Class B Transponder News

Port Angeles, Wash. boatbuilder BRIX Marine has delivered Kamohoali'i, a state-of-the-art 40- by 14-foot high tunnel catamaran (HTC) purpose-built for Haleiwa Shark Tours on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii.With a full-width open cabin Superstructure on a 4014-CTC hull form, the USCG Subchapter "T" inspected vessel has capacity for 29 passengers and two crew.Kamohoali'i is powered by twin Volvo 380HP D6 diesel engines and features Seastar Optimus inboard steering systems and EPS smartcylinders.The vessel is equipped with a Garmin navigation system…

Port Angeles, Wash. boatbuilder BRIX Marine has launched its newest pilot boat, Aldebaran, for a customer in Central America.The trailerable 11.3-meter-long rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) is powered by twin 300-horsepower Yamaha outboards with 3 bl 15.75" X 18" SS props.The boat's Naiad hull has a 23 degrees progressive deadrise,, 5086 alloy aluminum hull skins, D-shaped foam EV50 (approx.

Pacific Northwest aluminum boatbuilder BRIX Marine announced it has built a new whale watching vessel for Allen Marine Whale Watching Tours in Sitka, Alaska.The custom-built vessel Eagle is 48 feet long with an 18-foot beam, and its lightship weight is approximately 31,000 pounds.Powered by quad Suzuki 350-horsepower engines, the vessel boasts an array of features tailored to elevate the whale watching journey, BRIX Marine said. The vessel is constructed with 5086 alloy aluminum hull skins…

Vesper Marine, a manufacturer of marine safety products, announced a free upgrade for its flagship AIS Class B transponder, the WatchMate Vision, streamlining usability, while adding new safety features and enhancements to the user experience. Preinstalled on all new units, the update is also available at no charge for existing owners. “When we first launched the WatchMate Vision, we raised the bar for boater safety,” said Jeff Robbins, CEO, Vesper Marine. “Today it is the premier AIS safety instrument on the planet.

McMurdo informs it has launched an online resource center at to help impacted vessel operators comply with the requirements of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Automatic Identification System (AIS) Mandate, which becomes effective March 1, 2016. “Many vessel operators are still learning about AIS and there is still a fair amount of confusion about how it works, as well as which AIS device is appropriate for their vessel,” said Randel Maestre, McMurdo Chief Marketing Officer. The resource center, located at info.mcmurdogroup.com/AIS-US-Coast-Guard-Mandate.html, features frequently asked questions and answers about the USCG Mandate, information about McMurdo compliant products, special offers and a McMurdo AIS dealer locator.

Transas has released a new version of Transas Pilot PRO, iPad-based chart plotter for professional pilots and mariners. Transas said its Pilot PRO is designed to make the job easier for pilots and other marine professionals in their daily routine, helping to maintain efficient pilotage and other onboard operations. Version 2.0.5 includes Vessel Parking System (VPS), which ensures high precision docking thanks to real time audiovisual information on external objects and manual Parking Safe Distance limits.

McMurdo, a business of the Orolia Group, announced that Smartfind M5 AIS Class A Transponder is now available. The Smartfind M5 Automatic Identification System (AIS) Class A Transponder, previewed at Marine Equipment Trade Show (METS) 2012 in Amsterdam, is part of McMurdo’s new range of AIS products that reflect its excellence in innovation and advancement in marine technology. The Smartfind M5 AIS Class A Transponder gives mariners the ability to view at a glance the AIS status of vessels all around them and provides access to a host of detailed navigation information.

“The new R5 AIS products from Saab are the first to incorporate software-defined radio (SDR) transceivers together with newly developed high-speed analog-to-digital converters in a type approved Class A system,” says Stefan Karlsson, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Saab TransponderTech. Designed on platforms built to grow with new requirements, the new R5 products feature quick and easy installation of additional units with support for truly redundant/multiple Control and Display Units (CDUs), USB keyboards and flash drives. Sensor information available to R5 transponders can be relayed on the Ethernet interface, and additional CDUs can be used to display and monitor any sensor data available on the network.

Vesper Marine, a manufacturer of marine safety products, has received FCC Approval for its next-generation, all-in-one, dedicated, collision avoidance display, the AISWatchMate 850 Class B Transponder. A self-contained device, the WatchMate 850 offers button-driven menus, built-in GPS antenna, and Class B AIS transponder. The system transmits a boat’s name, size, position, speed and course over AIS channels while simultaneously displaying the information boaters need to interpret potential hazards and react accordingly. www.vespermarine.com/where-to-buy

At the Nor-Shipping exhibition held in Oslo in June, the the Radio Holland Group management signed a contract with Saab TransponderTech, for the distribution and service of the Saab R4 AIS system by all Radio Holland Group branches. The R4 AIS is manufactured by Saab TransponderTech AB and is is the fourth generation of Saab AIS. The R4 Class A Transponder System is type-approved with wheelmark and complies with all international standards for AIS ship systems. Saab is also providing free Seagull computer based training software with every AIS system, training seafarers how to use the AIS equipment. Radio Holland Greece has also announce that as of April 20, they have been approved by Lloyds Register Quality Assurance to the quality management system standard BS EN ISO 9001: 2000.