John Vo knows nil about boats. He says it’s ideal for an e-boat builder. “People ask us what experience we have, and I say, ‘Zip. Nothing. Zero,’” says Vo, whose team at Blue Innovations Group is preparing to launch its first electric boat, the R30, this autumn. “But you can’t use the same people from the same industry to revolutionize themselves.”

Vo, the former head of manufacturing for Tesla, is just one among many minds trying to bring electric-powered boats into widespread production. So many longtime boatbuilders are transitioning from internal-combustion to electric power, and so many other builders are popping up anew, that the president of the American Boat and Yacht Council says his agency’s safety experts are being “bombarded” with requests about technology that’s changing by the day. E-boat prototypes and launches are coming from long-standing marine brands such as Chris-Craft (the Launch 25 GTe) and Four Winns (the H2e) at the same time that newer brands are promising everything from an electric dayboat (the Blue Innovations R30) to a catamaran with world-cruising capability, but without generators or fuel tanks (the Zen50).

And as the boats get bigger than about 30 feet length overall, trying to understand all the different ways they can work becomes even more of a challenge.

“I expect, in the nautical industry, we will have full-electric propulsion, but we can expect hybrid energy,” says Michael Jost, founder of eD-TEC, an electric-propulsion system that will be on the Silent Speed 28 tender at the Cannes Yachting Festival this autumn. “There will be smaller boats that can run fully electric, and the bigger boats will have fully electric propulsion but hybrid energy.”

Before joining the marine community, Jost was a manager at Volkswagen, helping to lead its transition to electric power in vehicles. He says the recreational marine industry today is where automotive was decades ago: filled with ideas and trying to learn what the broader marketplace solutions will be. The difference between automotive and marine, he says, is that with marine, you can go from displacement to gliding to foiling.

That’s right: Foiling technology that lifts boats off the water’s surface is also part of e-boat thinking today—so are wing sails, which most boaters recognize as part of the high-tech builds used for America’s Cup racing. And, of course, there’s ever more ways to install solar power, which can help recharge the banks of batteries that make electric boats go.

Every possible idea is on the table, Jost says, because the way cruising boats have always been built just isn’t efficient enough for the switch to e-power, which includes heavy batteries that weigh boats down. “The boats of today are not true,” Jost says. “If you have a bad boat, you don’t see it. You put more power, more gasoline inside, and then you are happy. But if you go electric, you are not happy because you don’t get the range. The boat has to be much more efficient than an internal-combustion boat—and the boat business does not want to change the hull. That’s why we are looking to support builders working with the hydrodynamic foils.”

Vo says his team at Blue Innovations Group is also trying to think differently about boat design: Forget about the hulls that traditional molds were built to create, and wonder instead about what might be possible from scratch. “In the old days, anybody who came to Tesla with a long automotive resume, we threw it in the trash,” Vo says. “Otherwise, you’ve got these people with a lot of experience, and they can overwhelm you. Instead of building your vision, they will try to assimilate you, and you revolutionize nothing. You just add another mediocre company. It’s difficult but necessary for us not to hire anybody with boat experience until we reach a critical mass and launch the product. At that point, we’d be stupid not to incorporate their experience into our process.”

Then again, brands with marine experience are also trying to lead. At Mercury Marine, vice president of e-solutions Perissa Bailey—who previously was director of technology at Ford Motor Co.—says it’s understood that electric boats are still in the phase of early adopters, with companies trying to figure out exactly what consumers want. One thing they know for sure at Mercury Marine, she says: “They don’t want to compromise the time they spend on the water. In the early electrification days in automotive, there were a lot of questions about range anxiety. It forced consumers to think about how many miles they drive a day and what’s the cost of ownership for an electric vehicle for that many miles. We’re going through that same learning curve in marine. Customers are saying, ‘If my leisure boating activity typically consists of this many hours on the water, I don’t want to compromise that just because I go electric. And if there’s a series of activities I do, if I’m [riding on a PWC] or fishing or whatever I do, I don’t want to compromise those either if I go electric. I don’t want to have to adapt my usage pattern to a technology. I want the technology to adapt to that usage pattern.’”

