FIND A LICENSED CAPTAIN, FROM YOUR COUCH

BoatU.S.’s newest offering is an online service that connects boat owners seeking on-the-water transportation services with USCG-licensed delivery captains.

The free service allows all types of boaters to find reliable delivery services in their area. Searches are available by region, and listings include credentials such as USCG licenses held, any special endorsements, knowledge of particular waters or types of boats, locations served, full contact information, and types of delivery services offered (including instruction and hurricane-hole deliveries).

Kristin Loyd, supervisor of special programs for BoatU.S., says that with the recent increase in hurricane activity, more insurance companies are offering to help pay costs related to moving a boat out of harm’s way. And the BoatU.S. Professional Captains Locator Service can help steer you in the right direction.

Whether you are a snowbird meeting your boat in a tropical paradise or delivering a boat to a home dock, the service is a great idea—and it’s free. Visit boatus.com/procaptains to check it out.—C.A.

A NEW CRUISING GUIDE FOR THE SEA OF CORTEZ

Shawn Breeding and Heather Bansmer have been cruising Mexico’s Sea of Cortez since 1993 in their Westsail 32, a yacht superbly equipped for ocean cruising but a bit short on creature comforts. The boat has no refrigeration, and that means no cold beer or ice.

While some might spend their time fretting over what they don’t have, Shawn and Heather put their energy to creative use—exploring and recording information about the sea’s islands, harbors, and best cruising destinations.

Using their talents as photographers, writers, graphic artists, and designers, they have published a new full-color guide to cruising called Sea of Cortez: A Cruiser’s Guidebook. The couple did everything but run the printing press. As a bonus, the guide is printed on waterproof paper and is spiral bound for easy handling.

The book begins with Cabo San Lucas and the cape area of Baja California and takes readers north 600 miles and then clockwise down the mainland coast to Guaymas. The principal focus is on the popular cruising routes in the southern and middle areas of the sea along the Baja peninsula, including information on anchorages and ports of call.

Shawn and Heather offer sound advice, from caution in relying on paper charts that may be inaccurate to buying fuel, shopping for necessities, maintaining your boat, and dealing with health issues. Chartlets are based on WGS 84 datum, and all GPS waypoints and depths in the guide were observed and recorded by Shawn and Heather. While they are sailors, the information is of equal value to the growing number of powerboat cruisers on the Sea of Cortez.

Sea of Cortez: A Cruiser’s Guidebook, priced at $50, is published by Blue Latitude Press of Kirkland, Washington, and is widely available at chandleries and bookstores, or through the publisher at bluelatitudepress.com.—R.M.L.

HELLA’S MEGA BEAM DECK FLOODLIGHT: BUILT TO LAST

When you wake in the middle of the night because you think you’ve heard footsteps on deck, there’s nothing more reassuring than being able to switch on your deck lights. I’ve installed deck light switches next to master berths for this very reason. Deck lights also are handy during those times when you have to take care of certain chores—such as deploying or retrieving a dinghy—in the dark.

In situations like these, the value of a high-power, reliable deck light comes into play, and the LED Mega Beam light from Hella (www.hellamarine.com) fits the bill very nicely.

Ordinary halogen or incandescent deck lights can do the job well, but they have a few problems, the most significant of which is reliability. Simply put, they often burn out or suffer from corrosion in the marine environment. They’re also power hungry. If you inadvertently leave one on for any length of time, you’ll know it quickly: the average halogen H3 bulb draws 55 watts, or about 4.5 amps at 12 volts. Because ordinary deck light fixtures must be serviceable for bulb replacement, they can run the risk of leaking water into the fixture.

The Hella LED Mega Beam deck light suffers from none of these maladies. It’s essentially an install-it-and-forget-it fixture. The Mega Beam’s miserly 7-watt power consumption is a mere 15 percent of that of its halogen cousin. It draws a scant 0.5 amp at 12 volts, and the same fixture will operate very happily on anything between 9 and 30VDC, with no noticeable change in intensity or color.

Finally, the fixture’s rugged, shock- and vibration-resistant LED bulbs will probably never need replacement. The unit I tested had a solid, heavy feel. It’s made from plastic and aluminum with stainless steel mounting brackets and is completely sealed.

The Hella LED Mega Beam deck light might be the last deck light you ever buy.—S.D’A.

FRESHWATER EXPLORER

Nomad, a builder of small vessels suitable for cruising protected freshwater lakes and streams, has just launched the Retractable, a 25-foot aluminum hull with a cabin top that can be lowered by 2 feet, making it easier and less costly to tow.

The Retractable is also easier to store because of its lower profile. The cabin top can be temporarily lowered on the water for clearing low bridges, as well.

A 90hp, four-cycle Honda outboard is standard. With a 135hp outboard, the boat can attain speeds in excess of 30mph. The price for the Nomad is $68,500, including trailer, air conditioner, Honda 3kW generator, 4 cubic-foot fridge, propane system, and more. Visit nomadhouseboats.com.—J.W.

MAKE YOUR POSITION KNOWN WITH NAUTICAST B

Having recently received FCC approval, ACR Electronics Inc., a well-known supplier of marine safety and survival electronics, now introduces Nauticast B, a Class B Automatic Identification System (AIS) transmit-and-receive transponder designed for recreational and small commercial vessels.

An easy-to-install AIS solution with a data power cable and VHF and GPS antennas, Nauticast B announces the identity, position, speed, and course over ground of your vessel to oncoming traffic, a major safety advantage in low-visibility conditions. The Nauticast B AIS RS232 and RS422 NMEA electrical interfaces communicate data directly through onboard chart plotters or laptops.

The Nauticast B AIS also features a remote SRM (safety-related message) send button that will save your precise coordinates during an emergency and immediately issue a distress message to surrounding vessels. The SRM can be configured to allow users to operate in “stealth mode,” only receiving AIS data—not transmitting—to avoid being noticed by pirating vessels.

The retail price for Nauticast B is $1,180. Log on to acrelectronics.com for details.—J.W.

BROADENING HORIZONS

Horizon Yachts, a Kaohsiung, Taiwan-based builder of luxury motoryachts ranging from 53 to 163 feet, recently announced that it is expanding its East Coast sales and service operation.

Roger Sowerbutts will head up the new Horizon Yachts East Coast office, which will likely be based in the Palm Beach, Florida, area. A Horizon Yachts spokesman said the goal of the venture is to “give Horizon customers an enhanced build and ownership experience.”

Roger brings more than 20 years of yacht industry experience—from sales management to chartering—to the Horizon post. For the last five years, he worked for Horizon America, a division of Gilman Yachts, the exclusive East Coast distributor of Horizon yachts for the past decade.

“Gilman Yachts will still be a valuable partner with the Horizon Group, and the knowledge and understanding of the product they have gained over the last 10 years will continue to be of tremendous benefit to the Horizon Group and their customers,” said Horizon Yachts spokesman Vincee Wu.

“With Roger’s understanding of the Horizon Group product and experience in the boating industry, we trust that he and his new sales and service teams will provide the service and support that Horizon customers deserve,” Wu added.

One of Horizon’s newest launches is the Bandido 75, a luxurious, four-stateroom expedition cruiser with ship-like systems and powered by twin 560hp diesels. To find out more about Horizon Yachts, visit horizonyacht.com.—S.B.