And yes, finally. Its been so long that I can’t remember, but I think these are switches, and not just lights.   I like the bright shiny things.

BocaTech Inc. http://www.bocatechinc.com/
Pan and zoom.

OK just a few more IBEX. Plastic strainers and other water handling equipment. USCG does not approve as if there is a fire, they might melt, leak and put out the fire….
USCG doesn’t understand that these boats don’t sink.  I had not seen the plastic strainers before.  I’m in favor of as little metal as possible on my designs.

Maybe everybody already knew about this; but I thought these were the first USCG certified thermoplastic fuel tanks that I have seen that were approved for use on and in COI vessels. INCA company.  

And, this just in.  Profligate just discovered the same thing; different company.  And big cash savings.  http://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/lectronicday.lasso?date=2013-11-04#.UngdAXCsiSo

I found these LED lit cupholders at IBEX. Utterly useless and so wonderful that I want some.  RDI company.  www.rdillc.com  203-481-7347

Just a few more IBEX things and I’m done.

OK I better wrap up the IBEX stuff here. It was the first year we could take pictures and I took a lot.

This Canadian company, Pacific Coast Marine Windshields,  makes double curved glass windows. I have hear rumors that such things can’t be found. People forget that Sarabi had them also. This company also has a factory in Ukraine for European customers.  www.pcmw.ca

I just got this pic of the finished plug of the 40′ catamaran being built in China. I understand molds will be built, but that looks like a mold under it now.  They should be available some time next year.

I know that I have complained in the past about the fiberglass prices at Fisheries Supply.  Overall though they have better prices than any other place that I know of.  I recently bought some hardware at Ballard Hardware, since it was near where I was at CSR.  The parts were 2 to 3 time the cost of the same items at Fisheries.  Hence “don’t tell Carl” (the owner).  I also had to get some microbaloons on Labor Day.  Fisheries was closed so I got the West Marine experience.  Half the size and double the price.

At IBEX I have told myself that if I miss a booth, I can probably find the same product on display at Fisheries.

I am worried that I have been seeing empty shelf phenomena at Fisheries lately.  Not sure if that is important, but.  In the past I have seen companies like Murray Pacific Salvage and Boeing Surplus go away.  I had assumed other companies would emerge to do the same thing.  It never happened.

I urge everyone to take advantage of Carl and get their boat things at Fisheries.  They can’t be replaced.

I might as well be on a grump roll here.
More Stuff Done Wrong.

This pontoon catamaran, now a trimaran, was proudly on display out front at IBEX. Yes they are cheap compared to catamaran hulls. But, not only are they inefficient, they are not stable. And every time a pontoon boat rolls over, the USCG comes after the stable catamarans as well. Us.
First, look at that 175 hp motor. These are not all planing hulls so they will probably not exceed displacement speed of maybe 20 knots. Compare this to my 28’/32’ power cat that Matthew built. It’s about the same size. It has a pair of 15 hp and goes over 20 knots.
The stability is the real danger. When a pontoon boat is loaded past half draft, it gradually, then rapidly loses displacement. A typical cat hull gains displacement right up to the impossible total immersion. Several years ago a pontoon boat back East did just that with loss of life.
This unit has an even more dangerous feature; the middle hull. Clearly it was needed to amp up the displacement. The proper way would have been bigger hulls, but Skeeter uses what he has. The problem is if the center of gravity ever gets between the center of the space between the center hull and lower hull, the high side of the boat will begin to rise. This could happen if all the passengers went to one side to see something. If the center of gravity ever gets outboard of the center of the lower hull, the center hull is assisting overturning. It is much less stable than if it just had two hulls.
So, pontoon boats are already unsafe to carry many passengers due to decreasing displacement, but with the buoyancy kick up from the center hull, the overturning danger is much worse.
Some people might remember the article in this blog last spring ’13 about the narrow cat that rolled over in a beam on wave. A pontoon cat/tri like this unit is so narrow that it will be even more dangerous. Stuff done way wrong.