The trick is that the technological solution for a boater who wants to cruise to dinner and back is likely to be far different from the solution for a boater who wants to cruise off the grid for months, says Julien Melot, CEO and designer at Zen Yachts, which is preparing to launch the Zen50 catamaran. It has solar power, along with a wingsail, with the latter adding the long-distance range that previous models lacked. “The last boat was great for coastal cruising, but I would not have sold it to a family that wants to cross the Pacific. If it gets cloudy or overcast, the laws of physics apply, and you won’t have enough power to escape the storm,” Melot says. “On the Zen50, with the addition of the wingsail, that problem is solved.”

As with some of the other brands in the e-boat space, Zen Yachts is seeing early adopters who don’t necessarily fit the profile of traditional boaters. “Our client base is not experienced sailors,” he says. “They are more attracted by the fact that you are self-reliant. If the world collapses one more time, they know they can take their boat out, and they’ll be fine.”

And some leaders in this space are already thinking past the boats. They’re focusing instead on where boaters will want to go, as more styles of e-boats take to the water. Silent-Resorts, which is affiliated with the catamaran builder Silent-Yachts, is now creating destinations to harness electric power and make recharging easy for all types of boats, no matter what comes next. The first location, in the Bahamas, is scheduled to finish construction later this year, with build-out starting on the second location, in Fiji, around that same time. “We’re talking with all the builders,” says Victor Barrett, CEO of Silent-Resorts. “We’re setting up in areas where cruising is popular, and we’re setting up the micro grid that connects the marinas, facilities and residences. If you have a house that’s not occupied, all that power is going into the central grid so the boats can plug in, charge fast and go. The boats can feed power into the island as well. We’ll be the first company in multiple locations to have Silent-Marinas ready to accept electric boats.”

All these advancements, of course, are far from inexpensive. The cost of a Blue Innovations Group R30 is about $300,000. The Silent Speed 28, Jost says, is likely to retail for about 500,000 euros (that was about $550,000 at press time). “The batteries are expensive,” Jost says. “You need new software. You have to develop it. And you have to make it lightweight. It might take about five years for the price to come down.” Until then, expect to pay as much as $440,000 to $660,000 for e-boats up to about 30 feet length overall, he adds. “It’s double what you pay for an outboard system, but the scale of combustion comes from the automotive industry, so if that industry loses scale by going electric, you will also lose that scale for the nautical industry on combustion.”

And the people buying e-boats right now often care more about innovation than prices. Melot says four Zen50 catamarans have been sold. The first and third are going to the East and West coasts in the United States; the other two are headed to Europe. Three of the four clients are Tesla shareholders. “Typically, the clients already have an electric car, they already have solar panels on their home, and the next thing they can buy is an electric boat,” he says, adding that for these folks, electric power is the top consideration. “They don’t want to hear about a yacht that has diesel on board.”

Deep Blue

Torqeedo’s Deep Blue 100i 2500 is an inboard system that provides 100 kW of continuous power for planing powerboats. It’s made with the same type of lithium batteries that are now found in some cars, but with components that are waterproof and that come with monitoring to guard against short circuits. The company offers a nine-year warranty for boats in private use, with the hope that the long guarantee will help customers feel secure about the type of power. Torqeedo also markets Deep Blue as low-maintenance and emission-free.

Taking Orders Now

Blue Innovations Group is taking reservations for the R30, which is expected to cost about $300,000. Customers who put down $5,000 can get one of the first 100 hulls. For $1,000, customers can be next in line after that. As of this writing, more than 50 reservations were in hand.

For Day Cruising

While some e-boat builders are trying to solve design challenges for long-distance cruising, Blue Innovations Group is starting with a dayboat. The 30-foot R30 will have the capacity to carry 12 people with an estimated run time of eight hours and a top hop of 39 knots.

Even Stronger

Swedish e-boat builder X Shore recently announced a partnership with the German company Bosch Engineering to improve the performance and efficiency on the drive system aboard the 21-foot X Shore 1. Bosch’s background is in passenger cars, commercial vehicles, RVs, rail, ships and other industries. This partnership marks Bosch’s first foray into the world of e-boats for leisure use. The goal of the partnership is to share series production experience as well as proven high-performance components from the automotive world.

