Article by Capt. Steve Katz
It’s a wrap!
While this may be the final “Ship to Shore” column for the 2019 season, there is still much more fishing and boating to be had throughout this fall.
With bountiful coastal waters and good weather, boats will be heading out for some fall fishing for weeks to come, with much less crowded waterways. While this is a benefit to most, it should also be noted that you may find yourself one of only a few boats in an area, so you must be prepared in case you need assistance.
The cooler weather and cooler water should be a reminder for boaters to check and recheck their safety gear along with the operating condition of the systems on their boat. Many hours get put on the boat during the summer that may have taken a toll on your boats systems, such as batteries, cooling systems, engine fluids, engine hoses and even exterior lighting.
It is wise to take the time during one of Fall’s blow days to go over your boat and check and repair any system that is not 100%. Fishing offshore or in a distant bay all alone is a lot of fun and often provides excellent fishing, but be sure your boat is up to the task. Being stranded this time of year can be more critical than during the peak summer season.
An experienced captain told me yesterday while working on a Sportfish’s electrical system, “lets fix it right – I don’t want to be stuck out there” after smelling concerning odors from the engine room throughout the day. Be sure you don’t get stuck! Check and re-check your critical systems before departure.
Enough of cautionary tales. What interesting gear and technology is ahead for 2019 and beyond?
The fall and winter seasons are busy for manufacturers of boats and marine equipment. Most new and updated products are touted at the numerous consumer boat shows and industry trade shows during the fall and winter. Here are some upcoming events. Keep an eye out for press releases and new product introductions timed with these events.
Industry-Only Shows
•NMEA Annual Conference & Expo (National Marine Electronic Association), September 16th - 19th.
•IBEX (Marine technology trade show), October 1st - 3rd.
•METS (international show for marine equipment, materials and systems), November 19th - 21st.
Consumer and Industry Shows
•Trawler Fest, Baltimore, MD, September 24th -28th.
•U.S. Powerboat Show, Annapolis, MD, October 3rd -6th.
•Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, October 30th - Nov 3rd.
•East Coast Commercial Fishermen's Trade Exposition, Ocean City, MD, January 17th - 19th.
•New York Boat Show, New York, NY, January 22nd – 26th.
•Baltimore Boat Show, Baltimore, MD, January 23rd - 26th.
•Miami Boat Show, Miami, FL, February 13th - 17th.
•Seaside Boat Show, Ocean City, MD, February 15th - 17th.
•Palm Beach International Boat Show, Palm Beach, FL, March 26th - 29th.
What should you expect this fall with new technology and gear? Most manufacturers don’t release any new product information in advance since they know we will spoil the surprise! If a manufacturer is not introducing a new product, they may offer incentives and/or rebates for existing products during the show season. If a new product is announced, the older product it replaces may be discounted to clear out existing inventory so if you see a good deal, act fast since marine manufacturers do not carry as much inventory as you might think and deals can sell out quickly.
While most of the marine electronics manufacturers have relatively few product offerings, nowadays they can work wonders with software updates. Keep an eye out for new software that may give new life or add a much desired feature to your existing equipment. For example, the newest Garmin software update allows you to subscribe to SiriusXM Marine’s Fish Mapping service. I expect other marine electronics manufacturers will offer this service soon, through a combination of hardware and or software offerings. Furuno’s newest software for the TZtouch2 allows the use of CMOR High-resolution Digital Fishing and Diving Maps and Charts.
Seakeeper (gyro stabilizer) has been steadily adding to its product line-up, most recently with the reintroduction of the Seakeeper 5 gyro. Seakeeper recently reduced the price and increased the performance of the Seakeeper 2 gyro. Keep an eye out for Seakeeper’s new products and offerings.
As many of you who have DirecTV at home or on your boat know they were bought by AT&T and have been going through a lot of changes. Usually technology changes are good and beneficial to the consumer. They also made some procedural changes – usually not good when you need to call DirecTV. There has been talk for a year or so about DirecTV changing programing and transmission technology that may affect some older marine satellite TV systems. While this change is still in the works, the marine market does not have full knowledge yet on how or when this will affect DirecTV marine customers. Keep an eye out for marine satellite TV manufacturers offering new equipment or upgrade offers this fall and winter.
Electronic charts are an ever growing competitive market. One example is the relatively new CMOR High-resolution Digital Fishing and Diving Maps and Charts that have become more popular in the mid-Atlantic with their newest offering this summer, adding to their existing coverage in the Florida area. CMOR charts are compatible with Simrad, Lowrance, Raymarine and most recently Furuno NavNet TZtouch2. Look to CMOR and other electronic chart manufacturers for new offerings.
The NMEA (National Marine Electronics Association) has been working on a new standard of data communications called OneNet, an open industry standard based on Internet Protocol (ethernet) using NEMA 2000 messages. This new standard can operate in parallel with NEMA 0183 and NMEA 2000, but offer faster speeds and carry more data than the existing standards. Look for this standard to be released in 2020 and soon thereafter adapted by marine electronic manufacturers.
Thank you to all of our readers for another great season here in Ocean City, Maryland. Look for our next column in the Winter Issue of the Coastal Fisherman.
Captain Steve Katz is the owner of Steve’s Marine Service and holds NMEA, AMEI and NMEA2000 certificates along with ABYC Master Technician certification and factory training from many manufacturers. To reach Steve, call 410-231-3191.
