Raymarine Three-Year Warranty Promo Image

Raymarine, a division of FLIR Systems, said today it would offer a third year of warranty to owners who register their products online with the company.  The standard two-year warranty otherwise applies.  The third year is offered at no cost.  The warranty upgrade is applicable to all new products purchased starting January 1, 2011.

In addition to getting the third year of warranty service, a reason to register your product online is to gain “owner-only access” to product software updates and Raymarine’s “extensive online knowledge base of technical support questions and solutions.”

The web address to register your new Christmas present for the third year of warranty is www.raymarine.com/warranty .  You will be prompted to create an account at Raymarine, which generally drives me nuts for incidental questions and concerns, but it’s probably worth it if you (or Santa) just spent a significant amount of money on a new piece of gear.

The company said that Raymarine owners also benefit from the recently launched Raymarine Rapid Care™ Warranty service program. Raymarine Rapid Care service promises the fast return of replacement equipment during the first year of the product’s warranty. In the event a Raymarine product requires service during the first year of the three‐year warranty period, Raymarine will provide a replacement product within 2 business days of receiving the product at Raymarine’s Merrimack, New Hampshire repair facility (excluding shipping time).

Copyright © 2011 by OceanLines LLC.  All rights reserved.

The NENTOA Nordic Tugs Flotilla in Essex, CT in 2010 - Photo Courtesy of Paul Tortora

If you’ve never been to an owners’ or manufacturer’s or dealer’s rendezvous, you’re missing a great part of the cruising lifestyle. Last weekend’s Northeast Nordic Tug Owners Association (NENTOA) 2010 Rendezvous in Essex, Connecticut, is a great example of how they work and why they’re such a wonderful experience.

The New Nordic Tug 39 Arrives, Captained by NT CEO Andy Lund - Photo Courtesy of Paul Tortora

NENTOA works closely each year with major sponsor Wilde Yacht Sales, the Essex-based Nordic Tugs dealer for the northeastern U.S. NENTOA is an active owners’ group and working with Wilde, they solicit support from industry sponsors and put together a long weekend program. In this case, which is typical of a well-planned rendezvous, the program had a nice mix of social and “educational” activities. Special guess this year was Nordic Tug’s new CEO Andy Lund, who talked about what’s new at the company these days. He skippered the brand new Nordic Tug 39 all the way from Michigan to the rendezvous. Pretty unique.

I asked Paul Tortora of Wilde Yacht Sales for a rundown on the weekend. Here’s his summary. I’m going to ask the couples who made presentations if they would share them with us here on OceanLines. So come on back to see those.  Here are Paul’s comments:

NENTOA Rendezvous Participants Talk Outboard Motors - Photo Courtesy of Paul Tortora

First day is pretty much reserved for arriving and settling in, getting your registration packet, socializing with other owners and culminates with a ‘Rum Party’ followed by a ‘Pot Luck Dinner/Barbeque’ and then a presentation by the owners of Seamantha ( John & Paulette Lee) who have spent the past year traveling on a Nordic 42, and another presentation by Celebration (Brian & Ellen Clarke) who took their Nordic 37 down to the Chesapeake from Essex, CT. Each set of the owners gave a presentation on their trip and experiences including photos and music.

NENTOA Nordic Tugs Rafted at Hamburg Cove - Photo Courtesy of Paul Tortora

Second day was filled with workshops like engine maintenance by Cummins, boat maintenance by Ben Wilde, electronic session presented by Bill Jones of Raymarine, ‘Going Green With Solar Panels’ & Vacuflush Maintenance by Phil D’Anato of Ship Shape, ‘Whats New At Nordic’ presented by Andy Lund (CEO of Nordic) and some other workshops like ‘Crafts on Board’ which was tailored for the Admirals aboard. The neat thing about the workshops this year is that we added several hands-on workshops which were a huge hit. They included ‘How To Properly Use A Fire Extinguisher’ where each attendee got to practice PASS – pull the ring, aim, squirt, side to side. Also Man Overboard drill presented by Bill Boyer and Deploying a Floatation vest which was demonstrated in the pool by Dick Seymour. This day ended with a formal dinner reception featuring steak and swordfish, open bar and then a raffle featuring some great prizes that include overnight stays at Brewers and Essex Island Marina, handheld VHF radios, Maptech Guides and more.

