of two. Additionally, the lack of a generator allowed for improved service access to other systems. Generators, after all, take up a lot of space on a fully equipped monohull sailboat.

We’re at an interesting point in history when it comes to the ways that cruising sailboats get equipped. Innovation is driving changes that are only going to get better and more prevalent.

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Sailors can thank recently adopted commercial-shipping regulations for a new generation of electronic emergency beacons. These devices are designed to connect vessels in distress via satellite to a global network of rescue centers, while also broadcasting Automatic Identification System alerts over marine radio channels to (potentially) summon help that much quicker. 

Florida-based ACR Electronics and its UK sister company, Ocean Signal, are the first to take advantage of the new rules. They are set to go with products expected to be approved by US regulators and made widely available this winter.

For mariners, this merging of satellite and VHF-radio-frequency technologies in a single device—either an emergency position indicating radio beacon or a personal locator beacon—is a game-changer. In a crisis, this tech will ensure that a request for assistance will be broadcast to as wide a net of potential rescuers as possible. 

McMurdo, which was first to develop an EPIRB with AIS capabilities, currently has its SmartFind G8 model on the market, though the device still needs modifications to meet some aspects of the new rules announced in July by the International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Safety Committee.

Since the 1980s, mariners have relied on a vessel’s EPIRB to broadcast emergency alerts to authorities via a network of satellites and ground stations. Though thousands of lives have been saved by the global COSPAS-SARSAT network, it can take time for distress calls to be processed and for help to arrive. And in a crisis, time is of the essence. 

In more recent years, as electronic components shrank in size and battery life increased, PLBs were introduced, allowing sailors to affix them to, say, a life jacket and take them along from boat to boat. These PLBs rely on the same emergency network as EPIRBs.

With the advent of AIS, electronics manufacturers also developed personal AIS beacons, whose signals can be picked up by AIS transponders on nearby vessels. The benefit here is that should you go overboard, your own crew will be alerted, and in coastal waters, other boats equipped with AIS may be able to respond quickly. The drawback, though, is that the range of the beacons is limited to just a few miles, so if there are no other vessels around, or if your crewmates are asleep or distracted, the signal could go unnoticed.

ACR’s GlobalFix V5 AIS EPIRB and its ResQLink AIS Personal Locator Beacon both contain satellite and local communication transponders. The dual-purpose EPIRB is a result of the IMO’s new rules for commercial vessels. Meanwhile, developers were able to take advantage of more-efficient electronics and better batteries to also produce the new lineup of ResQLink beacons. Similar products are sold under the Ocean Signal brand and include the rescueMe EPIRB3 and the rescueMe PLB3. (The latter, winner of the Metstrade 2022 Overall Dame Award, will be available only in Europe; the ResQLink, with identical technology in a different exterior case, will be sold in the Americas.)

Mikele D’Arcangelo, ACR’s vice president of global marketing and product management, says that the new AIS PLBs are compact enough to fit the majority of the inflatable PFDs on the market.

Both the ACR and Ocean Signal products offer a couple of other features that D’Arcangelo says improve upon existing technology. Previous models have included strobe lights, but the new beacons contain infrared strobes as well, making them more visible in daylight and low-visibility conditions, another IMO requirement.

The EPIRBs and PLBs also offer smartphone connectivity, using near-field communication technology. By placing a phone with the ACR or Ocean Signal app near the beacon, a user can capture data about battery life, beacon programming, the number and results of self-tests, and GPS test locations. Again, D’Arcangelo says, technology was key here. By using a chip similar to what’s imbedded in credit cards, data can be transferred without using power from the beacon’s battery; the phone provides the power instead.

The EPIRBs and beacons also have Return Link Service, which receives a signal from the satellite network and alerts the user that a call for help has successfully gone out and been received by authorities.

The street price for the ResQLink AIS PLB is just under $500; the price for an automatic GlobalFix V5 is around $930, and the manual version goes for less than $800. Online, you will find the McMurdo SmartFind 8, Category 2, for about $600. Category 1 EPIRBs automatically release from their bracket when submerged, while Category 2 devices need to be manually activated.

Let’s Set Sail

One result of the trend toward smaller, easier-to-handle headsails has been the adoption of bowsprits and furling off-the-wind sails for cruising sailboats. While continuous-line furlers have been in use for some time, Facnor is making the trimmer’s job all that much easier with its electric motorized flying sail furlers. 

The FXe Code Sail Electric Furler is compact and relatively simple to set up, with a power connection to a deck plug. A radio controller is an option, letting you move about while operating the furler. It can furl a 1,500-square-foot code zero in 45 seconds. 

And speaking of flying sails, North Sails has introduced an Easy Furling Gennaker that’s designed for downwind cruising. 

The gennaker is constructed of lightweight nylon spinnaker cloth and is built to be stowed and deployed using a top-down furler. Still, the sail is cut full, allowing it to be used for running off the wind. It is the deepest wind angle furling sail in the North cruising lineup. It’s available in a variety of colors and includes an internal luff cord for reliable furling. Prices vary by boat. 