Floating Solar Concept

The team working on creating Silent-Resorts is talking with government officials in Fiji about deploying a floating ring that collects rainwater and generates solar power as an eco-friendly way to address two of the biggest challenges that hamper island development. Eventually, a similar system may also launch in the Bahamas.

The post The Rise of E-Boat Technology appeared first on Yachting.

As the closest Bahamian port to the United States, Bimini is an easy and fun weekend run from South Florida for cruisers. And Bimini’s excellent sport fishing, snorkeling and scuba diving have given this pair of tiny islands an outsize reputation as a popular cruising destination.

Bimini Big Game Club Resort & Marina

Bimini is known as the sport-fishing capital of the world. Since 1936, this pioneering outfitter in Alice Town on North Bimini has hosted boats that ply the warm waters along the western edge of the Gulf Stream, where charter clients have bagged brag-worthy specimens of bonefish, billfish and tuna over the decades. The resort is just as well known for its dive center, founded in 1975 by Neal Watson, president of the Bahamas Dive Association. The resort’s lively Bimini Seafood Co. & Conch Bar is a popular spot for its weekly theme nights (including Lobster Sundays) and international sporting events on its big screens.

The Sapona Wreck

If only the weather-worn walls of the SS Sapona could talk. This wreck that’s now a navigational landmark for cruisers and a popular fishing, diving and snorkeling destination had originally been destined to serve as a cargo vessel during World War I, but its production ran longer than the war did. A Florida rum runner used the ship briefly as a floating warehouse in Bahamian waters during Prohibition until a hurricane ran it aground in 1926 just a few miles off Bennett’s Harbor in South Bimini. With a maximum depth of only 20 feet, the Sapona appeals to divers and snorkelers of all skill levels who frequently spot barracuda, triggerfish, large lobsters and many other species among the ship’s spooky, rusty remains.  joe’s conch shack There’s a reason there’s usually a line at this small, open-air conch shack between Bailey Town and Resorts World. The freshness and generous portions of the conch salad—usually handmade by Joe himself—make Joe’s Conch Shack a must-stop on any Bimini itinerary. Grab a Kalik beer—especially if you liberally apply the pepper sauce to the conch salad—and enjoy this refreshing island staple along with the harbor views.

Edith’s Pizza & Bahamian Food

Lobster pizza, using the sweet local style of Bimini bread dough for its crust, is the calling card of this island favorite on King’s Highway near Bailey Town. Pick up this distinctive pie for lunch or dinner any day of the week.

Dolphin House Museum

For 30 years, this “poem in stone” has provided a touch of whimsy and artistry in Alice Town. Local author and historian Ashley Saunders assembled this three-story museum from treasures collected on Bimini’s beaches and from recycled materials around the island. Colorful mosaics line the walls, populated by pods of dolphins like the one that first inspired Saunders’ creation. The artist himself is often on-site, providing guided tours to visitors and adding new scenes to his remarkable labor of love.

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Riva’s Rivamare is a cozy, finely fashioned dayboat with overnight capabilities. Designed by the Ferretti Group and Officina Italiana Design, the Rivamare has a cockpit with a U-shaped settee and a mahogany table, a mini beach club, two sun pads aft and the brand’s trademark searchlight encased in stainless steel. 

Twin 400 hp Volvo Penta D6 sterndrives power the Rivamare to a 40-knot top hop. Belowdecks are a galley, a head with a separate shower and a convertible V-berth. As of September, there were 20 Rivamares available, ranging from $749,999 to $1,309,585.  

From the Archive

“The Rivamare has lines as unmistakably Italian as they are unmistakably Riva. Sleek, almost bordering on sensual, they create a sexy boat. She comes in a variety of color schemes, all accented by a stainless-steel prow. Her sharply raked windscreen is made of five pieces of laminated crystal glass encased in a stainless-steel frame for extra rigidity. Closer to her stern, there’s even more stainless steel in the form of grilles on her bulwarks.”

— Yachting, December 2016

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Come wintertime, the upper regions of New York state are susceptible to a phenomenon known as lake-effect snow. It happens when cold Canadian air courses over the relatively warm Great Lakes, and the atmospheric merger of the two can produce snowfalls ranging from dustings to blizzards.

