The 2008 NMEA Convention in San Diego prompted many Panbo entries last October, and I'm hoping the return to Fort Myers this year will be at least as interesting. One new feature of note is a Technology Award that will be judged by yours truly and three other BWI boating writers. The criteria will be "a combination of innovative design, benefits to boaters, practicality and value," and the NMEA has wisely chosen to limit manufacturer entries to products that were not available for sale and delivery sixty days before the 2008 convention but are available sixty days before this show. In other words, no vaporware please!
This is starting to get serious! While this Reuters article also notes Garmin's disclaimer that "there was no certainty an offer would be made", yesterday Garmin had no comment at all. Personally I have no knowledge of this deal whatsoever, and can tell you that the product people I know at both these companies seem to be full speed ahead. But I'm starting to monitor the financial news closely. Somewhat strangely, the most complete and original reporting seems to be coming from a Reuter's guy in Bangalore, India; his piece yesterday helped me understand why this acquisition might make sense for Garmin: Foreign distribution and an "OEM footprint" (in case the boatbuilding business ever comes back to life). But how would the product lines be "rationalized" and what would a big Garmin/Raymarine combination mean to the relatively little recreational marine electronics industry? Let's discuss.
If you're an electronics installer who's ever spent hours wandering around a boatyard just to get a bit of wood or metal fabricated -- or the customer who wondered where those hours went! -- you'll appreciate the custom install trucks put together by Voyager Marine Electronics of Essex, Massachusetts. Heck, these guys don't even need to scrounge 110 outlets, as the vehicles are equipped with big alternators, dual battery banks, and Xantrex 3kW Freedom charger/inverters! Voyager's shop and show room aren't too shabby either...
Is Super Bowl Sunday an appropriate day to announce that I've switched magazine teams? Well, I do have used game (boat show) uniforms headed to charity, a lot of new teammates to meet, and just might get booed in some parts of New York or Boston! I joke, but as of today I am Senior Electronics Editor for the Bonnier Marine Group, now a major Panbo sponsor. I'll be writing for Yachting and Cruising World, and also helping in some fashion with the electronics coverage in Bonnier's several other boating and fishing magazines (see improved Resource section to right). I'm excited, but a wee wistful...
Things are changing around here, and in my magazine life too. News of the latter will come tomorrow, but do please note how much easier it has gotten to post comments on Panbo (updated software!). If you click the comment "Sign In" link now, you’ll see three kinds of user authentication—TypePad, formerly called TypeKey and once the only such service available; OpenID, which is new to me and seems a bit cranky, but is open source; and finally Panbo’s Movable Type OS itself. All three will purportedly keep your true identity safely hidden, if desired, and using any will get your comment posted here immediately. While the first two will work at many blogs, the latter is especially cool as it will eventually facilitate forum entries—even user blog entries—and will include Panbo-specific profile information, like what boats and gear Panbots use, if you’re willing to share. There’s also good news for Panbo advertisers…
Above is the new home page at Maptech.com, and while it represents the end of the old Maptech, it sure doesn’t mark the end of the Maptech name. In fact, the blue “Marine Software” tab takes you to a new company called Maptech Navigation. It’s the creation of Peter Martin, who’s worked for Maptech, Chartkit, and as a professional mariner. Martin bought the rights to develop and market Maptech’s digital charts and software packages (except for The Capn, which found its own good home). Martin says his plan is basically “business as usual”…
Bummer! The only remaining online sign of the great electronics blog AskJackRabbit is the old About Me page above. Much worse, especially for customers with paid-for orders outstanding, is the apparent bankruptcy of Jack Rabbit Marine. Online grumbling about undelivered orders and unanswered calls actually began in June, and I heard from an unhappy—like $5,000 of unrefunded deposit on canceled order unhappy—Panbo reader in early July. But, like most every one else, I figured the problems were isolated and temporary. Last week, though, the drumbeat of worried commenters at The Hull Truth, NavaGear, and here on Panbo picked up considerably, and finally a couple of customers reported receiving this email from the company’s President, Peter James:
At least one Navico competitor is having fun e-mailing around this scan of a major ad blooper that ran in a New Zealand marine publication. Of course the intended headline was “True Multifunction” not “True Malfunction” and no doubt some one is very embarrassed about the mistake. In fact, “multifunction”—as in multifunction display, or MFD—is not a term that has slipped easily into boating vernacular. The forwarded email that carried this image was jokingly titled “Truth in Advertising” but therein lies an unintended truth. Aside from the blooper, this ad better represents the actual product than some of Simrad’s other marketing.
This week Maptech sold it paper chart and guide book division to Richardsons’ Publications, which was already producing similar products. In fact, a principal there was working at BBA/ChartKit when Maptech purchased it in 1997. “Things have come full circle.” A nice aspect to this deal is that most of the Maptech print staff will now work for Richardsons’. Sounds like the various Maptech chart books and guides will carry on nicely..
The U.S. Government has stopped distributing electronic updates to the official raster charts for up to 12 months? That doesn’t sound good. NOAA’s download site doesn’t mention a time frame for the “Interruption” but the U.S.C.G. internal bulletin shown in part above is more dire. (It’s published in full on Kurt Schwehr’s site, where you can also check out the Chart of the Future.) This is bad news for all of us who like using RNCs (Raster Navigation Charts) in the many charting programs that support them, not to mention Furuno, which decided to go with U.S. RNCs (and ENCs) in NavNet 3D and is already taking some heat for it. When NOAA decided to serve up RNCs free back in 2005, one of the big pluses was that they would be kept very current, and there were even little patch updates available. Besides, isn’t it depressing to any American that our government can’t even keep a relatively simple and inexpensive program like this going?
