... written for Panbo by Ben Ellison and posted on Feb 19, 2011
I'm a little hazy about my Miami International Boat Show history -- twelve in a row, I think -- but I'm pretty sure this has been the best yet. One highlight was planing a skiff with a pair of Torqueedo Cruise electric outboards, which may be more "proof of concept" than practical, but sure was fun and surely did showcase Torqeedo's outstanding engineering and design. The topper, though, was receiving Boating Writers International first prizes in both the Marine Electronics and the Online Content categories, nicely reported here. Plus our friend Gram Schweikert got second prize for his Cruising World article on testing a KVH/Inmarsat FB-150 and an Iridium OpenPort that began as series of Panbo guest entries. I've got tons of electronic news to report on but I've also got more boat show to do, an article to finish, and then a side trip to NYC on my way to Maine. So, sorry for the lack of entries, or even tweets. Patience please!
I Will add my congrats too. Panbo is my favourite site.
Posted by: Rick at February 20, 2011 5:57 AM |Reply
Congrats Ben, well deserved.
/chris
Posted by: Chris at February 20, 2011 7:13 AM |Reply
Ben,
Congratulations for the recognition! You provide an invaluable resource to your readers!
/Don
Posted by: Donald Joyce at February 20, 2011 7:35 AM |Reply
Yeah have fun and get warm but remember Maine awaits your return. 15 degrees here in Vermont.
Posted by: Allan Seymour at February 20, 2011 8:50 AM |Reply
Great job Ben! You deserve it for a lot of hard work and a continuous flow of interesting electronics writing.
Posted by: Arnie at February 20, 2011 9:24 AM |Reply
Congratulations, Ben. Well deserved!
Posted by: John Dark at February 20, 2011 11:48 AM |Reply
Well done, Ben. You are a great resource to boaters, and we all respect your journalistic integrity.
Posted by: Preston Calvert at February 20, 2011 10:12 PM |Reply
Congrats Ben. I was reading your Feb CW article thinking to myself, man that Ben is a darn good writer, and Panbo is a great gift! Congrats again! This is very well deserved and likely only the start!
Now to business, how big of a skiff and what batteries where back there? Any idea of range!
I have also seen the SH CPN700i for sale this month in Canada and the US... I thought we'd have to wait until April!
Lastly, the grin is priceless!
Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2011 8:55 AM |Reply
Thanks, anon, and all!
As for planing on electric power, I don't have literature at hand right now, but recall that the $10,000 of lithium battery power in kevlar skiff was estimated to get 70 minutes of fast time with about 400 pounds of myself and Ed Sherman on board. Kind of silly, but I think the idea was just to prove it possible, and the numbers will get better over time. Meanwhile, using Torqueedo technology at displacement speeds makes lots of sense, I think, and I'll have more on that.
As for the CPN Series, I think buying one and receiving it are two different things. I believe SH is hoping to ship in 90 days and the software is still Beta, though neat. More on that coming too.
PS Ed, who I should have thanked for the picture, has more about our Torqueedo ride here:
Posted by: Ben E at February 21, 2011 11:09 AM |Reply
Well done Ben. $10,000 batteries, they are great engines but that's a Yamaha 9.9 and the fuel for a few years probably even more in my case. I love the idea solar panels powering one through the doldrums. Truth is it turns out to all be a bit more complicated than that in the end partly due to the higher voltages they require. I am only talking in the case of my boat twin Yamaha 9.9s and a 15 on the tender. Great if you can charge the batteries conveniently.
Posted by: Laurence Woodward at February 21, 2011 12:24 PM |Reply
Thanks Ben... My dealer did confirm an April delivery, so not surprises there - Panbo is the truth!
$10k of lithium... yes, that sounds right. The March copy of Practical Boat Owner has a review of the new outboard 1003[?]... their prediction is that we will all be using electrics in 10 years?
Any Panbo Bets???
Posted by: Anonymous at February 22, 2011 6:51 PM |Reply
Congratulations Ben, These two awards were richly deserved. It's been a pleasure working with you over the years and seeing how far you've taken Panbo. I often tell colleagues that you're one of the smartest guys out there covering the marine electronics field, and you've made Panbo the best online resource for objective marine electronic news. It's great to see your hard work acknowledged by your fellow journalists.
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Congratulations! Certainly earned and deserved!
And congratulations also to Gram!