Dinner, Anyone?

Just in time for barbecue season, Magma has introduced its Crossover Series grill. Want steak? There’s a grill top for that. Pizza? There’s a pizza top. There’s also a griddle top and a plancha top to suit various culinary needs. All are propane-powered. And, of course, there are accessories, carrying bags, mounting hardware and spare parts available to keep the various cooking platforms in top condition.

An owner starts with a single- (around $500) or double-burner firebox ($700) and adds from there. A grill top goes for around $400, the plancha is $100, and the pizza top is $400.

What else is there to say but, “Bon appetit, matey.”

Keep In Touch

If your sailing adventures take you out of cellular-phone range, you can still communicate with friends and family—and, in an emergency, rescue authorities—with Garmin’s inReach Mini Marine Bundle, which includes all the cables and mounting hardware you need to be on your way. The inReach Mini can network with other onboard instruments such as a Garmin smartwatch and chart plotter, and you can use it to update weather forecasts, send and receive texts, and let others track your voyage. If things go wrong, it will send SOS messages to authorities, all across the Iridium satellite network. The inReach Mini’s rechargeable battery can last up to 90 hours in tracking mode with 10-minute updates, and up to 24 days in 30-minute tracking power-save mode. It’s listed online for around $400. A service subscription is extra.

Also helping you to stay in touch with the world back home is Raymarine’s YachtSense Link, a marine router that will let you network onboard gear such as your Axiom chart plotter, phone, tablet and laptop. Combine the router with Raymarine’s mobile app, and you’ll be able to monitor onboard devices such as pumps, batteries and lighting, and you can monitor your sailboat by setting up a geofence. Online prices start at about $1,200.

How We Doin’, Coach?

Some sailors take a set-it-and-forget-it approach to sail trim. Others will endlessly fiddle with sheets, vang, backstay and traveler, with one eye on the speedo and the other watching for puffs that might add a little more speed over ground. If you fall in the latter camp, Sailmon has you covered with its Max Mini, an onboard tracker that records your every tack and jibe, and, back home, replays your voyage with lots of data to see just how sharp you were at the wheel. With the Mini paired to your phone, you can monitor your speed, heading and angle of heel, and later analyze what had you going fast so that next time, you can minimize what had you stuck in the slow lane. You can also share data with the larger Sailmon community in the spirit of friendly competition. Think of the Mini as your own personal performance coach, whose services will run you a one-time cost of right around $500.

Keep It Simple

One doesn’t have to own a boat very long to discover that mooring and dock lines left in salt water quickly become home to barnacles, slime, shells and a host of other messy creatures. Some ingenious thinker at Boatasy, a Slovenian company that focuses on mooring and dock equipment, looked the problem square in the eye and came up with a solution: the Ropecleaner. This simple device has a handle affixed to a stainless-steel spiral. To use it, you wind a mooring or dock line around the spiral, and then simply pull the tool along the rope, cleaning as you go. The Ropecleaner is available online for about $40.

Keep It Clean

Sailors keen on leaving disposable plastic water bottles behind and relying instead on their boat’s water tanks can keep the potable water system clean by using the water-treatment tablets developed by Aquamarine Water Solutions. One Aquatab treats 4 gallons of water. Drop the required number of tabs into the tank, wait 30 minutes, and you can be certain the water is safe to drink. The company says that Aquatabs protect against giardia cysts, bacteria and viruses, and the tablets have a shelf life of two years. A 100-tablet jar sells for right around $30.

Roll With It

Big boat, small boat, powerboat or sailboat: Look below or search the lockers, and one piece of kit that you’ll find in just about any vessel afloat is a boat hook. After all, they come in handy in so many ways, besides the obvious work of picking up a mooring or dock line. I’ve used them to pole out a jib, retrieve innumerable hats, fetch an escaped halyard, and, on several occasions, with a fishing net taped to the handle, to feebly try to pluck lost items from the depths.

As handy and ubiquitous as boat hooks are, though, whenever I’m at a boat show—and I go to a lot of them—I always marvel at the number of people walking around with one or more boat hooks in hand, or, later in the day, hanging out with their boat hook in a restaurant or bar. Even a telescoping boat hook looks awkward ashore. And then there’s the question of where to stow the thing at sea. No matter their size, boat hooks often seem to be in the way when they’re not in use.

For that dilemma, PYI offers a solution: the Revolve boat hook. When not in use, the boat hook rolls up into roughly a 4-inch cylinder that weighs just under a pound. Unrolled, it’s 75 inches long, and it has a push/pull pressure rating of 66 pounds. The boat hook is made from Rolatube structural composite material, technology that’s used in a variety of industries, from aerospace to nuclear power plants. 

Rolled up, the boat hook is easy to store, but better yet, at a boat show, you can buy one for about $120, stick it in a handbag or backpack, and then take it to the bar without looking like you just came from a boat show.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Products in this story were nominated for or received Innovation Awards or other notable awards during 2022 trade and boat shows, including Metstrade, the Miami International Boat Show, the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference, and the Newport International Boat Show.

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