Last spring, I experienced a different sort of lake effect, one that afflicts ocean sailors who test their skills on rarely visited inland waters. This happened when I joined my J/24 racing mates from Newport, Rhode Island, for a jaunt northward to New York’s serene and scenic Lake George for the one-design class’s US National Championship regatta.

While doing our homework for the racing, I came across an interview with the event chair, local sailor Alfie Merchant, on Sail-World.com that was somewhat surprising. “Lake George is a special place,” he said. “I do not believe people come here for the great sailing. The wind will probably be from the west straight over the mountains about a quarter mile away and 1,000 vertical feet. It will be very fluky in terms of direction and strength. It is Lake George, so we will be lucky to get three races in over three days, but 10 races are max for the series. Visitors call Lake George Left George. Guess why. Because the local knowledge is to go left no matter where the wind comes from.”

Wait, the event chair says people don’t come for the great sailing? From a guy promoting the allure of his own regatta, that was unexpected.

With that, the racing commenced. And the first day was a shocker from the outset. On J/24s, the major “sails call” is whether to race with the full-size genoa or the smaller jib. It’s usually a no-brainer; the larger genoa is almost always the correct way to go. But with the north wind hovering around 20 knots, there was no clear-cut answer. We started with the genoa, but changed to the jib midway through the first race. And, once again, in the second. And the third. I’ve done ocean races, it seemed, with fewer sail changes.

But Lake George was in a feisty mood: On Day 1 alone, there was an unheard-of six man-overboard situations. While everyone was recovered safely, it was a wild day. And the race committee knocked off four races. So much for the event chair’s three-race prediction.

Aboard our entry, Crack of Noon, it was an uneven series. We started strong, faltered in the middle of the seven-race series and finished right in the middle of the 43-boat fleet. The winner, North Sails pro Mike Marshall, sails in our local Newport fleet, so there was mild vindication there. At least someone from Newport figured out the lake.

Otherwise, it was a tremendous regatta. The competition was tight, and the racing was clean and fun. The host, Lake George Club, was friendly and efficient, and did a great job on the water and with the shore-side parties. The venue was terrific; the lush, green Adirondack Mountains rimming the lake were a beautiful backdrop, so different from our usual racetrack on Narragansett Bay. And while we did indeed take the local knowledge to heart, favoring the left whenever possible, the beneficial wind shifts all seemed to fill in from the right. So much for Left George.

All in all, however, it was a fantastic experience and one we’d return to anytime. As it turned out, we did indeed come for the sailing, which was challenging and exciting. And while we never did effectively figure out Lake George, it was pretty darn good all the same.

The post An Ocean Sailor Tries Freshwater Racing appeared first on Yachting.

The Candela C-8 Center Console is an electric, carbon-fiber yacht that rides on two hydrofoils. The boat’s onboard sensors constantly measure wave and ride height, plus pitch and roll. This information is fed into the vessel’s Flight Controller, which trims the foils up to 6,000 times per minute, removing all guesswork from “flying” the boat. In addition, the vessel’s 55-kilowatt C-POD drive is situated below the water’s surface. Its foils retract for accessing skinny waters, and owners can choose from a menu of customization options.

Whom It’s For: Adventure-minded boaters who want speed, performance and hydrofoil tech without the noise of an internal-combustion engine.

Picture This: It’s a crisp, clear late-summer afternoon on Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay, and you feel like having an adventure. So you and a couple of buddies hop in your Candela C-8 Center Console and hydrofoil around Jamestown Island, stopping for a swim at Mackerel Cove. And you’re back in Newport in time for dinner at The Candy Store.  

Take the next step: candela.com

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Horizon Yachts’ Fast Displacement yacht series, penned by designer Cor D. Rover, is notable for its broad shoulders and high freeboard. These yachts carry measurable beam forward to enhance interior and exterior volume, with a wave-splitting bow design and admirable performance across a wide spectrum of speeds.

