Industry & Company News - Ocean Navigator

07 Feb

US Sailing Names 2024 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year

Eric ColbyIndustry & Company News, Navigation, Ocean Voyaging, Offshore Sailing, Racing News, Sailboat Racing

US Sailing has announced the winners of the 2024 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards. Ian Barrows and Hans Henken are the yachtsmen of the year and Cole Brauer is the yachtswoman of the year. The awards acknowledge their accomplishments in sailing during the past year. The winners were honored on Feb. 6 during the US Sailing Awards Ceremony at the 2025 US Sailing Leadership Forum in Coronado, Calif. The selection process involved a vote by past Rolex Award winners and prominent sailing media members. To learn more about the selection process, visit ussailing.org. “This year’s Rolex Yachtsmen…

30 Jan

New John Deere Inboard Engines

Eric ColbyBoat & Gear News, Engines and Propulsion, Industry & Company News, Marine Technology, Power Voyaging

Deere & Company, the manufacturer of John Deere engines, has unveiled two new diesel marine powerplants, the JD14 and JD18. With the new engines, John Deere offers marine customers a power range from 400 hp to 803 hp. Production on the new engines is expected to start in 2026. “With the JD14 and JD18 marine engines, we’re able to deliver high performance and excellent fuel efficiency while providing the rugged durability our marine engines have become known for in the industry,” Pierre Guyout, senior vice president of John Deere Power Systems, said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to demonstrate our…

27 Jan

Hanse 360 Wins Yacht of the Year

Eric ColbyBoat & Gear News, Industry & Company News, Ocean Voyaging, Offshore Sailing, Press release

German sailboat manufacturer Hanse has received the European Yacht of the Year 2025 award. Boats that were nominated were announced in September. The awards are judged by a 12-member jury and each vessel is put through a sea trial before it is assigned a class. “What an incredible achievement: Winning the European Yacht of the Year award with the Hanse 360 is a testament to the hard work, passion, and dedication of the entire Hanse Yachts team,” Hanjo Runde, CEO HanseYachts AC, said in a statement. “A huge thank you to all employees for making this possible — you’ve truly…

24 Jan

Recreational Boating Industry Launches Environmental Initiatives

Eric ColbyBoat & Gear News, Industry & Company News, Marine Technology, Press release

Leading marine trade associations have joined forces to develop a global recreational marine lifecycle assessment framework. The International Council of Marine Industry Associations, European Boating Industry and the National Marine Manufacturers Association have formed the first global collaboration to assess, measure and report the industry’s environmental performance of recreational boats. To demonstrate environmental stewardship and harmonize global sustainability initiatives, the recreational boating industry hopes to achieve a comprehensive framework that provides a methodology to quantify the environmental performance of a recreational boat through every phase of its life. This includes raw materials, production, use phase, disposal and recycling. The announcement…

20 Jan

Grand Soleil Unveils Sustainable Boat Project

Eric ColbyBatteries, Boat & Gear News, Electrical Systems, Engines and Propulsion, Industry & Company News

At the Boot Düsseldorf show in Germany, Grand Soleil Yachts introduced a new project intended to address issues like sustainability and end-of-life cycle. Grand Soleil Blue is a prototype collaboration between Grand Soleil and Cantiere del Pardo to showcase eco-friendly yacht construction. “The sea is our passion and our home,” Gigi Servidati, Cantiere del Pardo chairman said in a statement. “The GS Blue demonstrates how design, performance and sustainability can harmoniously coexist creating a boat designed for future generations.” Other participants in the project include naval architect Matteo Polli, Nauta Design for the exterior and interior design and materials specialist…

16 Jan

Proposed Boat Speed Limit for Atlantic Coast Withdrawn

Eric ColbyBoat & Gear News, Boat Accidents, Industry & Company News, Navigation, Ocean Voyaging, Offshore Safety, Offshore Sailing, Power Voyaging, Seamanship & Navigation

The National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Commerce Department have withdrawn a proposed rule that would have imposed speed limits on boats operating off the East Coast of the United States. The rule was originally published in the Federal Register on Aug. 1, 2022, to amend the North Atlantic right whale vessel speed regulations. “NMFS withdraws this proposed rule in light of numerous and ongoing requests from the public for further opportunity to review and engage with the Agency on the proposal,” the fisheries service said in a statement. “NMFS’s existing vessel speed regulations remain…

15 Jan

Volvo Penta Launches Global Three-Year Warranty

Eric ColbyBoat & Gear News, Engines and Propulsion, Industry & Company News, Marine Technology, Press release

Marine propulsion systems supplier Volvo Penta has announced a 3-year expanded global warranty. The new coverage applies to products delivered from 2025 going forward and covers Volvo Penta-branded transmissions, engines, control systems and accessories. The new warranty replaces previous offerings and reflects Volvo Penta’s commitment to delivering premium-level protection and support for pleasure and commercial vessels. It provides global coverage on all marine Volvo Penta branded products supported by the Swedish company’s service network. For the first three years, the warranty covers all Volvo Penta branded products and transitions to major component coverage in the subsequent two years. For commercial…

14 Jan

New HP Watermaker Introduced

Eric ColbyBluewater Gear, Boat & Gear News, Industry & Company News

HP Watermakers has pulled the sheet off a new model, the HP Genius. The manufacturer says it’s a lighter unit that can be installed more easily than previous models. The company is introducing the new model at the Boot Düsseldorf show in Germany Jan. 18 to 26. “The new HP Genius sets new standards in terms of low eight and ease of use, but it will not be our stand’s only attraction,” Gianni Zucco, co-founder of HP Watermakers, said in a press release. “We will also be displaying the new HP SCA Double 440 watermaker.” That model was introduced at…

19 Dec

Maretron and Raymarine Announce Collaboration

Eric ColbyBluewater Gear, Electronic charting, Industry & Company News, Marine Electronics, Marine Technology

Marine electronics maker Raymarine has partnered with Maretron to integrate the latter’s vessel monitoring systems into the former’s Axiom chartplotter displays. Maretron’s MConnect is a client-server technology that offers access to real-time data across hundreds of data points on a vessel. Integrating MConnect with Raymarine’s Axiom family of multifunction displays lets users monitor and control vessel components from Raymarine’s LightHouse interface. MConnect’s data visualization and customization tools are compatible with Raymarine’s MFDs. They let a user configure personalized interfaces and control vessel systems with ease. By combining MConnect’s graphics editor with Raymarine’s high-definition displays, users can create dashboards that consolidate…

15 Oct

TCarta Hopes to Improve Safety with Satellite Data

Eric ColbyBoat & Gear News, Electronic charting, Home Page Hero, Industry & Company News, Nav Problems, Navigation, Seamanship & Navigation

One of many challenges when entering a new harbor is not knowing accurate depths. Recent occurrences of groundings off the coasts of Oman, Greenland and Fiji were under investigation in early October and the underlying causes were complicated. One common thread is a lack of current bathymetric data in coastal areas, particularly those outside established shipping lanes. Denver-based TCarta Marine uses earth observation satellites to provide accurate water depth measurements for near-shore areas. “The risk of such accidents can be significantly reduced with up-to-date bathymetric data produced from satellite imagery,” TCarta president Kyle Goodrich said in a statement. In many…