News | EQUIPMENT
Boat maintenance Waveblade gets
into scrapes Wave Craft Limited has released a new handheld power tool, the Waveblade, which has been designed to remove barnacles and mussel deposits from the hulls of small boats and craſt. Utilising resonance technology, the Waveblade incorporates an oscillating head, connected to a motor operating at 4500 cycles per minute, thereby generating wave power to scrape steel, GRP and wooden hulls, whilst leaving their surfaces free of scratches and damage. The Waveblade is fashioned from durable, hard
plastic, incorporating a sprung steel scraper blade, which has been chemically coated to provide a long lifespan. Te product has been certified to an operating depth of 4.6m, enabling it to reach the bottoms of deep V hull boats, and the product runs off a 12V DC power supply for safety purposes. Wave Craſt director Chris Tanner told Ship & Boat
International: “Te main advantage of the oscillating head technology is that the Waveblade can complete the job up to five times more quickly than removing barnacles manually. Tis can result in major reductions in time, cost and manpower. Even when used on larger vessels, the small size of
the unit also means that you can get into every nook and cranny, or apply it to wherever barnacles may be growing profusely.” In addition to hull maintenance work, Tanner
claims that the Waveblade can also be applied to propeller shaſts and Z-drives, steel and concrete port and offshore structures and navigational buoys, which can be pulled underwater by large, heavy build-ups of barnacles.
www.waveblade.com
Communications KVH displays small
VSAT system UK-based C A Clase debuted its KVH TracPhone V3 at Seawork International. Te V3 is the world’s smallest maritime VSAT system and offers affordable broadband, with airtime costing less than many competitors. Te unit measures just 37cm in diameter and weighs
11kg. The TracPhone V3 offers download speeds of 2Mbps and seamless roaming via KVH’s global mini-VSAT Broadband network. Users can access the internet and email for just US$0.99 per MB, along with crystal clear voice calls worldwide via an integrated voice line using VoIP technology for only US$0.49 per minute. Tis compares with competitors’ published airtime rates
16
The Tracphone V3 has fast download speeds of 2Mbps.
of in excess of US$10 per MB. Andy Banting, commercial marine sales at C A Clase,
said: “We know many vessels, from commercial fishing to workboats and the larger commercial vessels, will benefit from this development. The demand for always-on broadband connections has increased and this has fuelled demand for smaller, lighter and more cost-effective marine VSAT systems.” Te V3 package includes the TracPhone V3 antenna,
compact hardware, ViaSat ArcLight spread spectrum modem, and easy-to-use below-decks antenna control unit. Te antenna uses KVH’s RingFire and dielectric feed rod technologies for strong reception, even in poor conditions. Te rugged design also makes it perfect for use on tuna towers and commercial vessels.
www.kvh.com
Navigation aids AIS delivered to
iPhone and iPad iAIS is a low-cost navigation device that links navigation data to Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iTouch range of products though a WiFi interface. Te newly developed device, released by Digital Yacht, featured in Seawork International’s Innovations Showcase, in June. The device consists of
a high-performance
dual-channel AIS receiver and integrated wireless access point. iAIS also allows compatible ‘apps’ to access NMEA/ GPS/AIS data. Te user can connect to the iAIS hotspot by switching on the device without the need for internet connection; the device only requires connection to a standard VHF antenna, dedicated AIS antenna or splitter. iAIS has the capability to multiplex other NMEA data
available, such as GPS, depth, speed or wind and combine it with the AIS data into the wireless feed. As iAIS uses the vessel’s own GPS, there is no need for an internal GPS on the compatible device it is used with. The device is also compatible with PC or other
applications that can accept wireless (TCP/IP) navigation data. iAIS is fitted with an NMEA0183 and USB interface,
Ship & Boat International July/August 2011
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64