The latest launch in the series, which runs from 75 feet to 125 feet length overall, is the FD110 Tri-Deck. In profile, this yacht is nicely balanced across its three well-proportioned levels. Rover uses all available real estate not only to carry exterior lines evenly, but also to get the most out of the living and stowage spaces. Structural glass across all decks helps to lower the vessel’s profile visually while providing natural light inside.

As just one example of how large the interior feels, the salon has a whopping 87-inch TV in the after starboard quarter, and the screen seems small. Side sliding doors measuring 71 inches high provide ocean vistas from the formal dining space. Blackout curtains help control lighting and privacy.

A plush L-shaped sofa to port is accented by a tiered coffee table and several barrel chairs. Each seat has a view of the TV. Low-profile cabinetry housing the china divides the salon from the wood dining table that seats 10 on high-back, swivel chairs. With an open design concept, the entire area is airy, welcoming and set up for entertaining.

The interior is contemporary and warm, aided in part by washed wenge wood with oak and walnut accents. Want something different? The builder offers owners a high level of customization when it comes to woods, finishes, furnishings and the like.

Forward, the galley can be closed off during provisioning and meal prep, and then opened for service. That means closing not only the doorways, but also the center counter facing the salon, where an actuated opaque glass wall can be raised and lowered. Eight fridge and freezer drawers, along with a full-height refrigerator, allow plenty of space for provisions for extended voyages. A Miele four-burner cooktop and convection oven, a Wolf microwave and a dishwasher are here, with stowage that includes a 78-inch-high pullout pantry. A center island adds counter space for prep and plating.

An on-deck master stateroom is forward with a centerline king berth, a starboard sofa and, to port, a lighted vanity that doubles as a desk. This space is a whisper-quiet escape from the crowd. Rectangular side windows flank the berth, bringing in natural light and providing unobstructed ocean views. Forward is the his-and-hers head with a central rain shower.

Guest accommodations include four staterooms belowdecks that are accessed by a single staircase and foyer. Mirrored VIP staterooms with queen berths are amidships with 32-inch TVs and en suite heads. Hullside windows with portholes allow light into the lower deck. Stowage is in drawers, vanities, walk-in closets and nightstands.

The guest stateroom to port has twin berths that slide together for couples, an en suite head and a 32-inch flat-screen TV. A VIP guest stateroom is in the forepeak with a queen berth and an en suite head.

There are options for the stateroom locations, as well as crew quarters. Crew spaces can be abaft the engine room or forward of the guest staterooms, which means removing the VIP. In either configuration, there’s a captain’s cabin and two twin-berth cabins for crew, all en suite. Another nice touch is the yacht’s separate laundry room with a Miele washer and dryer, counter space for folding, and stowage for supplies.

The seemingly endless-space concept hits stride on the yacht’s aft deck. Surrounding a teak dining table are a transom bench seat and three cushioned sofas. A two-tiered bar with twin fixed bar stools to starboard is an elegant inclusion.

Up in the pilothouse on the sky-lounge deck, three Stidd helm chairs allow the captain and crew, or guests, to keep eyes on the operations. The helm console has four 24-inch Garmin GPSMap multifunction displays, Simrad autopilot, two Garmin VHF radios, PTZ cameras and more. Side doors lead to the deck wing stations for docking. Abaft the helm seats is a sofa for more guests to enjoy the bird’s-eye view of the surroundings.

Abaft the pilothouse—which can be closed off with pocket doors and a high-low privacy screen—is the sky lounge. Relaxing on the L-shaped sofa or barrel chairs, guests will find a cozy space for an afternoon nap or to catch the game on the 55-inch TV. A wine chiller is here, along with a unit housing a fridge, a freezer, an ice maker and a sink. A day head is in the after corner.

Out the aft doors is yet another lounge area with a sofa and a table, and room for personal watercraft on dedicated cradles. For more water-toy space, there is a 2,500-pound-capacity hydraulic swim platform, as well as a 2,500-pound davit. To make room for all that gear and tender management, Horizon put the hot tub forward of the pilothouse. Guests can relax under the sun on U-shaped settees or oversize sun pads with an awning for shade.

The top deck is dedicated to entertaining. A round sun pad is forward, with an L-shaped sofa under the integrated radar arch and hardtop. An after sun pad is set up for additional guests. A wet bar with a fridge and an ice maker reduces the number of trips below for refreshments.

