It's time to Party -- on the water!

Leo’s looking for a humongous Trawler for his retirement days, but that’s far away, if ever! But I found something more down-to-earth at the Miami International Boat Show. The name alone screams: “Leo” The boat company is Premier – same name (but different company) than the one that syndicates his Tech Guy Radio Show. And the model is – wait for it ---  the Grand Entertainer  -- just like Leo himself! It’s a pontoon, or party boat. Actually this one has 3 pontoons, so it’s more like a tri-toon boat! It comes in two lengths -- 26’ and 29'.  And this is very unique: it’s available in two different widths (or beams) – 8’6" and 10’. I’ve seen a lot of pontoon boats over years, but never one with a sexy, curved, full-service bar! The bar on the Grand Entertainer even has built in adjustable bar stools, and if you want, a bar rail! At the end of the bar there’s a gas-fired (propane) grill. There’s also a refrigerator and an Alpine sound system with six speakers throughout the boat. For clean-up, there’s a sink with a water pressure system. Since you’ll have plenty of new friends if you buy one of these, you’ll be happy to know the 260 has a USCG capacity of 16 people and the 290 is approved for 18 people. I’d never take out that many people at one time, but whatever the number, make sure you have life jackets for all. There are three batteries. Two run the refrigerator, water pump and the LED lights on the bar. Yep, LED’s! The third battery’s for engine(s) start-up. Engine-wise, the company recommends a minimum of 115 hp. At the top end of power options, is the boat I saw at the Miami Show. It has with twin 300 hp, four-stroke Suzuki outboards! Reported speed is 50 to 52 mph. The Grand Entertainer also has a raised Command View Platform for the skipper. With plenty of seating forward of the helm, the raised platform lets the captain see over the heads of the seated guests. And remember, the captain shouldn’t visit the bar, except of course, for soft drinks. Price depends on power options, but the boat I saw at the show was about $100,000. I would guess that by moving to a single engine, the cost could be reduced by about $20,000. And Premier offers lots of other models.

www.pantoons.com

Giz Wiz Video: http://youtu.be/zTZdVpSRyg8

It's not a gizmo, but it's one heck of a boating story!

In my 40 years of boating I had a boat stolen once. In the middle of the night it was removed from my slip at the West 79th Street Boat Basin. A day later it was found a few miles away floating in the middle of the Hudson River, striped clean. The twin outboard engines and all electronics were gone. The boat had a fair amount of water in it, but it stayed afloat and could be saved.

But that's nothing compared to what happened to two boaters in August, 2008. They were aboard their boat a 26' center console Regulator boat off the coast of Nantucket, Mass. They were trapped in rough water and ended up being tossed off the boat by a giant wave.  Fortunately, the two boaters came out of the terrible ordeal quite alive. They were convinced however, that their boat had made its way to the bottom of the sea. But in something that almost seems to be out of a movie script, more than three later, they received an unbelievable call from the Coast Guard. The Spanish Coast Guard found their boat. Quite beaten up and covered with barnacles, it washed up on the Spanish coast. According to MSNBC, Lt. Joe Klinker, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman, said the most likely scenario is that the boat somehow got across the continental shelf and into the Gulf Stream. From there it may drift north off the coast of northern Canada and then east with the North Atlantic currents," Klinker told msnbc.com. He said it's rare, but not unheard of for an object off the coastline of the United States to drift across the Atlantic to Europe. But a boat? "I've never heard of anything like this," Klinker said. Of course, Regulator, the company that made the boat, can sure claim they build rugged boats! And that's a heck of a cruise without using a drip of gas.

MSNBC Video:

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/25/10233719-3-years-after-us-accident-boat-washes-up-in-spain  

Now you can fly above the water -- well up to about 30'!

James Bond had his Jet pack in Thunderball. Forget the Jet pack (and for now, forget the price, because I won’t spoil your fun here by mentioning it!) The JetLev Flyer is a water-powered backpack. But this backpack is attached a “mother ship” (included in the price) that features a four-stroke 200hp motor. Water sent up to the 4” diameter hose is blasted back down to the like, river or ocean which lets you hover up to about 28 feet, as you move along at 20 to 25 mph. The fuel capacity of the attached pod is 22 gallons which should get you about 4 hours of run time. That equals a range up to 80 miles. Although I doubt if you’ll want to travel 80 miles high in the air! Here are some specs on the JetLev from the company website. The Jetlev package includes: Jetpack / Boat Unit (About 10.5' long, 4 feet wide) 200 hp 4 stroke marine engine / 33' Hose/ Control Cable Assembly /Jetpack Stand / 2 Helmet Radios (1 small, 1 large) /2 FRS Radios / Remote Throttle Control Transmitter / Operator’s Manual /CFI 1 Course: Pilot Certification /Training & Safety.

And finally, the bad news ---- cost!  $99,500! It does include training and it's good to know that with the included remote control unit, the instructor can take over from down below if you panic and need help.

www.jetlev.com

Jetlev video: http://youtu.be/gXEK6m4ZxNQ

Bet You Never Saw A Burglar Alarm System Like This One.

The company, GOST that markets this security system says that most property loss occurs in the initial minutes of a break-in. Thieves grab valuables and leave before police or security teams respond. Every if an alarm sounds then can still grab valuables and run. But what is the thieves couldn’t see the valuables? That’s where the GOST Cloak System comes into play. When it’s triggered by a break-in it fills the protected area with an impenetrable cloud of smoke almost instantly. No only will it confuse the thieves, but they won’t be able to see valuables to run off with. And it will most likely be scary, so I suspect they’ll flee the premises quickly. I had a demo inside a small trailer when I was at the Miami Boat Show. Before they closed the trailer door they asked if anyone was claustrophobic. I am, but I wanted to see the demo, so I stayed. When the alarm was triggered, dense fog vapor filled the trailer and it was just about impossible to see anything. We were told the specially formulated glycol solution is classified as a foodstuff and not harmful. For a few seconds I thought I was going to have trouble breathing, but I was fine. I could see that where this cloud-producing device could be an effective theft deterrent. But it’s not cheap. It costs about $4,000, so it for those who have really expensive equipment, jewelry, etc. to protect. It’s designed homes, offices, yachts, workshops, maybe even TV studios!  As I mentioned to Leo on this Netcast I had a disco aboard my 50’ houseboat years ago with two fog machines. Who knew I also had the makings of a great alarm system! 

You can see a demo at the company website: www.gostglobal.com.

I posted my video from inside the trailer on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahHukLnoUFA

Get Ready For the Shockles of Your Life!

Shockles are a boat and bone-saver at the West 79^th Street Marina where I dock my 23' Farallon work boat. Many boaters there use them to lessen the shock from the huge wakes left by dozens of ferryboats that pass the marina daily. I use one on each dock line. Now that shock-absorbing technology used in Shockles for dock lines is available for boaters who like to spend some relaxing time at anchor. It’s the Shockles Anchor Snubber --designed to eliminate annoying and dangerous shocks to your anchor chain and prevent possible damage to chocks and cleats. The Shockles Anchor Snubber is made from tough, marine-grade shock cord encased in sun-resistant nylon webbing. The patented internal ‘progressive design’ system limits the ultimate stretch of the snubber. Installing one is a breeze and requires no tools. (See Photo) On either end is a 316 stainless-steel shackle with a captive pin so you won’t lose either during strong winds or in rough conditions. One 20” Anchor Snubber fits all. $59.95 at many marine retailers. 

www.shockles.com.