The cancellation of this year’s International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference was necessitated by Hurricane Ian, an annual gathering for the marine industry in Tampa, Florida.
This three-day event, held in late September, serves as a platform for boatbuilders, dealers, marina operators, and other marine professionals. The IBEX venue is commonly used for launching new products, with these innovations likely to appear on boats throughout 2023.
Some companies, like Suzuki Marine, chose to delay their announcements until the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in late October, while others presented new products despite the cancellation of IBEX.
Our editorial team selected five standout products slated for debut at IBEX.
TACO Marine Outrigger Poles 
Instead of cumbersome outrigger poles that are hard to assemble or disassemble, TACO Marine’s Ol Series offers quick and easy collapsibility.
Featuring a patented latching mechanism, TACO’s three-piece design provides a twist-lock connection between pole segments. These internally rigged poles also allow indexing of the halyard line using an adjustable ratchet base/butt with threaded locking collar, according to TACO Marine.
This design minimizes chafing and facilitates a smooth operation for the ascent and descent of outrigger lines. Each halyard line comes with an internal tube running through the pole to its exit point, ensuring a tangle-free experience. TACO is set to launch a Tournament Series Rigging Kit for these outrigger poles.
Compatible with all standard 1-1/2 inch outrigger mounts, these poles are internally rigged with premium 400-pound mono halyard line in three distinct colors for easy use identification. They come with a one-year warranty and are available in lengths of 19’ and 22’.
www.tacomarine.com
Vessel Monitoring and Security
Add an extra layer of protection and monitor and manage functions on your center console from anywhere globally with the new Marine Gateway from Dometic.
Marine Gateway represents the company’s introduction into the Internet-based marine telematics market, a field with established competitors. This system is intended for both boat builders and owners, ideal for retrofitting older vessels.
When connected via Wi-Fi or LTE cellular networks, boaters can monitor essential systems such as bilge pumps, tank levels, and battery statuses. This information is accessible through a mobile app for both Android and Apple devices. While on board, monitoring and managing functions are available via Bluetooth.
To protect against theft or breaches, Dometic supplies reed switch sensors for doors, hatches, and cabin windows. A specialized Security Loop ensures outboard motors are secured, generating an instant alert if tampered with.
Boat owners can establish a geofence around their vessels, receiving alerts if the boat moves outside the designated area. Furthermore, they will be notified if the boat starts dragging anchor or drifts from its mooring.
Featuring external GNSS and LTE antennas, the Dometic Marine Gateway can be mounted in various locations aboard the vessel. Its low energy consumption makes it suitable for long-term storage, while its internal backup battery ensures operation during power outages. The technology also integrates with the Dometic DCM Digital Switching system.
In early 2023, the company plans to roll out global roaming LTE subscription options to support its Marine Gateway system. www.dometic.com
Antenna Check
Enhance your VHF radio performance with the new 4’ Glomex RA300 Glomeasy VHF antenna, developed by GA Communications for optimal long-range transmission and reception.
Although many boaters carry mobile phones on board, they aren’t always dependable for deep offshore trips. A VHF radio remains a crucial connection to shore and nearby vessels.
The Glomex RA300 antenna operates within a frequency range of 156/162 MHz, featuring a 3dB average gain. With a maximum input power of 100W and a 50-ohm impedance, GA Communications notes that it is vertically polarized to reduce signal reflection on water.
The antenna, which comes with a lifetime warranty, features a fiberglass tube that resists stress and is coated with a special anti-yellowing paint. An FME connector allows for quick and straightforward installation. The 5/8” x 24” threaded ferrule fits various universal mounts, including the versatile Glomeasy RA107SSFME with the RA358 adapter.
This complete setup is relatively affordable at $205 for the antenna, mount, and adapter—ensuring increased safety on the water. Glomex also offers matching FM and AIS antennas within its Glomeasy series. www.glomex.us
Music on the Go
Occasionally, spending time at the sandbar doesn’t necessitate cranking up the boat’s stereo. For a quieter experience, check out the new portable waterproof JBL by Harman Flip 6 speaker.
The portable speaker from PopSpec Electronics is entirely waterproof and perfect for trips to the sandbar or beach. It features Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity and has a playtime of up to 12 hours. A full recharge takes 2-1/2 hours.
The Flip 6 two-way speaker system features a unique racetrack-shaped 20W RMS woofer, a distinct 10W RMS tweeter, and dual bass radiators that enhance sound quality. With a frequency response of 63Hz–20kHz and a signal-to-noise ratio of >80dB, the speaker provides accurate highs and lows.