When it comes to performance, the FD110 is powered by twin 1,900 hp Caterpillar C32A diesel engines that propel its 348,330 pounds up to 18.6 knots at wide open. Cruising at 14 knots, the engines burn 100 gph, providing an effective range of 763 nautical miles. The fast-displacement design lets the FD110 cruise comfortably between 8 and 16 knots. At 16 knots, range is about 600 nm. At 10 knots, the FD110 has an effective range of more than 2,000 nm. Dial it back to 8 knots, and the range jumps to more than 3,000 nm.

With striking lines, impressive spaces, efficient operation and a high level of customization, the Horizon FD110 Tri-Deck can take owners anywhere they want to point the bow, in comfort and luxury.  

Skyline Option

If owners prefer a different look and layout, Horizon offers the FD110 in a Skyline option. That version has an enclosed pilothouse and no upper deck. The overall displacement is reduced by about 20,000 pounds, and draft goes from 5 feet, 11 inches in the Tri-Deck version to 5 feet, 9 inches in the Skyline.  

Ready for Fun

Geared for owners who are active in watersports, or for a similar charter program, the FD110 can handle an array of toys: personal watercraft, paddleboards, underwater scooters and more. Access to the water is via the hydraulic swim platform, making it easy to jump on the toys and go.

A Hull of a Boat

Horizon’s bow design, called the High Performance Piercing Bow, doesn’t just push the water away; it slices through it. This feature, along with the hybrid hull shape and prop-tunnel design, improves the FD110’s fuel efficiency and range of cruising speeds.

Take the next step: horizonyachtusa.com

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Biofuel is now a reality for yachts built by Azimut-Benetti Group, which is working with Eni Sustainable Mobility to fill yacht fuel tanks with HVOlution. It’s a biofuel made from hydrogenated vegetable oil that can reduce emissions up to 90 percent, the builder says (and whose raw materials do not compete with the food chain).

Azimut-Benetti is starting by using the biofuel for technical testing on its yachts and by allowing owners to take delivery of new yachts with biofuel in the tanks. The first yacht used to promote the partnership with Eni Sustainable Mobility was an Azimut Magellano 60 this past June.

Going forward, Azimut-Benetti plans to create refueling sites for owners of its yachts. The first of those sites is expected to be in Italy, where Azimut-Benetti is based.

Eni Sustainable Mobility: A New Chapter in Fuel

Italy-based Eni has been around since 1953. It’s a company with global operations focused on natural gas, oil, electricity and renewable fuels. The wholly owned Eni Sustainable Mobility company began operations in January with a focus on organic fuels, biomethane, electric recharging and similar-minded projects. The HVOlution biofuel that Azimut-Benetti is now using is just one of the company’s alternative-fuel offerings; it also provides hydrogen, liquefied natural gas and other choices.

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For many owners and charterers, a superyacht is a treasured place to relax in privacy. The trouble, of course, is that these yachts can sometimes be tempting flyby targets for unmanned aerial vehicles at the hands of recreational operators or paparazzi.

The good news? Countermeasures exist.

Marss Group’s NiDAR CUAS Compact system (NiDAR Core is the company’s software-based AI platform, while CUAS means counter unmanned aerial systems) can detect and thwart up to 1,000 drones. The customizable system uses artificial intelligence and sensors for drone detection and optional electronic countermeasures, with the software-driven setup being updated monthly to keep owners ahead of the UAV technology curve.

To understand this technology, consider that consumer-level UAVs rely on two sets of radio-frequency communications. The first set includes flight-path commands that are relayed to the UAV from the human-operated controller via telemetry and the (ballpark) 2.4-gigahertz frequency band. The second set transmits the UAV’s video imagery back to its operator at about 5.8 GHz. While modern drones use frequency-hopping schemes to help ensure connectivity in RF-rich environments like cities, most UAVs are programmed to return to their operator if their RF stream is interrupted.

Sharp readers just spied an Achilles’ heel. Where there are communications, it’s also possible to jam them.

