http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2011/10/how-to-build-a-made-in-america-home/

Buy yours today at FoodLion, BiLo or WalMart only $2.95 + an empty can of Pork & Beans.

This was actually posted on a boating forum as a way to heat the engine compartment.

I realize I’m biased but……I don’t understand why someone who owns a boat worth $50K+ (or even $5K) would trust it to a $1.95 light socket, ungrounded light cord and a $1.00 light bulb for heat. Why not add 100 ft. of undersized extension cord to the formula? Ever wonder why the fire dept. suggests you turn off your christmas lights?

If the bulb breaks there is a spark and if you have gasoline vapors, “BOOM” - no more worrying about a bilge heater, there won’t be a bilge to heat.  Same result if the bulb gets loose in the socket or  the cord chafes on the unprotected hole in the can.

Wonder what the insurance claims adjuster might say IF there was a fire. Think they would rush to pay this claim? We have a number of commercial clients and their insurance companies have absolutely banned this “new” technology. For a couple of hundred bucks better to be safe and Insured!

Tight Lines and Boat Safe!

Boaters have always been torn between technology and tradition — it’s one of the paradoxes of the boating world. Today baby boomer boaters are uploading fishing pictures with their smart phones while  operating pod drives, joysticks, and computer controlled engines.  GPS, AIS, DSC, EPIRBs – a veritable alphabet soup of navigation provide direction and saftey. From smart phones to cloud computing technologies, products and services are changing our world at a startling pace.

One thing is certain: It’s critical that we remain open and adaptive to these changes. We also need to pay careful attention to just how these products, applications and services are affecting our time on the water. As part of that sprawling generation of baby boomer boaters I look for technology that makes my life richer- not more complicated. As a group, baby boomer boaters are as open as any to new products and change. We’ve learned how to post pictures on Facebook to share with family and friends, email video clips, check the weather and even shop- all from our phones.

One of the smartest applications of technology seen recently comes from Sabre Yachts, of South Casco, Maine. Starting this spring, every new Sabre 48 owner is being handed a customized iPad 2. According to Bentley Collins, vice president of sales and marketing for Sabre, the iPad dubbed the LaunchPad, contains useful marine information, including searchable PDF files of the owner’s manual for the boat and each piece of equipment on board. Imagine all of the pertinent information about your boat in one convenient App! The device comes preloaded with a number of marine apps — tides, weather, marina info and other lifestyle and entertainment stuff.

“The boating lifestyle is inherently mobile,” says Yacht.com creative director Sarah Robbins, who developed the LaunchPad for Sabre, “We need to provide the tools that match up with people’s lifestyles and their expectations.”

So what, you might ask, is the next big thing?

How about connecting your boat to the cloud? That’s exactly what the Boatsafe Sentry can do for any boater-any where. All that’s needed is a connection to the internet via WiFi or cellular modem.

As boaters we have longed to know that our bilges are dry, the bait freezer is working, the boat hasn’t been moved and now technology has given us the virtual eyes to see the condition of our vessels even when we are miles away. Actually with these virtual eyes we can peer into our boats from anywhere around the world enabling us to head off problems before a small leak or dead battery become an extensive repair or huge mess.

Want to make sure your boat is ready to go when you are? Check out the new Boatsafe Sentry- technology that makes life less complicated.

The account provides funds for pumpouts, the federal Boating Infrastructure Grant program, boating safety programs, fish hatcheries and boat access.

The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

“A selfless leader with an infectious laugh and the gift of inspiring others to get together and do their best, Nancy’s courageous fight was marked by her optimism and energy,” the association said in a statement.

Michelman was a self-described “Jersey Girl” who began sailing at summer camp in Maine as a child and grew up with a love of boating. In 1989, while she was with the American Automobile Association, BoatUS founder Richard Schwartz was impressed with her energy and intelligence and hired her to run the membership department, manage partner relationships and grow benefits and services.

During her tenure, BoatUS membership grew from 350,000 to a record-high 650,000. In addition to the president¹s role, she became publisher of the association¹s flagship publication, BoatUS Magazine.

“Nancy was from a cadre of professionals who built BoatUS into the organization we are so proud of today,” Schwartz said in a statement. “With her it was always about generosity, passion, engagement and loyalty and having the most fun while you are at it. She encouraged our staff to work on common goals and never forgot that helping members was our No. 1 responsibility.”

Michelman’s relationship with members was personal. She often picked up the phone to hear a member’s point of view. The personal touch was genuine. She even shared the story of her illness in one of her editorials in BoatUS Magazine. For months afterward, members shared their own stories and words of encouragement.

“As she did with colleagues, Nancy made every member feel part of something extraordinary, as though they were very special to her personally, because they were,” BoatUS CEO Bill Oakerson added in a statement. “As stellar as Nancy¹s leadership and business results were, her greatest gift is that she opened her heart to others and taught us through her own optimism that joy can be found all around us — in our work, friendships and aboard our boats. Part of her enduring legacy and vision is that she put a top management team in place — in government affairs, in our membership division and in our publications — that carries on her good work, her dedication to the needs of boaters and her standard of excellence.’

The Hunting, Fishing and Recreational Shooting Sports Protection Act, introduced by the chairs of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus — Senators Jon Tester, D-Mont., and John Thune, R-S.D., and Representatives Jeff Miller, R-Fla., and Mike Ross, D-Ark. — will prevent a federal ban on lead in recreational fishing tackle and help to ensure that any future regulations on fishing tackle are established based on scientific data instead of unjustified petitions.

Click here to contact your Members of Congress urging them to co-sponsor S. 838 and H.R. 1558, the Hunting, Fishing and Recreational Shooting Sports Protection Act. Click here for more information on efforts to ban lead in fishing tackle.

Read the article.

• Advanced communication with WiFi over GSM(cellular) over LOS(Satelite)
• Real Time monitoring
• Wireless sensor technology.
• Archive recorded history via Internet.
• Retrieve GPS coordinates and status via Internet 24/7
• Arm / Disarm units via Internet 24/7.
• Sends SMS and email messages to 3 recipients for alarm notifications
• Customizable system to fit your specific application.
• Remote engine shut down via the internet
• Unlimited number of input/output devices
• Motion activated zoomable security camera

Standard Features Include:

• Battery Level
• Cabin Temperature
• Outside Temperature
• Engine Room Temperature
• Shore Power connection
• 3 Zone Intrusion/Motion alarms
• Smoke Detector
• High Water Bilge
• GEO Fencing
• On board Light and Siren
• Enjoy peace of mind

If you find a sick or injured sea turtle, contact the local police department or call the SC Department of Natural Resources hotline at 1-800-922-5431.
Sea Turtle Rescue

To help ensure that sea turtles have a future in our oceans, the South Carolina Aquarium uses its facilities to aid sick and injured sea turtles through its Sea Turtle Rescue Program. BoatSafe, Inc. is a proud sponsor of this sea turtle rescue program. To learn more about their wonderful work, please visit their Web site.