SPRING SPECIAL
With boat anglers looking forward to a summer on the water here's Sea Angler's guide to some of the newest and most exciting boating gear and gadgets for boat fishing
NOCO GENIUS ON BOARD BATTERY CHARGER
If marine batteries are not charged or well-maintained, the potential impact on the safety of the vessel, and those on board, could be life threatening. The American based company NOCO has developed a range of battery chargers that have been designed specifically for marine applications: the NOCO Genius GEN range.
These compact multi-bank on board battery chargers independently charge and control each battery bank on board. With selectable charging modes the chargers are suitable for a range of battery technologies including AGM and lithium batteries. Rated to IP68 and 100 per cent waterproof, they are built for extreme conditions and can withstand hours underwater.
Using high-frequency switch-mode technology, the NOCO chargers efficiently convert A/C power into D/C power for battery charging. The improved start voltage sensor allows the Genius GEN charger to detect and charge dead batteries as low as 1 volt. An additional feature of the NOCO Genius GEN chargers is the force mode which allows users to detect and charge batteries that are below 1 volt, all the way down to zero volts. The Genius GEN range automatically detects sulfation/acid stratification and will repair and reverse the damage extending the battery’s life. The best feature of this range of battery chargers from
NOCO is that they are completely automatic.
■ From £100
■ Available from https://no.co
MERCURY SINGLE ENGINE JOYSTICK STEERING
Mercury Marine has introduced Joystick Steering for Single-Engine Vessels, compatible for use with the Mercury Verado® family of V8, V10 and V12 outboard engines from 250 - 600hp. Enhanced by electric steering, Joystick Steering now delivers command and control to boats with only a single outboard engine for propulsion
Joystick Steering for single-engine vessels eliminates the need for boaters to use both hands to throttle, shift and steer during low-speed manoeuvres. The precision control that the steering system provides will give users greater confidence in situations where manoeuvring a single outboard can be more challenging than a multi-engine configuration.
This joystick has a sleek design without any physical buttons. It allows for proportional forward and reverse movement and the twist function provides precise, intuitive steering.
When joystick steering is integrated with a compatible multifunction display (MFD), incorporating GPS and Mercury SmartCraft Connect, it offers autopilot features. There are two autopilot features: heading and route, so you can set up a route on the MFD by dropping waypoints. When the Heading function is activated, you can make 1 or 10-degree adjus