The NiDAR CUAS Compact (from around $250,000) has networked sensors and smart software that’s bundled inside a mast-mounted radome, plus a belowdecks black box that networks with the superyacht’s navigation system. Customers can spec a range of sensors (and countermeasures), and the system can sometimes use the yacht’s existing networked instrumentation.

“It’s a multilayered approach,” says Johannes Pinl, CEO and founder of the Marss Group. “There’s not one solution that fits all.”

The updatable NiDAR Core acts as the system’s centralized brain by drawing on different sensors—such as daylight and thermal- imaging cameras, Doppler-enabled radars and RF-detection sensors—to detect and identify multiple targets before alerting a human operator with a suggested response. Pinl says the omnidirectional RF-detection sensors can spot a microsize drone at 6-plus miles, sometimes with its precise location, altitude and speed. The system’s radar is composed of four high-definition solid-state radar panels on the radome’s lower pedestal, delivering 360-degree coverage. This radar can spot a recreational-level UAV at almost 1 mile out, and its Doppler post-processing provides flight-pattern information that can help the system differentiate UAVs from seabirds.

Most systems employ two cameras: one daylight/low-light camera with a 14x continuous optical zoom and one thermal-imaging camera with a 30x continuous optical zoom. These are housed in a radome that can pan through 360 degrees and tilt through minus 45 degrees to plus 90 degrees. These cameras also help identify potential threats, with live video feeds of the target(s) on networked displays or tablets.

NiDAR Core also uses the video feed to perform AI-driven image classification for fixed-wing drones, quadcopters, seagulls and such. For example, Marss trained NiDAR Core to know that birds flap their wings roughly once every three seconds. If wing motion isn’t detected, the absence can escalate a detection situation.

While the NiDAR CUAS Compact system can automatically identify, track and defeat UAVs, it is built with a human-on-the-loop scheme where input from a person is required to initiate countermeasures. This setup also creates what Marss calls “hybrid” intelligence between the system’s AI and its human operator.

System- and vessel-depending, these countermeasures often start off analog before going digital. For example, crewmembers can alert the yacht’s helicopter about a potential hazard or advise anyone enjoying the yacht’s sun decks of the situation, and suggest that they relocate.

Should the drones linger, the next step sometimes involves jamming the drones’ Achilles’ heels and sending them home. While effective, this step can include legal concerns.

“Jammers are not allowed to be used in all jurisdictions,” Pinl says, adding, “They are allowed to be owned in most of the jurisdictions and, in general, are allowed to be used in international water.”

Most recreational drones share these RF vulnerabilities; however, savvy operators sometimes program their UAVs to fly pre-scripted routes, and they set the drone’s camera to record its video imagery locally. These actions close the door on telemetric countermeasures.

The fine print on jamming is that these devices are often legal to own, but they can be illegal to use. As a result, such countermeasures are typically reserved for installations that protect heads of state (see sidebar). Marss does offer GPS jammers on some high-end military-facing systems, and customers can also sometimes buy this technology from third-party vendors.

So, if you aren’t interested in providing headline fodder for the paparazzi, investing in a Marss NiDAR CUAS Compact system could be wise. Timing, of course, matters, and Pinl advises against waiting until a crewmember discovers a UAV with flat batteries perched on the helipad (a true story).

Physical Countermeasures

While electromagnetic pulses and lasers are years away, Marss’ AI-guided Interceptor is a counter-UAV system that’s designed to protect heads of state, ships and military installations. Each Interceptor can fly at almost 180 mph to autonomously defeat multiple small and medium-size UAVs at ranges over 3 miles using battering-ram tactics.

The post MARSS’ NiDAR CUAS Compact System Ensures Privacy appeared first on Yachting.

For centuries, boaters have been drawn to Norfolk, Virginia, as the unofficial center of the Tidewater region. The city has the Elizabeth River (shown at right) to its west and the Chesapeake Bay to its north, creating all kinds of options for recreational cruising. Norfolk is also home to the world’s largest naval base, the US Navy’s Naval Station Norfolk, and to a NATO Strategic Command headquarters. Forget about yacht-spotting in vacation destinations like Monaco or St. Barts; ship-spotting the impressive military vessels that operate in these waters is a delight that cannot be experienced anywhere else.

