Video: Epic Raymarine Onboard Epic Boston Whaler 350 Outrage
From twin 15.4 inch gSeries Multifunction Displays to a CP470 Sonar Module with CHIRP capability, the latest Autopilot to Raymarine’s latest 4G Quantum Radar, a radar with over-the-horizon bird finding power; this boat is set up to the max.
We ran it day and night to see how it stood up to the task navigating the tight moorings and shallow bays around Queensland’s beautiful Whitsundays with the team from Queensland Marine Centre.
What stood out most were the bright screens; just how easy they were to read in daylight and how easy it was to get critical engine data displayed on the screens just how we wanted.
Thanks to the electronics ability to link to the engines via the NMEA2000 backbone, we could grab data like engine revs, oil temps and more, and easily display them on one screen (or even as part of one screen) while keeping the second 15.4” gS165 clear for a radar overlaid chart.
gS Series Glass Bridge
Raymarine’s premium multifunction display is bright, powerful and easy to use.
With 1280 x 800 pixels, the screens show a heap of detail which is easy to navigate thanks to multi-touch and pinch to zoom, just like your smart phone. They come ready to work with a range of sonar modules including CP100 CHIRP DownVision sonar, CP300 Digital sonar and CP470 CHIRP sonar like we had. Able to take Navionics’ top-notch charts, we had a Platinum chart with most of the pacific loaded but should you need to, swapping between them is easy thanks to microSD card slot. The microSD card also acts as a place to save backup your GPS marks. Warranty is 2 years and they can be flush mounted, like we had, or surface mounted.
CP470 CHIRP Sonar Module
The CP470 is at the pointy end of sonar systems from the Raymarine stable. It comes ready for CHIRP and has the brains to work with the transducers you have fitted to get the best out of them. With the right transducer, like the 1kw fitted to the 350 Outrage, the 470 is capable of distinguishing targets as deep as 3000m. A lot of people think the transducers power is what gets you the depth and definition but try to think of the transducer as someone looking down and screaming back everything they see in as many languages the word has a varying levels of loudness. The CP470 Sonar Module filters the noise and separates the returning frequencies in easy to understand arches and density colours. The best transducer is lost without a good filter like the CP470.
Evolution Autopilot
A big boat like the Boston Whaler 350 Outrage is designed to troll a full day before returning late at night. That means autopilot is a must. It comes in super handy when working a shelf shorthanded or when a long trip home is ahead. One of the nice touches of the latest system from Raymarine is the lack of lengthy and troublesome calibration, the unit plugs in and is ready to go once connected to GPS. It features 9-axis monitoring so can compensate for yaw, roll and pitch, although not really an issue on a boat this size. Being able to control it through Raymarine’s app is also handy if you’re stuck down back and need a quick adjustment.
Raymarine Quantum radar by FLIR
The Quantum is a leading bit of technology. A solid state radar that uses pulse compression technology as oppose to the old magnetron emitter of days gone by. Solid state radars do away with the power hungry, short lifespan filament that live inside magnetrons. It means shorter delays to a working radar, less harmful radiation and, through powerful computing, an ability to recognise short and distant objects simultaneously more clearly including weak targets close to solid, strong returns like rock walls and large vessels.
With up to 24 nautical mile range the Quantum is handy for keeping track of where other vessels are but it’s the small-target definition that impresses most. Using CHIRP technology, the radar has the power to identify bird schools over the horizon which is incredibly handy for anyone searching for a bust up.
One of the best features of the Quantum radar is that it only needs a power supply, no cable connected to the dash. It relays its information through a wireless network making it ideal for difficult mounting spots and with less holes in your roof, should lead to less leaks.
SUPPLIED BY
Queensland Marine Centre
Unit 10, 71 Shipper Drive, Coomera, Qld 4209
TEL (07) 5591 7032