Industry News

by Richard Crockett It’s not often that the local South African boat building industry has something to crow about, especially if they are building racing monohulls, yet Cape Performance Sailing is on a super-fast downwind plane with its sails crammed full of orders. Having set up shop just 36 months ago, the yard headed by Davey James and Stephen du Toit, have just launched their 50th boat, and have Hull 57 in build right now. That’s impressive stuff as the …

Exalto Wiper technologies are world leads in the designer and supply of windscreen wiper product systems to the marine, rail, and specialty vehicle industries, and have now announced that Seascape Marine Services will represent them on the African continent. Seascape Marine Services are committed to becoming the preferred supplier of leading quality, innovative propulsion and onboard power solutions, related products, and service to the African Maritime Market by providing sustainable and valuable solutions for the challenges their customers face. Seascape, …

One of the most popular questions for PredictWind is “Which Forecast Model should I use”? Often the best method is to use a consensus of the models, and when the models are similar, you can have greater confidence in the forecast. However, some forecast models do perform better than others in certain locations around the world. To help you make the best forecasting decisions, we have developed a real-time validation system to show you the accuracy of all the available …

In a world first for weather routing, the PredictWind Weather Router now uses Depth Avoidance, rather than traditional land avoidance. In order to achieve this, PredictWind acquired 2m/5m/10m/20m/30m depth contours for the entire world. This massive depth contour dataset sits on the PredictWind servers, so that you can easily route your boat safely around shallow areas, using your selected depth contour READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE: https://www.predictwind.com/news/weather-routing-now-with-depth-avoidance/  

Yanmar is extending its standard warranty period until 1 October 2020 to support boaters this summer season as they return to the water after the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. Providing customers with peace of mind for the entire season, the warranty extension applies to sailboat and powerboat engines, Kanzaki gearboxes and Yanmar sterndrives and saildrives with a warranty end-date between 1 March 2020 and 30 September 2020. Yanmar’s comprehensive manufacturer’s warranty is designed to give customers complete and long-lasting peace …

  The first vessel to be self-sufficient in energy, “Energy Observer”, recently completed her first trans-Atlantic passage with high praise given to her newly fitted Bruntons Autoprop Eco*Star propellers. The propellers replaced the vessels original four blade fixed pitch propellers and have been partly responsible for a significant improvement in her performance since a refit was carried out last winter. Energy Observer has also been fitted with two Oceanwings to further enhance her energy saving abilities; a change which turned …

There has been a great deal of excitement at Cox headquarters recently as the production line has been in full flow with Cox’s team of engineers working around the clock to meet their next big milestone – when the first Cox CXO300 diesel outboards come off the assembly line. This was a defining moment for everyone at Cox, one which many of the team have been working towards over the past 13 years. The release of the CXO300 has been …

Seascape Marine Services (Pty) Ltd. have announce their appointment as a Premium Dealer for Flexofold propellers. Based In Denmark, Flexofold is a global leader in the development & manufacturing of low drag folding 2 to 4 blade sail drive & shaft propellers for sailboats and catamarans. This appointment encompasses propeller sales, spare parts and after sales support to all OEM’s, dealers and recreational sailors. Plus it further grows and strengthens Seascape Marine’s philosophy of supplying complete propulsion solutions. About Flexofold …

by Richard Crockett Technology is moving at such a rapid pace in our industry that it’s often difficult keeping up, or simply thinking about where it will go next. So when information came to hand from Vesper Marine about their new VHF Radio – it struck me that VHF technology has not changed dramatically for some time. I am cautious with that statement as of course technology has changed and improved – although this may be the biggest leap yet! …

The sixteenth year of partnership between the Clipper Race and Marlow Ropes will be marked with a shift towards a greener future. The world’s first mooring line to be made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles, Marlow Ropes Blue Ocean Dockline, has been rolled out across the fleet of 70′ racing yachts for the start of the biennial round the world yacht race. The latest initiative from British manufacturer, Marlow Ropes, has resulted in all mooring lines, for the 11 …

Sailing to Bermuda is an exciting way to experience the island’s vibrant blue waters and dramatic scenery. And the best way for sailors to get to Bermuda – or any other destination – is with Raymarine’s newest, free LightHouse™ 3 operating system update for Axiom®, Axiom Pro and Axiom XL multifunction displays. LightHouse Bermuda v3.10 is loaded with new and enhanced features for sailboat cruisers and racers equipped with one or more Axiom MFD. As with every Raymarine LightHouse operating …

Two Oceans Marine Manufacturing has launched South Africa’s biggest composite and leisure catamaran, the Two Oceans 110 Day Charter Catamaran. Named ‘Le Cerf’, she is owned by Mason’s Travel. Established in 1972, Masons Travel is a leading destination management company in Seychelles. This 110′ catamaran is designed for commercial day charters and for large groups of people. She will be based in Mahé, and can carry 275 people. She has both an upper and lower deck and a flybridge. The …

by Richard Crockett Our local boating industry has tended in the past to hide its talent, and in fact be very backward in coming forward and promoting itself. But in recent years there have been serious attempts to change this, and these are now beginning to bear fruit. The South African Boatbuilding Export Council (SABBEX) and Boating South Africa are slowly, but surely, creating top of the mind awareness for our boating industry, both locally and internationally thanks to Bruce …

FLIR Systems has announced Raymarine Element™ S, a new series of navigation displays for cruisers and sailors. Building on the success of FLIR’s Raymarine Element HV Series with HyperVision™ sonar, the Element S models feature a superior all-weather display, best-in-class speed, and straightforward operation, while delivering confidence-inspiring GPS navigation to captains who don’t want or need the capability or extra expense of sophisticated sonar. Element S is available in 7-, 9-, and 12-inch display models, all of which feature bright, …

With the intention of creating greater onboard convenience and a more natural sailing environment, Fountaine-Pajot will assist in the installation, trials and demonstration of Volvo Penta’s pioneering electromobility technology. Volvo Penta has announced that it is to collaborate with leading French boat builder Fountaine-Pajot as it prepares to demonstrate its latest prototype electromobility technology. The initiative is part of Volvo Penta’s commitment to offer electrified solutions in its marine and industrial product ranges. This is being driven by Volvo Penta’s …