There are nearly a dozen marinas for recreational boaters in Norfolk proper, with more in nearby Portsmouth and Chesapeake, Virginia. Local knowledge for maintenance and service is quite strong, given that some of the greatest naval-thinking minds on the planet are here.

When it’s time to get off the boat and explore, Downtown Norfolk lines the waterfront and is packed with restaurants, shops, nightlife and other attractions. The Nauticus maritime discovery center has the battleship Wisconsin on-site and open for tours, along with exhibits and classes for adults and kids alike.

Just a few of the eateries in this part of the city include the Blue Moon Taphouse, with live music and rooftop seating; the Carolina Cupcakery, serving 365 flavors of the sweet stuff; and the PBR Norfolk, which is a country bar with free eight-second rides on a mechanical bull. The first Friday of every month, there’s no cover charge for military personnel, veterans, first responders and public-service members—who also get to  skip the line at the door.

Boaters seeking a different kind of entertainment can check out the nearby Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Virginia Stage Co. This fall’s family-friendly offerings include a Halloween Spooktacular at the symphony, as well as the classic musical “Fiddler on the Roof” at the theater.

Marinas

Some of the options for tying up in Norfolk include Little Creek Marina, which offers transient dockage year-round for boats up to 120 feet length overall. And they’ll let you stay for up to a month in the transient slip. Waterside Marina is where to see the superyachts, with dockage for boats up to 300 feet long. This marina is within walking distance of the Waterside District, including the Nauticus maritime discovery center and Harbor Park Stadium, home of the AAA baseball team the Norfolk Tides. Morningstar Little Creek Marina has slips for boats as big as 65 feet, with daily and weekly bookings for transients. There’s a restaurant on-site.

Glass Art

If you’re looking to get off the boat for a couple of days and relax in a hotel downtown, consider the Glass Light Hotel and Gallery. It is home to the Perry Glass Art Collection, with a rotating selection of pieces on display from local and international artists. It’s a big collection, spanning two floors and about 65 pieces. The Gallery is open to the public, with free entry for hotel guests. Also part of this hotel is the Glass Light restaurant, whose menu is packed with French-inspired New American cuisine. The restaurant serves breakfast as well as dinner, with dishes such as blue crab cavatelli, steak frites, Joyce Farms duck breast and seared tuna.

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Sebastjan Sitar had been thinking a lot about electric bicycles by the time his wife and daughters ran into trouble on the water. They were in a calm lagoon aboard stand-up paddleboards, having a great time, but they got tired and struggled to get back to shore. “If you are going uphill with a bike, you can say, ‘Enough! I don’t want to do this anymore,’ and you can get back,” Sitar says. “I thought there should be the same thing for the water, a safety motor assist.”

He created the company SipaBoards, which he launched with a Kickstarter campaign in 2015. Since then, more than 5,000 SipaBoards have been sold in 26 countries. A few months ago, the SipaBoards Drive Collection was unveiled with three updated board-and-power combos: the Neo ($3,255), Tourer ($3,900) and Allrounder ($3,900). Each has a new modular power-pack system that allows for quicker charging, in addition to a self-inflate system to ease the task of getting the boards ready to use.

“It’s so difficult to inflate the board if you are not super strong,” he says. “With this, you press two or three buttons, and the board is ready. It assists you.”

The whole system is controlled through a smartphone app or a Bluetooth-enabled remote. The newest boards, Sitar says, are 48 percent lighter than the original ones. And, he adds, the newest motor is a lot quieter.

“We work a lot on being as quiet as possible,” he says. “If you want to go on an early-morning paddle, you don’t want to hear the noise of starting up an engine.”

The most common question he receives from yacht owners is whether the battery technology is safe. SipaBoards locate the battery in a fire-resistant housing to prevent problems, he says, adding that other safety considerations have also been top of mind during the product development: “We did a lot to be as harmless as possible for water life, nature,” Sitar says. “We have a small jet that cannot hurt you, that doesn’t damage the environment.”

It all gives yacht owners and guests the option of adding a power-assist to their daily paddle. “You can still do a good workout if you want to,” he says, “but you also have this.”

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