GEARHEADS

StuffWantWE

Hot fnds at the super cool Miami Boat Show.

G E A R H E A D S:

BY GHM STAFF

Above: The show oor of the 2014 Miami Boat Show. I’ve been an adrenaline junkie my whole life. I’ve scuba dived with hammerhead sharks, I’ve done backfips from 60-foot-high cliffs, I’ve climbed 14,000-foot mountains and I’ve even texted while driving a moped, although that was at a red light. Yet, the sensory overload delivered by the Miami Boat Show still blows my mind. The breadth of products for water nuts like me is more diverse than the randos in a Star Wars bar scene. From waterproof tape for repairing leaky hoses, to one-step waxes for chalky gelcoat, to 500-plus horsepower outboard engines to $50 million yachts, there is no turn left unstoned, as they now say in Colorado.

I survived fve days in South Beach (basically a real life Star Wars bar) climbing on boats, chatting it up with fshing folks, and trying to limit my intake of Cuban pork. I failed miserably on that last part. Nonetheless, I was able to shovel through the thousands upon thousands of weird and wonderful offerings and identify some of the baddest products to hit the market since the water-powered jet pack, which, by the way, I tested out last year.

The X-Robot

It’s not going to help you catch more fsh—unless you’re picking up some grouper at the fsh market—but this Segway knock-of goes 15 miles on a single charge and even makes geeks look cool. Unlike the Segway, which weighs more than 100 lbs. and is a bit bulky, the iRobotLA is only 30 lbs. and simple to stow away, even in a 17-ft. runabout. Plus, it’s an easy ride, or glide, to use the correct terminology. I cruised around the show foor like a pro on my frst try, then graduated to the hands-free iRobot-SC. Also 15 lbs. with a top speed of 6 mph, it’s kind of like snow skiing on wheels. I turned the gizmo by fexing my knees, just like carving on a groomed ski run. Needless to say, it’s impressive. The price point is about $2,500. Editor’s note: A Segway costs in the $5,000 to $7,500 range, it can travel up to 12 mph and go as far as 25 miles. For the price, ease of use and portability, my money is on the X-Robot. www.x-robot.net

Green Rubber Boats

Infatable dinghies are nothing new. Avon has been pumping them out for more than 50 years. However, AB Infatables introduced a new take on rubber boats with their light, aluminum hull RIBs. Produced in Columbia, South America, they use the same Hypalon outer tubes, but the foor is made with recyclable, marinegrade, unpainted aluminum with a non-skid floor. Best yet, it’s less expensive and lighter than a traditional RIB with a fberglass hull. At the show, the new UL (ultralight) version was outftted with a Torqeedo electric outboard, so not only is the hull environmentally friendly, but it can be powered on cheaper, cleaner electricity. The 8-, 9- or 10-ft. UL Eco is can be purchased through any AB dealer with or without the electric motor. www.abinfatables.com AB Infatables Eco-boat with recyclable aluminum hull and Torqeedo electric 4-hp outboard.

The “Joy” of Boating

If you’re old school and still keep a sextant in your boat “just in case,” then the new Mercury joystick steering system probably isn’t for you. Joystick steering, which means you’re not using the steering wheel, has been around for a few years for pod drives and stern drives. However, now you can control your 250-300-hp Verado outboard engines—from duals to quads—with your fngertips. All you do is twist and/or tilt the joystick and your boat will spin on a 360-degree axis, walk sideways or stay in the same location. The joystick transfers the calculations from your overworked brain to the computer, which tells the motors what to do. Perhaps the coolest feature is the Skyhook digital anchor. This keeps the boat in the same position regardless of wind, currents and tides. The outboard engines work in sync with the steering so your boat stays on the same GPS coordinates, such as a fshing spot, without you ever having to touch the controls. Now, if it can make a ham sandwich and fetch a cold beer, it will be a complete system. www.mercurymarine.com

