Leisure Boating looks at a few innovative marine products from around the world designed to ease and improve your overall boating experience.
FLOATING KEYS
Dropped keys needn’t spoil the fun of a boating excursion. The compact Davis Key Buoy inflates automatically as soon as it hits the water to prevent keys from sinking. Once it’s activated by immersion, the plastic key fob opens and deploys a buoyant air-filled tube. The Key Buoy inflates to 36 cm and extends above the water, making key retrieval as simple as grabbing the bright orange tube. It can rise to the surface in as little as 60 seconds, and remain inflated for over an hour.
G2 AUTOPILOT REVERSING PUMPS
Octopus Products introduces the G2 line of Second Generation hydraulic reversing autopilot pumps. The new range is approximately 40% more efficient than other pumps on the market. This means that they use less power to do the same work, and enable the use of smaller autopilot electronics, providing a more competitive option for boat owners.
“The new Octopus G2 range has been designed with three very important features: high efficiency, low noise and vibration, and compact design,” said Tim Bell, sales manager of Octopus Europe. “We realised these features were critical to our customers and invested the time and effort to ensure that the G2 pumps meet these key requirements.”
Through careful design, these pumps produce significantly less noise and vibration, which makes them far more user-friendly for powerboat installations outside the engine compartment or on sailing yachts. When combined with Octopus Hydraulic Cylinders for an autopilot drive on a sailing yacht, these pumps allow the yacht to sail nearly twice as far as competitive products for the same battery consumption.
100 AMP SHORE POWER DEVICES STAND UP TO MOTHER NATURE
Ship-to-shore power devices are always stuck out in the elements, subjected to heat, cold, rain, snow or corrosive salt spray. Hubbell Marine offers a high-quality line of 100 amp pin and sleeve plugs, connector bodies and components designed to withstand damaging marine conditions.
Hubbell Marine’s shore power inlets use a spring-loaded, gasketed cover that automatically closes when not in use, creating a weatherproof seal. Locking the cover makes it watertight. Inside, nickel-plated, solid brass pins ensure a reliable electrical contact. A high-impact thermoset contact carrier is resistant to arcing and overheating to enhance safety. Terminals are clearly marked for simple installation.