Safety plays an important aspect in the boating industry - MarineBusinessWorld Oceania newsletter
by Peter Rendle 14 Sep 2023 15:00 PDT
MRNSW Batemans Bay SAREX © Marine Rescue NSW
More than 100 Marine Rescue NSW volunteers and staff from units across the Monaro and Illawarra regions will take part in a major regional Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX) at Batemans Bay this weekend (16-17 September). Marine Rescue NSW Southern Zone Commander Mike Hammond said the annual exercise will be coordinated by Marine Area Command and involve other agencies including Surf Life Saving NSW.
"We do this to practice our search and rescue skills and to make sure that we're using the best possible techniques and learning from real incidents we've experienced over the course of the year," he said. Zone Commander Hammond said the Batemans Bay SAREX is a crucial training exercise to ensure Marine Rescue NSW volunteers are rescue ready with the on-water component to be held on Saturday morning when a search and rescue scenario is presented by Marine Area Command.
Boat show news comes from Victoria. BIAV last week was delighted to launch the public campaign for the 61st Melbourne Boat Show. The first 1,000 tickets were booked within 24 hours in a great start to the campaign. As previously shared, following a 2022 'proof of concept', the venue is once again Docklands and we can look forward to a great industry and boating celebration from 26-29 October.
You can now see the list of Exhibitors and Brands. There is significant exhibitor growth this year, a first-ever Hooked Up's Rig Rundown, the all-new Heritage and Wooden Boat Precinct, Tackle Island, the Supertank is back, great music and coffee, the launch of Boating Careers, the announcement of Apprentice of the Year, Kids entertainment, plenty of nearby refreshments, and the much-anticipated Exhibitor Function on the Friday night. And much more.
While in Western Australia, Highfield Boats will attend the Club Marine Perth Boat Show, 15-17 September, at Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre and Elizabeth Quay, hosting the launch of the 2024 Sport models, the 9m and 7m. WA Dealer, Steve Simpson from RIBworx in Fremantle, says the show is the biggest show in the West and he's looking forward to presenting the new Highfield models.
"We will have a couple of small tenders, the e-propulsion 360, Patrol 600 and Sport 700, 760 and 900. This is the first time the 900 has been over here so we're really excited to have the flagship model to exhibit. It's all about bigger boats now. People are doing trips to Rottnest and they're looking for a bigger RIBs to handle the conditions," said Steve.
Overseas, the 2024 edition of the Thailand International Boat Show will take place at Royal Phuket Marina, 11-14 January. With more than 80% of the in-water space already booked and a new onshore layout, the event is Phuket's boating showcase, and a major promotional gig for Thailand. A new purpose-built air-conditioned marquee in the Town Square will be the home for onshore exhibitors.
A word from an industry member. Mark Riley was born to boat. Growing up around coastal rivers in NSW, since before he could walk, he was on or in the water. In July 2023, Whitehaven appointed Marine Riley to represent them in New South Wales. Marine Riley, led by Dealer Principal Mark Riley, brings a wealth of experience gained from building, designing and sourcing luxury yachts for clients worldwide. Mark shares his background, boating experiences and approach to business, as well as his vision for the Whitehaven brand.
New products. Navico Group, the world's leading supplier of integrated systems and products, will showcase the Fathom e-power system at the Cannes Yachting Festival 12-17 September. The Fathom® e-power system is a fully vertically integrated solution compromised of energy storage, power conversion and digital monitoring and control for the marine and RV sectors.
The system allows users to extend time away from the charge source by providing more battery capacity and efficiently managing the electrical system, while also eliminating the noise, vibration and fumes associated with traditional generator experiences. Additionally, an intuitive user interface allows end users to easily monitor and control their power on and off the vessel via multifunction displays or smart mobile devices.
Garmin have unveiled its flagship GPSMAP® 9000 chartplotter series designed for captains who demand the best. Available with 19", 22", 24" or 27" touchscreen displays, these all-in-one chartplotters offer stunning 4K resolution with edge-to-edge clarity, powered by a processor that's seven-times faster than previous generations. Thanks to the new Garmin BlueNet™ gigabit network, these premium multi-function displays provide comprehensive connectivity throughout the vessel with faster networking speeds than ever before.
"For decades, mariners have been relying on Garmin's GPSMAPs to help them navigate waters all over the world. Building on that success, we're thrilled to unveil the 9000 series with bigger, best-in-class displays, lightning-fast processing speeds and the ultimate connected boating experience on the new Garmin BlueNet network," said Dan Bartel, Garmin Vice President of Global Consumer Sales.
Raymarine is making a bold addition to the performance sailing market with the launch this week, of the Alpha™ Series display, new Smart Wind™ Technology, and performance sailing upgrades to the LightHouse operating system for Axiom chartplotters. This powerful combination of electronic charting, next-generation precision wind monitoring, and touchscreen tactical displays elevates the awareness of skippers through intuitive, dynamic sailing displays on both the chartplotter and the remote Alpha Series display.
Offering a new level of sailing intelligence thanks to Raymarine's ground-breaking Smart Wind Technology and RSW Series wind sensors, the newly designed RSW Series Wind sensors are intelligent self-calibrating sensors that deliver ultra-precise wind speed and direction measurements. Sailors can take advantage of advanced wind, speed, and polar calculations to make smarter race and performance sailing decisions when it matters most.
Grégoire Outters, General Manager at Raymarine said: "With an ever-evolving demand in the sailing sector for intuitive solutions, and with Raymarine holding rich heritage in sailing electronics with proven performance, it was a natural fit for us to offer new developments in this industry. The Alpha Series offers cutting-edge technology packed with powerful intelligence, providing sailors with market-leading sailing support."
Eight Bells. I was saddened to hear of the passing of Barry Thompson who died in New Zealand last Friday. As the editor of Pacific Powerboat Magazine, published in his home town of Auckland, Barry was a passionate supporter of the powerboat market, having written hundreds of boat tests over the many years he was involved in powerboat publications.
I first met Barry at the Auckland Boat Show in Auckland in 1984 and we would continue to share a polite 'Hi' on his many visits to the various Australian shows throughout the years. He will be a sadly missed contributor to the industry and we pass on our sincere condolences to his family and friends.
More industry news daily at: www.marinebusinessworld.com/Oceania
Stay Safe,
Peter Rendle - peter.rendle@marinebusinessworld.com