Part of the NENTOA Nordic Tugs Parade - Photo Courtesy of Paul Tortora

Third day was a presentation by Herb Nickles & Wendy Shepherd on their trip on a Nordic 32 – boat name is Snorri. That was followed by a parade on the CT River (all the individual shots of the boats where they are running) and then a raft-up in Hamburg Cove (pictures of boats on moorings, with dinghies, swimming).

The next morning (Saturday), 7 boats departed for a two week Tug Tour from Mystic to 5 ports in MA and then back to Block Island and Greenport, Long Island as the final destinations. Another group of approximately 9 boats went on to do the coast of Maine. (Editor’s note – This is one of the real benefitsof buying from an active, interested dealer like Wilde — these co-hosted rendezvous and group or flotilla cruise opportunities, which are really helpful if you’re a new boater or not used to longer trips.)

Farthest boat this year was from Michigan which was the brand new Nordic 39 at display at the Rendezvous and will be at our docks for the next month for viewing, sea trials and of course is available for purchase. That boat was brought here by Andy Lund himself (not often you see a president of a company roll up his sleeves and spend 14 days bringing a boat to its destination — really gives him an opportunity to test their design changes and interact with people IMO). Second farthest distances this year were from Barry Shapiro & Suzanne Claus on Spray (Nordic Tug 37) and they came from Nashua, NH while Richard and Shirley Righter of Keene, NH brought their Nordic 32 named Olive. We did have owners come from Guezpn, Ontario but they came by car as their boat is currently in the Turks and Caicos.

I created a gallery of some of the photos Paul sent along. You can see it here. Some of the picture sizes are rather large, which is good if you want to look at details on the boat, not so good if you have a slow Internet connection.

We’d like to hear about other rendezvous that took place this summer (or are still planned; we’ll help you spread the last-minute word). Drop me a line here on the Contact page or in the comments to this story and we’ll follow-up with you. Thanks to Paul Tortora and Ben Wilde of Wilde Yacht Sales for the photos and roundup.

Copyright ©2010 by OceanLines LLC. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2010 by OceanLines LLC.  All rights reserved.

Garmin-Proposed Helm for the Kadey-Krogen 55' Expedition

In an announcement made on the London Stock Exchange today, Garmin announced it is offering 15 pence (19.74 cents U.S.) per share for all the shares of Raymarine Plc. Raymarine lately has been discussing the various offers made for its shares but had not specifically mentioned Garmin since talks broke down between the two firms last December.

In its filing, Garmin says Raymarine initially approached it about making an offer to purchase the company back in June of 2009 and that subsequent to a recently announced offer of 3.6 pence per share of Raymarine, the company decided to make an offer.

In its announcement, Garmin notes that its offer is:

- a 436 per cent. premium to the average share price of 2.8 pence per Raymarine Share in the three-month period ending on the day prior to the announcement of a possible offer for Raymarine on 11 March 2010;

- a 366 per cent. premium to the share price of 3.22 pence per Raymarine Share on the day prior to the announcement of a possible offer for Raymarine on 11 March 2010;

- a 275 per cent. premium to the possible amount of approximately 4 pence per Raymarine Share that would be available for return to Raymarine Shareholders under the non-offer proposal referred to in Raymarine’s announcement dated 21 April 2010; and

- a 152 per cent. premium to the share price of 5.95 pence per Raymarine Share as at the close of business on 27 April 2010, the closing price on the day prior to the date of this announcement.

Total consideration of approximately £12.5 million would be payable by Garmin to Raymarine Shareholders, assuming that no Raymarine Shares are issued between the date of this Announcement and the closing date of the Offer.

Garmin says it expects the offer will receive the necessary regulatory approvals. As of mid-afternoon today there has been no official response from Raymarine.

I believe this announcement is the latest evidence of the aggressive posture Garmin has taken in recent years toward the marine electronics market. The company has pioneered a great deal of innovation in non-marine markets and has become the de-facto market leader in general aviation, as well as dominating the handheld and automotive aftermarket GPS segments. Garmin made an innovative proposal for outfitting the new Kadey-Krogen 55′ Expedition when we asked the leading marine electronics companies to do so.

Copyright © 2010 by OceanLines LLC. All rights reserved.

In addition to the trade-in — okay, the trade-in is technically in addition to the sale — there are some pretty good savings on some popular products.  Here are the details, as provided by Raymarine:

Raymarine Q2 Sales and Trade In Event

Multifunction Display and Sensor Savings:

• Up to $50 on A-Series
• Up to $200 on C-Series Classic
• Up to $250 on E-Series
• Up to $200 on Autopilots, SatTV and RadrUp to $75 on Instruments

(Please note C-Series Widescreen and A60/A65 are not eligible for rebates.)