Keep Your Bottom Clean & Green

Back when I was young and dumb and full of um, energy, I tackled many a bottom job. Grinding toxic paint of the bottom of a boat with a rotary sander is about as much fun as diving headlong into a septic tank. These days, I don’t grind or paint boat hulls. For that, I now pay people who, in turn, pay others to do it. Fortunately, companies like Pettit, that have been making bottom paints since Socrates taught Plato to write poetry, are now making non-toxic paints. At the boat show, Pettit was showing of their series of Hydrocoat paints, which are all water-based, replacing the harsh, toxicsmelling solvents contained in most bottom paints. Their Hydrocoat ECO is totally copper-free, keeping heavy metals out of our waterways. Cleanup with water instead of mineral spirits and gasoline are another reason Pettit’s Hydrocoat bottom paints have won many environmental awards. www.pettitpaint.com

Grill Your Chicken at Full Speed

Lehr’s propane-powered outboard engines are not new to the market, but their 15 hp is. The company introduced propane outboards two years ago with their 2.5-hp four stroke. Last year, they launched the 10 hp, and in 2014, the 15 hp debuted at the Miami Boat Show. They plan to bring a 25 hp to market next year. These higher horsepower engines catapult Lehr from just hanging on tiny dinghies into the speedy world of small skifs. When the 25 hp comes online, even super lightweight fats boats could be in the mix. Propane is 97% cleaner than gasoline and about half the price per gallon. Plus, the tank is the same one you use for your barbeque grill, so fnding fuel is easy. Unlike the Lehr's 9-hp and 15-hp propane-powered engines. new 10-hp electric motors hitting the market that require serious (and heavy) batteries and have limited range, propane engines weigh the same as gas powered motors and go just as far. When fueling in a small tippy boat, you don’t have to worry about having a funnel and gas sloshing around and spilling. Final verdict: Propane rocks and the engines cost the same as a typical gas engine of the same horsepower. www.golehr.com

Lift Your Spirits with the Sun

There’s more glitz and glamour at the Miami Boat Show than a Hollywood red carpet walk of fame. But sometimes the best products, like boat lifts, fy under the radar. There’s just not a lot of sex appeal in a steel cable wrapped around a gray metal rod. That’s why the FlexPower Hydraulic boat lift by ShoreStation caught my attention. I’ve spent many an hour unraveling the boat lift wires that sprung out like a rat’s nest when I lowered the lift too far. Unlike traditional lifts with electric motors pulling up a cradle by wrapping the cable around a long rod, this system uses hydraulics and pulleys to raise your boat. It’s a cool system, in that all of the guts are mounted on the dock in a box that is simple to access. Best of all, it works of of a solar panel that charges a bank of batteries, so the energy cost is zero, and there’s no need to run wires. If you’re in a remote location, that’s a huge beneft. The FlexPower is twice as fast as a cable winder and, for dorks like me, it cannot be over-wound or unspooled, so no more rat’s nests. It also comes with a 15-year warranty. The only downside…it’s pricey—almost twice as much as a traditional cable winder. www.shorestation.com

Dungaroo for Poo

In my younger years I lived on a rustic, 30-ft. wooden sailboat. She might have been ugly but man, was she slow! Problem number one (and number two) was the toilet. I had to hand pump waste to a storage tank. Then when the tank was nearly full, I’d go to a pumpout station and engage the electric macerator pump to send everything “uphill” to the treatment center. That was always scary and potentially disastrous. And then there was the ever present smell that even the most concentrated chemicals couldn’t seem to quell. Sound familiar? Well, the folks at Sanitation Creations think they have a better system with a toilet called the Dungaroo. It’s a waterless, odorless toilet and it’s mechanical rather than electrical so no power is required. The Dungaroo uses special plastic bags that contain the odor. With every “fush,” an antimicrobial substance drops into the bowl to kill the bacteria (the major cause of odor) and viruses. The Dungaroo toilet seals, treats and stores the waste into a removable bag that can be tossed into any garbage can. Each bag is good for 30 uses. The best part is the the Dungaroo is portable and can be placed in any boat, RV or treehouse for convenient, easy use. Plus, unlike marine toilets that can’t handle bulky items, this one welcomes toilet paper, feminine hygiene products and even diapers. www.sanitationcreations.com