Developed as part of the EU SoundBoat project, SoundBuoy can be used for routine engineering trials or for fully certificated ISO 14509 compliant pass-by testing.

The buoy is put over the side and left to drift. The buoy's radio link constantly transmits its position - and the current sound level - to the boat, which appears on a small tablet computer by the helm position.

The buoy can then tell the helmsman - via a Bluetooth earpiece - what course to steer to get back to the buoy to pass by it going at full chat at the required 25m distance. The computer literally talks to the helm, telling him the course to steer to make the required pass.

The buoy will immediately tell him if he passed at the right distance, if the run was sufficiently accurate and how noisy the boat was.

Once the required number of runs has been completed, SoundBuoy tells the skipper and saves the data to a removable memory. The disk is then sent to a Notified Body, which will check the data and then issue to resulting compliance certificate.

All that's needed are the right weather conditions for ISO 14509?? Triskel Marine says it will offer various options to OEMs.

The buoy is for sale at £12,000, or Triskel will carry out the test, or even hire a buoy to a company.

An excellent device that should see the end of the Reference Boat once and for all. Our picture shows the original SoundBuoy - its replacement Mk II is a much neater design.

Triskel Marine T: 01726 833864 M: 07774 940647 E: enquiried@triskelmarine.co.uk