Distributor’s Update 2011 - Navimo UK
Smartfind S10 AIS distress beacon from Navimo
As an answer to the slightly bleak outlook, Navimo has found a product which slots so neatly into a gap in the market you do wonder why it isn’t already in widespread use.
It is an innovative distress beacon from McMurdo, the doesn’t make you wait around for the global alert, as it put the wearer onto the local VHS AIS network.
“Most people who need help aren’t going to be that far away from other vessels, and this Smartfind AIS S10 beacon is useful for close proximity alerts, as it will put on all the local shipping’s chart plotters as an item,” explains Mark Parkin of Navimo. On activation the transponder will prioritise itself, ‘butting in’ to the local network.
It has a flashing light and built in GPS so it lets people know where the wearer is very quickly. Watch crew can be told, “put this in your pocket and even if you go overboard we will be able to come back and find you, even at night”.
The other application is for divers. As it is waterproof to 60 metres there has been a lot of interest in it from this part of the market, simply because a lot of divers, at one point or another, do get separated from their boat in tidal waters – either because they or the boat moves rather more than expected.
Navimo also has in its portfolio McMurdo’s Fast Find PLB and the Pilot Race life jacket. In addition the Plastimo range of Headsail Furling Systems have been re-engineered to provide even greater performance and style.
Lastly, the company includes the marine coatings manufacturer International Paint and Barton Marine Equipment amongst its principal UK suppliers .
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