In addition to mail-in-rebate savings on Raymarine Multifunction Displays, Autopilots, Instruments, SatTV and Radar consumers can also enjoy the following bonus savings:

• System Bonus 1: Purchase: Eligible MFD, Radar, Instrument – Receive an additional $100 bonus rebate!
• System Bonus 2: Purchase: Eligible MFD, Autopilot, Radar – Receive an additional $100 bonus rebate!
• System Bonus 3: Purchase: Eligible MFD, Radar, SatTV – Receive an additional $100 bonus rebate!

The sale began yesterday and runs through the end of June.  Make sure you check with a dealer or Raymarine for details of the discounts and trade-in program.

Copyright © 2009 by OceanLines LLC

New Raymarine C Series Widescreen Group Shot

Taking advantage of the new manufacturing emphasis on widescreen LCD technology, Raymarine announced a new Widescreen C-Series multifunction displays (MFDs).  Obviously, the new widescreens offer more viewing area and give the helmsman more flexibility in splitting screens or expanding scales.  Dave Bimschleger, president of Raymarine Inc., said, “Raymarine C-Series Widescreen owners will be able to navigate smarter by viewing more chart, radar and fishfinder data simultaneously.”

The C-Series Widescreen line is available in three sizes of sulight-viewable color displays — the 9-inch C90W, the 12-inch C120W and the 14-inch C140W.

One of the products Raymarine included in its proposed helm for the Krogen 55′ Expedition was the new AIS500 Class B Automatic Identification System (AIS) Receiver.  Recreational boaters (at least those in boats smaller than 65′) have a choice of using a “listen-only” AIS receiver, but Raymarine, along with many marine safety experts believes the use of a full Class B transceiver, which not only tracks other AIS-equipped vessels, but transmits the boater’s own information, is the safest route to take.

The AIS500 comes with a 16-channel dedicated GPS with external antenna and is easily networked, either over Raymarine’s SeaTalk^ng or a standard NMEA 0183 network.  The new Raymarine unit also features “Buddy Tracking” which allows you to program the unit with the MMSI numbers of friends and fellow cruisers so you can follow their boats more easily.

New Raymarine ST70 Plus Color Instrument Display

The third product line is the all-new ST70 Plus series of high-performance instruments and autopilot displays.  These were also part of the recommended system for the Krogen 55′ Expedition because of their new, larger size and more flexible customization.  These are the ideal solution for displaying navigation, wind, depth, speed, engine, generator and environmental information.  The units plug into both the Sea Talk^ng or NMEA 2000 data streams.

New Raymarine 4kW Digital Radome

Raymarine also rolled out its first digital radomes, the RD418D and RD424D, both of which feature a 4 kW transmitter with both digital and analog signal processing, low-noise receiver, auto gain control technology, and a maximum range of 48 NM.

Copyright ©2009 OceanLines LLC

A Typical Raymarine G-Series Helm Installation -- Image: Raymarine

In the third article of our series on outfitting the new Kadey-Krogen 55′ Expedition yacht with a complete marine electronics suite, we have today the recommendations from Raymarine.  Raymarine has responded to our fictional couple’s Request for Proposals with a recommended electronics suite that has at its core the cream of the Raymarine crop — the G-series High Performance Navigation System.  The Raymarine response (which you can read in full HERE) was tendered by Jim McGowan, Raymarine marketing manager.  Raymarine also provided a detailed bill of materials with suggested prices, which you can look at HERE.  McGowan notes that the Krogen 55′ Expedition

“is a true all-weather, all-water cruising boat with extended range capabilities.This boat has the capability to cruise anywhere the owner dreams to take it. Because of this, it   demands a navigation system that is technologically sophisticated, yet extremely rugged. Long ocean passages with less-than-comfortable weather conditions will be a reality for it.”

Raymarine was created in 2001 when company management bought the assets of the Raytheon Marine Division.  The technology and products from the former Raytheon division have a long a successful history in the marine field, including in the commercial arena.  The new company, Raymarine PLC, is headquartered in Portsmouth, in the United Kingdom, was listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: RAY) in 2004.  In the United States –Raymarine Inc., in Merrimack, New Hampshire is the principal manufacturing and management headquarters.

