Raymarine’s latest technology is designed to aid those taking to the seas and can even provide augmented reality. The Hampshire-based company produces marine products for all sizes of seafaring craft, which makes navigating on the water simpler and, more importantly, safer.
The British brand Raymarine has its headquarters in Fareham, Hampshire, and it aims to make owning or operating a boat or yacht easier. They want to accomplish this with their state-of-the-art marine products, including Chart Plotters, VHF Radios and Augmented Reality technology.
To showcase their products, they have collaborated with a local company, RYA-accredited Solent Boat Training, at Shamrock Quay, Southampton, to showcase its offerings. The RYA-trained Instructors are there to demonstrate how to use the equipment whilst students undergo various boat handling courses.
On an RYA Powerboat Level 2 course, you spend two days on the water coupled with some classroom-based tuition such as chart reading, flare identification, navigation and understanding hazard markers.
Sam, the Owner, and Chris, a Head Instructor, recognise that the best way to teach you about boat handling, along with keeping safe on the sea, is to get in the boat and do it.
Solent Boat Training have many types of vessels, from RIBs to Sailing Yachts, which allows them to offer a range of tuitions. The seven-metre RIBs are equipped with Raymarine Chartplotters and VHF Radios. Certain VHF Radio protocols are explained when you get on the boat.
The Raymarine unit has a Distress button which, when pressed, reverts to Channel 16 (the safety channel) and puts out a distress call to the Coastguard and any other vessel monitoring it. You can also set a channel number for a Harbour Master or Marina while monitoring Ch16 if you can aid someone who puts out a mayday or ‘Pan Pan’.
Raymarine makes VHF Radios from compact to the ultimate all-in-one communications solution. You can have deck-mounted systems or built-in units and starts their range with Ray53 Compact, then full-sized Ray63, multifunction Ray73 or black-box designed Ray90/91. The VHF Radio is simple, with a large knob to change channels and a clear display showing the information. All of the features are lit at night.
During the first day of your course, the instructors will introduce using the Chartplotter, which is the Axiom unit on the RIBs. The Chartplotter (above) has numerous functions and can be upgraded as new software or equipment is added to the vessel. The main feature you are shown is the awesome live chart screen, as you can use it like a car’s satellite navigation system.
The Axiom is a touchscreen, and in chart mode, you see the depth of water, navigation channels and markers making it simple and safer for users. The philosophy of Raymarine is to make their systems easy to use and understand, thus making your time on the sea safer.
As you progress in your ownership or use of vessels and they gain in size, you can introduce other Raymarine products like ClearCruiseTM AR, bringing enhanced water perception to the Axiom multifunction displays.
ClearCruiseTM Augmented Reality allows Raymarine Axiom users to make smarter decisions with navigation objects overlaid directly on Axiom’s high-definition video display. You will need an integrated camera, such as the AR 200, to enable this.
The combined systems provide outstanding navigation and safety, allowing users to define objects not visible to the naked eye.
Thermal detection monitoring systems are becoming a much-needed piece of equipment by boat owners keen to protect their pride and joy.
Raymarine has the FLIR AX8 monitoring unit and thermal camera, which detects increased heat within your vessel’s critical equipment, including engines, exhaust manifolds, and shaft bearings, to spot problems before you’re stranded on the water.
If you have Lithium-Ion batteries onboard, you’ll get notified if they get warm, as there have been incidents where batteries have caught fire. The AX8 integrates with Raymarine multifunction displays and sends audible and visual alerts when the temperature of machine parts rises above preset thresholds.
People on the two-day course will learn the many benefits of using the Raymarine equipment, which should make life on the water easier. You can’t learn everything they are capable of, but passing your Level Two certificate should be the start of a lifetime on the sea and a partnership with Raymarine.
About Raymarine
Raymarine’s expertise in marine electronics traces back to 1923, when the first echosounder was developed. In 1974, it launched the first autopilot system for recreational boats and the SeaTalk language for connecting electronic devices via a single cable was unveiled in 1989.
In 2004, Raymarine launched the world’s first marine multifunction display with the C Series. The brand continues to build on its history of innovation with the world’s first object detection and assisted docking system, DockSense™ Control.
Raymarine is also leading in visual navigation with ClearCruise Augmented Reality. ClearCruise AR allows captains to positively identify objects on the visible horizon using AIS, marine cameras, and exclusive image stabilisation technology.
Raymarine UK is proud to offer customers the opportunity to become more familiar with the principles of navigation and radar, improve their boating abilities and learn new skills with customised training sessions at the Raymarine headquarters in Hampshire.
Using Raymarine’s Axiom chartplotter displays with Lighthouse Operating System (OS) software, attendees conduct all exercises on a dedicated unit within the demonstration room. Raymarine training days are for a maximum of ten people per course and must be pre-booked.
If you would like to find out more information on Raymarine and its products, please visit www.raymarine.com.
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