Sirius XM Marine
Typically thought of as a streaming music and news service, Sirius XM has jumped into the marine market with their Sirius XM Marine WM-4 receiver. Compatible with Raymarine, Garmin, Furuno, Simrad, Lowrance, and B&G multifunction displays, the receiver is designed to make tracking weather onboard easier than ever. The WM-4 provides live, up-to-date weather information and forecasting to help give you peace of mind in your decision making. The weather information is obtained from the weather industry’s leading experts and is delivered via a digital receiver through SiriusXM’s Marine Weather services. You’ll get detailed NOAA marine zone forecasts; weather radar, lightning alerts and watch boxes; wind and wave forecasts, buoy data, and more. Price: $449.99. www.siriusxm.com/sxmmarine
Winch Widget
Proving that your sailboat’s winches are more than just a mechanism used to trim sheets, halyards and control lines, the Winch Widget turns them into a multi-purpose tool. How it works all starts with the durable plastic base that fits into any of your winches and then tightens down for a secure fit. From there, you can purchase attachments that allow your winches to have multiple uses. Options include a slotted cup holder that fits standard can and cup sizes, but also fits handled mugs. The smartphone and GoPro (or similar camera) mounts enable you to take pictures or video while sailing and can be mounted on mast winches. A solar light bracket is perfect while anchoring out or for extra light in the cockpit. And the table top mount turns your winch into a small platform. Never has a winch been so handy. Price: $19.95. www.boat-gadgets.com
ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus 3HP Electric Outboard
ePropulsion recently announced that their Spirit 1.0 Plus electric outboard motor is now available in the United States (Mack Boring and Four Seas). The Spirit 1.0 Plus outboard is a lightweight, efficient, easy-to-use, quiet propulsion that is vibration, emission and exhaust free. Equivalent to a 3-hp four-stroke gasoline outboard, it can easily propel a 10-foot RIB or can be an auxiliary power source for a daysailer up to 1.5 tons. Featuring a 1276Wh battery, it can reach up to 5 knots with a range of 6.4 nautical miles and 1-hour, 15-minute runtime at full speed. At lower speeds, runtime can be extended to around 20 hours and a range of 46 nautical miles. The floating battery, which can be charged via solar panels, weighs 19 pounds and can be changed in as little as one minute. The motor weighs 24 pounds and comes in three shaft sizes: Extra Short, Short and Long. Price: $1,999. www.epropulsion.com