THE RATIONALE

Raymarine believes its G-Series is the ideal electronics solution for the Krogen 55′ Expedition.  According to the company, “The modular G-Series system can be easily tailored to distribute essential navigation and monitoring information throughout the vessel.”  Since the G-Series comes with a worldwide chart database already installed, our fictional couple would have a head start on collecting the appropriate navigational materials for global cruising.

View of a Typical Raymarine G-Series Installation -- Image: Raymarine

The flexibility of the G-Series is shown off in this proposal by the use of a pair of GPM400 processor modules, which will handle all the computational and information distribution duties, and drive two G190, 19-inch ultra-bright sunlight-viewable marine displays.  These processors are capable of monitoring and controlling an impressively extensive array of sensors and systems aboard the yacht.  Raymarine’s product line extends farther than many of the other companies to include products in the communications, entertainment and small-boat autopilot categories. McGowan expands on the company’s rationale for the G-Series:

On a boat of this size, the action is not always happening in the pilot house. That is why we have provided for distribution and monitoring of our navigation systems throughout the boat. Each of the GPM400 processor modules at the heart of the system features dual video outputs. One of each will go to its respective G190 monitor in the pilothouse. The secondary outputs will go to LCD or Plasma televisions mounted below in the main salon and owner’s stateroom.

Using a wireless G-Series Command Center Keyboard, we can offer the Captain and crew full control of the system from any of these locations. We will fit a wireless keyboard for the main salon area and another for the owner’s stateroom.

By simply toggling the video source on the television to the input from the bridge, we can now see and control the system. For example, one could have the radar and chartplotter visible in the main salon while they are at anchor and keep a watch on the surrounding traffic and the boat’s position in the anchorage. They could call up the video feed from any of the boat’s onboard CAM50 or CAM100 cameras to see what is happening elsewhere on board.

THE PROPOSAL

Getting into the guts of the Raymarine proposal, the system starts with the two GPM400 modules at the network heart.  Pre-loaded with Navionics Platinum cartography for North America and Europe, they also have Navionics Gold-level charts for the rest of the world.  The two 19-inch displays, centered on the helm, provide windows into and control of the rest of the system, using a G-Series Compact Keyboard in the pilothouse.  Raymarine proposes using two (or more) G-Series Wireless Command Center keyboards, which will work anywhere onboard.  Interestingly, the company offers a wireless upgrade kit that can add that capability to any G-Series Command Center keyboard, communicating with the G-Series system through a wireless SeaTalk base station.  SeaTalk is Raymarine’s proprietary networking protocol.  Proprietary protocols used to be a significant impediment to integrating outside products into the networks of the big marine electronics manufacturers.  But with the advent, and increasing adoption, of the NMEA 2000 networking protocol, adding devices of multiple manufacturers to one network is almost seamless.  The G-Series SeaTalkhs protocol interfaces with NMEA 2000 data so information from other companies’ sensors, including engine data, is simple.

Instrumentation and Data Monitoring

Raymarine suggests taking advantage of the overhead flats above the helm in the Krogen 55′ Expedition for installation of a second tier of full-color instrumentation from the new ST70+ line.  In fact, the instruments are so new they’re not on the company’s website yet, but you can read a little more about them on Panbo.  They are controlled by a small, flush-mounted keypad on the console, “so there is no need to reach or stretch to make adjustments,” according to Raymarine.  They are high-resolution, 6.5-inch displays, fully sunlight viewable and also switchable to nigh-time viewing mode.  They can display water depth, wind speed and direction, engine data, navigation status and some other information.  Raymarine suggests supplementing them with some ST70+ analog repeaters for wind speed and direction as well as rudder angle; the traditional analog needle display perfect for at-a-glance viewing.

Another Raymarine G-Series Installation -- Image: Raymarine

Radar

Raymarine suggests the Krogen 55′ Expedition be fitted with a primary RA3072HD Super High Definition open-array scanner.  According to the proposal,

“This unit has a 72” open-array scanner with an ultra-narrow 1.1° horizontal beam width, 12 kW of power and a 72 nautical mile range. That, combined with Raymarine’s Super HD Digital Processing combines to present a super-detailed radar presentation with lifelike clarity.

The secondary radar will be Raymarine’s new RD424D Digital Radome scanner. With 4kW of transmit power and a 48 nautical mile range this radome is built to perform and is great solution for both close-in and long range monitoring.

