"Stay at home" is the message to everyone - Australian MarineBusinessWorld.com newsletter
by Peter Rendle 9 Apr 15:00 PDT
BIA Member Alert © BIA
The world continues to grapple with the Covid-19 pandemic. While Australia is recording a downturn in the number of new Corona virus cases, we are still a long way from being "out of the woods".
This is reflected in a directive from the President of the Boating Industry Association of Australia, Daren Vaux, who urges everyone to stay at home this Easter long weekend. In Darren's latest notice to BIA members he says, "We are working with governments across Australia to keep businesses open, to retain jobs, to provide financial support wherever possible and to help keep industry viable for the certain recovery; however we must recognise that in the short term there are significant restrictions on boating activities in some States that must be complied with or risk even those activities being banned.
"We are also working with national and international partners to make boating part of the solution and recovery from the impact this disease is having on society. After all, boating is a healthy outdoor activity; an escape on the water in the fresh air and sunshine which has proven benefits to the body and mind. Boating will, with time, return to normal. For now, however, we all must follow the public-health advice to contain this highly contagious disease."
Meanwhile industry members are finding ways to keep the children at home amused. Michaela Backes, Operations Manager of marine insurance company Pantaenius, has issued a challenge to children stuck at home during the crisis. Michaela writes, "Every day, Hinnerk, our illustrator, looks for beautiful images to draw. A sail or motor boat, people on board, an inspiring location, an exciting scene, or just a beautiful sunset over the sea. Even if we have to stay at home for a while, we can dream about the summer and spending time on the water. Imagine being on board in your favourite place and take part in our drawing competition!"
There is a blank template that you can download. Simply print it out and start drawing. "What kind of boat do you have in mind? What is the weather like? Can you see the shore? Are there fish or whales in the water? Is there a lighthouse to show you the way? Some of you may already have an idea of what to draw, others will just begin and see where the picturesque journey takes them. In any case, there are no limits to your creativity!" See more info and access the templates.
New products continue to be launched. Garmin Australasia recently announced the quatix 6, its next-generation marine GPS smartwatch series designed specifically for life on the water. More than a watch, the quatix 6 combines all of the best features of Garmin's flagship fenix® 6 GPS smartwatch with specialized boating, fishing, cruising and sailing capabilities, including comprehensive connectivity with compatible Garmin chart plotters and other marine electronics to offer autopilot control, data streaming, sail race assistance, Fusion-Link™ entertainment control and more. With a rugged yet refined design, the quatix 6 is preloaded with activity profiles for nearly every sport and adventure at sea and on land, including paddle-boarding, golf, hiking, rowing, skiing, kayaking, just to name a few.
C-MAP is pleased to announce the launch of C-MAP Reveal in Australia and New Zealand. Perfect for diving and fishing enthusiasts, C-MAP Reveal brings ultra-high resolution bathymetric data of the sea floor to Lowrance, Simrad and B&G customers. View the sea floor in a completely new light and clearly identify sea floor structure, along with reefs and ledges to find the best fishing and diving spots. C-MAP Reveal will take your charts to the next level.
In the UK Spirit Yachts have taken delivery of the 100,000th electric motor built by Torqeedo. The Spirit 111 is a milestone in electric mobility on the water - and that's why it fits with Torqeedo, the world's largest manufacturer of electric motors. The 111's tender will be powered by a Torqeedo Cruise 10.0 Tiller - the last piece in the puzzle that makes the Spirit 111 energy independent. "Modern ocean-going yachts can now be truly CO2-neutral thanks to electric mobility," says Dr Christoph Ballin, CEO and co-founder of Torqeedo. "Loud, smelly diesel generators are obsolete or reduced to a backup role because sailing yachts can generate power themselves using solar cells, hydrogeneration, and wind generators."
Back in Australia marine sales continue, albeit mainly online. The Marine Auctions April Online Auction includes Boats, Freehold Marina Berths, Freehold Moor and Stores and an unreserved leasehold Marina Berth, all located in South East Queensland. The bidding for this Online Auction will commence on Thursday 23rd April and will end on Wednesday 29th April at 2pm AEST. Please note, extended bidding applies.
Feel free to send us your updated news on how you are coping with the business restrictions that are being imposed currently. If we can help in letting the industry know of ways that will help other companies to keep their turnover happening then we are more than happy to post the information to the Australian Marine Business World website.
Stay safe and we look forward to hearing from you,
Peter Rendle peter.rendle@marinebusinessworld.com