The Flip 6 allows connection to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously for music sharing. The JBL PartyBoost technology enables pairing with another compatible device for true left/right stereo sound, or linking with multiple PartyBoost speakers for a cinematic audio experience. The JBL portable app also allows users to tweak sound settings and optimize audio quality.
The Flip 6 is available in nine colors and is priced at $129.95.
www.prospecelectronics.com
Lithium Battery Fire Stopper
Lithium batteries enable boaters to enhance their electronics and features without significant weight increases. Though infrequent, lithium batteries can ignite, and traditional fire suppression methods are not always effective.
Sea-Fire Marine has introduced a new line of portable fire extinguishers specifically designed to suppress lithium battery fires, developed by LiCELL, and tailored to specific boat sizes while not substituting fixed suppression systems.
Lithium batteries power a variety of handheld devices from smartphones to toys like drones, and are increasingly being used for air-conditioning systems, trolling motors, and various electronics.
In the event of a lithium battery cell failure, heat can transfer to neighboring cells, potentially triggering a cascading combustion sequence known as thermal runaway.
The LiCELL extinguishers utilize Aqueous Vermiculite Dispersion (AVD) as a suppression agent, which encapsulates the fire source. This creates a non-flammable barrier that suffocates flames while also cooling the area to halt thermal runaway. The AVD agent is both non-toxic and environmentally friendly.
LiCELL AH Series rechargeable handheld extinguishers feature stainless-steel cylinders and are available in sizes of 1, 2, 6, and 9 liters. They offer discharge times of 25, 50, 120, and 180 seconds, respectively, with a range of 6-1/2 feet. Sea-Fire Marine is expected to introduce a fixed system in the future.
LiCELL AH Series refillable extinguishers start at $149.99. www.sea-fire.com
New Simrad Radars Amplify Performance
It’s widely accepted that following birds offshore often leads to locating bait fish, ultimately guiding you to the catch you seek.
Simrad Yachting has recently launched two advanced radars, the HALO 2000 and HALO 3000. A notable feature is the Bird+ Mode on the HALO 3000 radar, concentrating 130 watts of power to identify bird flocks up to 8 nautical miles away.
While the technology isn’t novel, the HALO 3000 elevates radar performance. Radars are expected to manage a variety of tasks, including weather sweeps, navigational safety, and targeting birds.
“When you consider finding birds versus ensuring navigational safety, you’re requiring the radar to handle two different tasks simultaneously,” stated Laurie Bates, product director of digital systems at Navico Group. “For navigation, you’d typically optimize settings for near distances, allowing for a quicker rotation rate.
“In contrast, for bird detection, you’re searching for weaker targets, necessitating a slower rotation rate to achieve more hits (or energy) on the target. These conflicting requirements combine to present a challenge for the radar.”
Switching to Bird+ mode allows the radar to utilize a lower range resolution to detect bird groupings effectively.
“It’s not about introducing new technology; it’s just our exclusive way of shaping the pulse,” Bates explained. “Our competitors also have bird modes with their unique pulse schemes, but the (pulse schemes) are essentially the secret ingredient in radar technology.”
Most boaters utilize this technology for collision avoidance, weather forecasting, and navigation assistance. The new HALO 2000 and HALO 3000 systems feature pulse compression with high power and enhanced detection ranges.
The HALO 3000 boasts 130 watts of power, offering visibility out to 96 nautical miles, while the HALO 2000 supplies 50 watts with a range of 72 nautical miles. The HALO, for instance, provides 25 watts more power compared to its predecessor.
Further technical advancements include ZoneTrack, an automatic radar tracking feature that can follow and monitor up to 50 objects within a chosen area. The Dangerous Target Alerts feature identifies ranges, displaying bearing and heading of surrounding boats. Velocity Track visualizes potential threats through color coding.
Although these new radars are targeted towards the new boat market, the HALO 2000 and HALO 3000 can be retrofitted onto older center-console boats. They share the same footprint as earlier HALO radars, utilizing identical bolt holes, radar interface connections, and processing units. Bates confirmed that all components within the pedestal are updated.
Compatibility is crucial between the radar systems and multifunction displays. Radars are typically replaced every five to seven years, while touchscreen displays have a shorter lifespan of three to four years.
“We strive to cater to the retrofit market in making the installation of new products straightforward and ensuring compatibility with earlier generations of (multifunction displays),” Bates remarked. “However, we won’t go too far back to avoid the complications associated with software management for OLED display products, making it a balancing act.”
The HALO 2000 can operate with existing HALO cables, while the HALO 3000 necessitates new cabling, Bates noted.
“The updated cables have thicker cores and additional cores to transport higher voltage, reducing concerns regarding voltage drops,” he explained.
The HALO 2000 is priced at $6,399, while the HALO 3000 starts at $8,999.
www.simrad-yachting.com