The G-Series system includes a 25 target MARPA collision avoidance system standard.”

Sonar

The Raymarine recommendation is for its DSM300 HD Digital Sounder unit and a B260 thru-hull transducer.  The company says this will give the best possible underwater and bottom imagery at all times without the need for any manual tuning or tweaking.  The DSM300 has 1000 watts of Transmitter power and uses both 50 and 200 kHz frequencies.

AIS

Like the other electronics manufacturers in our series, Raymarine believes strongly that AIS should be installed on our couple’s Krogen 55′ Expedition.  Raymarine recommends its AIS500 Class B AIS transponder.  The target data can be overlaid on both the radar and chartplotter displays.  Raymarine’s unit also has a feature called “Buddy Tracking,” in which the MMSI numbers of familiar vessels are programmed into the G-Series system.  When any of these vessels appear on AIS, they are called out on the chart and radar displays with a name that can be specified and with a unique AIS “buddy” symbol.  Raymarine says this makes it easy to identify friends’ boats or even keep track of a flotilla when traveling in a group.

Details of a Raymarine G-Series Installation -- Image: Raymarine

Raymarine also suggests our couple install an AIS500 transponder on the Krogen 55′s tender, along with a Raymarine A70D compact chartplotter/fishfinder unit and Ray 49 Class D VHF radio.  While these represent additional expenses, the security enhancement and peace of mind from being able to know where your tender is at all times when cruising in remote destinations is decidedly worth it.  It would probably be overkill for a local-only cruiser, but most Krogen 55′ Expedition owners will head to more remote waters with their new global-capable vessel.

Weather and Environmental Data

The proposal suggests our couple outfit the boat with an array of sensors, including an ST70 wind pod and masthead transducer for wind speed and direction, which will be repeated across the entire network.  An ST70 speed and temperature pod, along with a bronze thru-hull transducer will also be fitted, enabling the G-Series system to compute such things as real-time set and drift, true wind speed and direction and velocity made good.

Raymarine says the G-Series plotters can display all these vectors so the captain “can see at-a-glance how wind and currents are impacting the motion of the vessel.”  Raymarine also outfits the boat with their SR100 Sirius Marine Weather Receiver, which will stream live data to the G-Series system.  The Sirius system is GPS-aware, meaning it uses shipboard GPS location information to customize the weather information for your location.  It also enables alerts for breaking weather developments and storm warnings.

Safety and Surveillance

A unique element of Raymarine’s proposal for our Krogen 55′ Expedition is the recommendation for Raymarine’s LifeTag Wireless Man Overboard system.  Here’s how they describe it:

Using Zigbee secure wireless communications, each crewmember can be issued a small LifeTag pendant which is easily worn on the wrist or arm, clipped to their belt, or attached to a life vest or foul-weather garment. Up to 16 pendants can be monitored by the LifeTag base station at a time. If a user goes overboard, the base station will alert the Captain and crew to the emergency by sounding the included man-overboard alarm. Furthermore, LifeTag is integrated into the navigation network and will automatically trigger the man-overboard response mode on the G-Series Navigation System. This includes automated actions like marking the GPS position of the alarm, automatic reporting of bearing and range to the alarm position, calculation of elapsed time in the water, and other actions.

For monitoring interior and exterior spaces, Raymarine proposes installing a series of CAM100 and CAM50 marine cameras, connected to up to two GVM400 Video Modules for distribution of the video streams.  The CAM100 is a heavy-duty, waterproof camera designed for outdoor installations and equipped with a zero-light capability using its own infrared illuminators for a total darkness range of up to 30 feet.  The CAM50 devices can monitor interior spaces.

Engine Data Monitoring

Raymarine says its G-Series and ST70+ systems can both monitor the data from NMEA 2000-compatible engines and generators.  Up to three main engines and four auxiliary generators can be monitored simultaneously.  The ST70+ instruments can also monitor fuel, fresh-, gray- and black-water tank levels.

Communications

In the pilothouse, Raymarine would install a Ray218 VHF radiotelephone.  This is a full Class D DSC radio that also features an external loudhailer and automatic fog signal generator.  The Ray218 can also be remote-controlled using a RayMic second station microphone.  Raymarine suggests mounting a RayMic down below in one of the common areas for convenient access when at anchor or in-port, or on one of the bridge wing-control stations.  The company says that a backup VHF is both a convenience and a necessity on a boat of the size of the Krogen 55′ Expedition.  “Near the chart table, we will install a Ray55 DSC VHF radio.  This radio offers nearly all of the same features as the Ray218, minus the loudhailer and foghorn.”  Raymarine suggests that a remote RayMic for this unit could be in a locker on the aft deck or in the owner’s stateroom or opposite wing-control station on the bridge.

