Events

Jim Wallis pf Ocean Marketing demonstrating the Key Buoy, one of the hottest selling small items at the show.

Seems the people who were ready to buy were there, even if there weren’t that many of them.  The weather, as usual this time of year, threatened some people away.  The day we arrived the forecast was dire – rain and more rain.  What we got was sun and sweltering heat instead.  So much for the forecast! But it was great to be under the tents and cooling down from lunch at the Black Pearl!  (The best NE Clam Chowda under the sun!)  Lots of stuff to see, feel and talk about. 

The Mustang Survival Auto Hydrostatic Inflatable PFD

There were a few really noteworthy new boating items, two of which were introduced by Ocean Marketing.  The floating key fob presented lots of opportunity for fun demonstrations as people dropped their expensive car keys into the jar and watched them rise out of the depths as the fob inflated.  More than one person said, “I’m getting two of those,” and ran off to the retail shops to buy them. 

The best innovation in our opinion was a safety item.  The new Mustang Personal Flotation Device (PFD) is truly an advance.  The Auto Hydrostatic Inflatable PFD will only automatically inflate when submerged in 4 or more inches of water and not prematurely due to rain, spray or humidity. For severe weather, it offers no premature inflation and low maintenance. (Read our article on care and maintenance of PFDs and you’ll understand why that’s important.) No inflator maintenance is require for 5 years unless the PFD has been inflated. You can easily view the inflator status and replacement date through the safety inspection window. Green indicates ready for use. It also features the patented SecureZip™ closure system which will stay closed during even the most rigorous activity. It opens effortlessly upon inflation and is easy to repack.  Designed to be lightweight and comfortable, it is low profile and allows for the maximum amount of mobility. The neoprene Comfort Collar™  won't chafe your neck.  USCG approved for commercial use on Uninspected Commercial Vessels (UCV) less than 40 feet long, when worn in lieu of Type II and III PFDs under 46 CFR 160.064 and approved under 160.076.

Jim Taylor of The Belted Cow sporting their new designs of unique boating accessories.

Not an item but a new company that stood out from the crowd (or rather “from the herd”) was The Belted Cow Co. Their belts, ties and other items were at first reminiscent of the Vineyard Vines collections.  But on closer inspection, their products are far more sophisticated.  They hire weavers to create fabrics of their own design, each of which has a pattern that tells a story.  For example, one sailing belt tells the story of the evolution of one design sailboats, while another shows a regatta fleet rounding the marks on a complete course.  One depicts the evolution of the American Flag while yet another shows a multicultural world with representative children holding hands. The designs are unique, colorful and beautiful, the prices are reasonable, the quality is high, and the owners are delightful people. Just as Vineyard Vines seems to be going more in the direction of boring logo wear, The Belted Cow is taking a much more whimsical approach.  Give Jim a holler and buy a sampling of these gems before they get too hot to find. Check out their pet collars, too. http://www.beltedcow.com

An interesting device to us, given our recent acquisition of USCG Captains’ Licenses, was a device intended to produce the visual and sound signals required by the Colregs.  It is a battery powered signaling device that automatically produces the signal you choose from a menu. We thought having one of these in fog would be great.  Just turn it on and it produces the required and desired signal every two minutes leaving you to care for your vessel and concentrate on navigation.  Signal Mate comes in console mounted and portable configurations. http://www.signalmate.com/

And a new remote unit raised interest as well. The Simrad RemoteCommander is like a TV remote unit for your boat. The first wireless remote that can both display and control onboard electronics, and doubles as a VHF handset.  Whether your passion is sailing, cruising or fishing Simrad's RemoteCommander gives you the ultimate freedom. Using the power of SimNet, the WR20 provides complete wireless control of all your networked products.  Small but powerful, the smart fully waterproof remote even provides full VHF audio so making calls is safe and easy. Whatever the weather view the data you need in the high visibilty display. http://www.simradusa.com/

The Signal Mate automatic signalling device makes complying with Colregs simple.

The organizers of the boat show named their own best of show entries, among which were two Australian boats introduced in North America for the first time and a new German VW marine engine.