High-Tech Products that Help You Protect Your Boat for the Best Boating Season Ever!
Published: Monday, July 5, 2021
By: Jordan Balbresky
Summer is here and, after what we’ve all been through, this is shaping up to be the best boating season ever. The number of new boaters has skyrocketed as people from all walks of life join us in sharing our passion. For newcomers, you’ll quickly learn that some parts of boating and boat ownership can be a little intimidating. Here’s a short list of products that can make it easier to get on the water comfortably and help protect your investment for years to come.
How about a lift?
For those lucky enough to live right on the water, avoiding the hassle of a boat ramp is key. A must-have for your waterfront property is a boat lift and an automatic cover. Sunstream has a full line of lifts that can be tailored to your particular boat and the conditions of your shoreline. The push-button lift and launch capabilities make it effortless to get in and then out onto the water, and storing your boat out of the water protects it from underwater growth.
One of Sunstream’s most advanced lifts is the SunLift SLX, which features a clean design, next generation frame, adjustable width bunks, stainless steel cylinders and hoses, the highest lifting range of any hydraulic lift currently on the market, and it can be used in water depths as shallow as zero inches under the hull or skeg. Sunstream, which introduced the first hydraulic free-standing boat lift 25 years ago, applied vast market experience to craft the SunLift SLX, making it reliable and long-lasting. The new product line is compatible with the complete line of Sunstream SwiftShield Automatic Boat Covering Systems that automatically install and remove a custom cover in seconds for unparalleled protection, as well as a full line of canopies.
Confidence in the palm of your hand!
Whether you are pulling your boat onto a lift, docking at a marina, or pulling onto a trailer, slow speed maneuvering in a crowded space is typically one of the most stressful times—and a real challenge for new boaters. A Dockmate remote control docking system completely removes the stress of slow-speed maneuvering.
Easy to install and compatible with most engine and thruster systems, remote control systems let captains operate engines, bow and stern thrusters, anchor winches, and horns from anywhere onboard with a small handheld device. Dockmate delivers “plug-and-play” connectivity and allows users to confidently command the boat’s movement while stepping away from the helm for the best vantage point. Also, Dockmate’s software can be programmed by the installer based on the exact set up of the boat, from single or twin engines, bow or stern thrusters with either proportional or on/off control or any combination of these, as well as the particular driving style of the captain. Settings can be customized so that, for example, a slight press on the joystick only engages one thruster and a harder push engages both thrusters for intuitive control.
A little security goes a long way!
From the engine on the back to the chartplotter at the helm, everything screwed or glued to a boat is precious. If damaged or stolen, not to mention the price of replacement or repair, you might find yourself spending your precious time at the boat yard instead of on the lake. One of the best ways to protect your boat is with a marine security system.
GOST makes the best security systems, trusted by owners of small center consoles to luxury yachts and even law enforcement professionals around the globe. A dedicated security system can be customized to your needs and GOST has a full suite of tools for vessel tracking, surveillance, and security and monitoring.
At its most basic, a GOST system consists of the new Nav-Tracker IDP, which provides true satellite tracking of your boat anywhere in the world—not just when you have cell reception or a Wi-Fi signal. This little device, mounted in a discrete location, allows for two-way satellite monitoring controlled via a web-based system that can arm and disarm security and monitoring features in seconds, again, from anywhere in the world. From there, a GOST system can be enhanced with more powerful communication and control units, as well as high water, low battery, smoke and fire alarms; pressure and motion sensors that can trip audible alarms and strobes; night vision cameras for recording the faces of would-be thieves; and you can set up text and email notifications to include anyone you want like marina managers, service technicians, or onsite security.
Keep it smooth!
There’s one final product line that will help you have a great boating season and help your boat stay in top shape season after season.
With an ultra-slick topcoat, Propspeed’s product line is specially formulated to prevent marine growth from bonding to metal surfaces below the waterline, particularly on propellers, propeller shafts, rudders, and rigging. Unlike bottom paint, it’s environmentally friendly and proven to increase boat efficiency, reduce drag, and save fuel and maintenance costs. Propspeed has also applied their expertise to other underwater assets to protect transducers and lighting.
Fouling on the face of transducers reduces their sensitivity, bottom-echo returns, and positive fish targets. Designed by industry-leading engineers and designated by Airmar as a certified transducer coating, Foulfree forms a super-slippery surface over the transducer that prevents marine growth from attaching to its surface.
For those that use their boats beyond daylight hours, underwater lights are just as susceptible to marine fouling as any other underwater asset—maybe more so, as the light and heat they generate can create conditions better suited for marine growth. Trying to remove algae and barnacles can damage delicate lighting components. Lightspeed is a transparent alternative to conventional antifouling and offers an easy and affordable way for boat owners to reduce maintenance and maintain lighting system performance.
Regardless of whether you’re a sailor, angler, cabin cruiser, new to boating or have been on the water for decades, decide the best way to protect your investment and keep it in top shape so you can enjoy this summer. Make this the best boating season ever!
About the Author
A former public relations practitioner serving the high-tech and consumer electronics industries, Jordan Balbresky returned to the agency world following a decade of hands-on marine experience. Living in the Caribbean and working in all aspects of the marine industry—from boat building, restoration and maintenance, to charter captain and delivery crew of sailing and motor yachts—Balbresky has a first-hand understanding of the outdoor and maritime markets. Fully immersing himself in the industry, he is a licensed scuba instructor, as well as master mariner and has lived on-board a custom-built schooner while skippering charters on boats of all sizes in the US Virgin Islands. In between articles, he works as a public relations and social media professional and enjoys fly fishing every chance he can.
A version of this article appeared in the Summer Issue (July/August) 2021 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.
tags: Electronics, Lifts & Hoists, Polishes & Waxes, Smart Technology