Entertainment Options

Unlike the other companies, Raymarine also has its own satellite TV antenna, in this case the Raymarine 60STV-HD Satellite Television Antenna System.  Here’s how they describe this system in their proposal:

With multi-satellite support for DirecTV, Dish Network and Express Vu, the 60STV offers superior coverage anywhere in North America. Raymarine’s exclusive Wide Range Search algorithms and Dynamic Beam Tilting (DVB) technologies make satellite acquisition and tracking fast, steady and reliable in even the most extreme weather conditions.

Fully stabilized to counter the motion of the boat while underway, 60STV also features conical scanning for maintaining the strongest possible signal, and a unique rotating sub-reflector minimizes the need for constant dish movement resulting in much quieter operation than competitive units.

60STV’s standard dual LNBs offer support for multiple receivers (think TV in multiple staterooms) while its simplified cabling makes installation easy.

Autopilot

For our couple’s Krogen 55′, Raymarine recommends installing the new SmartPilot X-30 hydraulic system, with a combination of fixed and wireless controllers.  The core pack for this system includes an integrated rate-gyro sensor which enables the autopilot to detect the most subtle yawing motions of the vessel, enabling it to make smarter decisions about how to best hold the boat on course.  This means being able to minimize large-scale movements, which saves fuel.  The X-30 is naturally integrated with the rest of the navigation system and can take navigation guidance from the G-Series plotters.  And if our couple notices some tuna schools under the boat with the DSM Sounder, they can use one of the X-30′s pre-programmed fishing patterns to lure the pelagics to the dinner table.

SUMMARY

Raymarine has proposed an extremely comprehensive electronics suite for the Kadey-Krogen 55′ Expedition.  It utilizes Raymarine’s top-end G-Series processors and displays and takes advantage of both the company’s high-speed SeaTalk network and NMEA 2000 protocols to deliver almost unlimited systems and information monitoring and control capabilities.  With major installations in the U.S., Europe and Asia, our couple won’t have any trouble getting support or replacement parts if trouble should arise while cruising.

If you would like to talk to Raymarine about their proposal for the Krogen 55′ Expedition or any of their other marine products, you can visit them at the Miami International Boat Show and Strictly Sail, at booths A95 and A100 at the Miami Beach Convention Center site.  If you’re going to the show, stop by and see the actual Kadey-Krogen 55′ Expedition at the Sea Isle Marina in  Miami at dock 808, slips a, b and c. 

Copyright © 2009 OceanLines LLC

The helm of the new Kadey-Krogen 55 Expedition Awaits Outfitting

On Monday, February 2, 2009, OceanLines will publish the first in a unique series of articles intended to demonstrate the current state-of-the-art of passagemaking-level marine electronics.  We have been working with Kadey-Krogen Yachts and its vice president, Larry Polster, to demonstrate how each of four of the top marine electronics companies would outfit the newest Kadey-Krogen Yacht — the 55′ Expedition, which just arrived here in the U.S. and made its public debut at the Stuart Trawlerfest last weekend.  The 55 Expedition will be on prominent display at the upcoming Miami International Boatshow.

For this series, we asked Furuno, Garmin, Raymarine and Simrad to give us their recommendations, based on a fictional Request For Proposal (RFP) from a a fictional couple just acquiring their new 55 Expedition.  The RFP — which you can read in detail HERE – discusses the couple’s cruising plans, their general preferences in equipment, and the specific capabilities they require from the new electronics installed on board.

In order to help the marine electronics OEMs, Kadey-Krogen provided detailed drawings and specifications on the 55 Expedition, converting CAD files directly from the design into more portable document formats.  The OEMs were each given the RFP and the boat documentation early this month and they have responded with their recommendations and rationale.  Beginning Monday, we will present each individual response — one at a time, each day next week, concluding on Friday with a wrap-up and analysis of the series.

So, have a good look at this pristine helm station onboard one of the newest passagemaking yachts available and come back on Monday to see how Garmin proposes our fictional couple outfit the helm.

Copyright ©  2009 by OceanLines LLC