Marine Electronics, July 2021
14 Jul

Marine Electronics, July 2021

Ocean NavigatorUncategorized
The possibility of someone stealing our floating palace or some high-end piece of onboard electronic equipment is a frightening thought. Fortunately, there are efficient, affordable digital tracking devices available to assuage our fears and keep our thoughts focused on our cruising aspirations. The SPOT Trace Theft-Alert Tracking Device offers a broad set of features to keep you in touch with its location at all times via your cellular device or home computer. What’s more, it is the only, or one of the only, tracking devices offering coverage in virtually all of North America, Mexico, Europe and Australia, plus limited coverage…
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Spectra Watermakers Announces Remote Manual Controlled Watermakers
13 Jul

Spectra Watermakers Announces Remote Manual Controlled Watermakers

Ocean NavigatorUncategorized
Petaluma, Calif. – Spectra Watermakers, specialists in energy-efficient desalination systems designed for open ocean vessels, offshore oil platforms, military, disaster relief, emergency preparedness and distributed infrastructure, and part of the Katadyn Group, announced today the launch of a new line of controllers for their compact and ultra-efficient desalination products – the Ventura 150, Ventura 200 and Catalina 340 Remote Manual watermakers. Featuring a simplified Remote Manual controller, the new devices can be easily mounted in convenient locations and offer basic control of the watermaker without the automation and real-time diagnostics offered by the more advanced Spectra Connect controller. This makes the…
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02 Jul
Ocean NavigatorOcean Voyaging, Uncategorized, ,
When considering the purchase of a new boat, especially a new design that hasn't yet been built, you can't get enough input. You want to see the boat, exterior and belowdecks, from every angle. And when this aspect is considered, modern-day buyers are experiencing a golden age because of computer modeling and presentation. You can see a new design in great detail as if it is an actual physical boat. There's something about seeing that way, and with the ability to spin it around with some presentations, that makes it so much more real. A good example of this is…
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Visual aids buoy buyers of new designs
02 Jul

Visual aids buoy buyers of new designs

Ocean NavigatorUncategorized
When considering the purchase of a new boat, especially a new design that hasn't yet been built, you can't get enough input. You want to see the boat, exterior and belowdecks, from every angle. And when this aspect is considered, modern-day buyers are experiencing a golden age because of computer modeling and presentation. You can see a new design in great detail as if it is an actual physical boat. There's something about seeing that way, and with the ability to spin it around with some presentations, that makes it so much more real. A good example of this is…
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We’re Back Live and In-Person: Registration Opens for IBEX 2021
01 Jul

We’re Back Live and In-Person: Registration Opens for IBEX 2021

Ocean NavigatorUncategorized
Tampa, FL – The International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) announced today that registration is now open for the 30th Anniversary of IBEX, to be held September 28-30, 2021, in the Tampa Convention Center. North America’s largest trade event for recreational marine industry professionals, IBEX is owned and produced by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and RAI Amsterdam. More than 570 exhibitors have already confirmed for this year’s IBEX, including 48 new exhibiting companies with more signing up each week. Limited exhibit space is still available and expected to sell out in the coming weeks. The IBEX docks are…
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Magenta Project mentees join Team Trader for Transpac
30 Jun

Magenta Project mentees join Team Trader for Transpac

Ocean NavigatorUncategorized
In 2019, my husband, Doug Pasnik, and I raced our first Transpac together with a team of 10 on our Andrews 70, Trader, comprised primarily of military veterans (see story on page 22). This year we are doing the race again and inviting four mentees from The Magenta Project to race with us.  Established in 2015, The Magenta Project is a “collective of passionate people committed to developing pathways and generating opportunities for women in performance sailing” (themagentaproject.org/mentoring). Founded by members of the all-women SCA team who ran a successful campaign in the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race, these women know…
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Schooner mentor passes
30 Jun

Schooner mentor passes

Ocean NavigatorUncategorized
Benjamin B. Whitcomb III, known fondly as Benji, died after a long illness on April 23, 2021. He was 72 years old. Benji came up through the ranks in the early days of the schooner Harvey Gamage, becoming skipper of that vessel. He was a consummate sail handler, often sailing Gamage off the hook in crowded Charlotte Amalie Harbor in St. Thomas. Backing the big main sail, he’d spin off the hook handling Gamage as if it were a dinghy. Whitcomb was a calm, resolute, even-tempered, soft-spoken mentor to a generation of schooner sailors who learned by watching him at…
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30 Jun
Harry HungateUncategorized
Benjamin B. Whitcomb III, known fondly as Benji, died after a long illness on April 23, 2021. He was 72 years old. Benji came up through the ranks in the early days of the schooner Harvey Gamage, becoming skipper of that vessel. He was a consummate sail handler, often sailing Gamage off the hook in crowded Charlotte Amalie Harbor in St. Thomas. Backing the big main sail, he’d spin off the hook handling Gamage as if it were a dinghy. Whitcomb was a calm, resolute, even-tempered, soft-spoken mentor to a generation of schooner sailors who learned by watching him at…
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NOAA upgrades its global weather model
30 Jun

NOAA upgrades its global weather model

Ocean NavigatorUncategorized
On March 22, 2021, NOAA announced that the National Weather Service (NWS) would use a new global computer model for weather forecasts. This is an “under the hood” type of improvement that most voyagers won’t see directly. If the new system works as advertised, however, voyagers should see better weather forecasts on their vessels.  NOAA says the new Global Forecast System (GFS) “will increase forecast capabilities across the U.S. These advancements will improve hurricane genesis forecasting, modeling for snowfall location, heavy rainfall forecasts, and overall model performance.” The GFS is a numerical weather prediction model that uses a mathematical model…
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From North Sea fishing to Sea of Cortez voyaging
30 Jun

From North Sea fishing to Sea of Cortez voyaging

Ocean NavigatorUncategorized
[gtx_gallery] Finding the perfect boat is a personal journey, one which can take you months or even years and many miles before the right one shows up. For me the search took me around the world, when I realized that what I wanted couldn’t be found in North America. A love of the solid seaworthiness and beefy good looks that comes with the North Sea Trawler design led me to the Netherlands where I found my boat. After engaging a naval architect to design the perfect expedition yacht, I decided to find one ready to go. My search took me…
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