Embracing Technology Is Part Of Smart Seamanship
By Bill Karmis of Dockmate
A friend of mine purchased a sailboat and on the day he took ownership, he turned to me. I had been a live aboard for a number of years at that point, and on that day he confessed his fear.
“I have no idea what I’m doing.”
I thought for a bit and replied, “People dumber than you have been sailing for hundreds, possibly even thousands of years. I think you’ll be fine.”
In recent years there has been such an astronomical evolution of technology intended to aid mariners. From the introduction of the depth sounder in the early 1900s, to GPS in the ’80s, to the recent widespread adoption of AI technology, some may argue that none of this can replace good old-fashioned seamanship. However, I will say that while some gadgets may just be bells and whistles, some of this technology actually compliments good seamanship. Good boaters are prepared, confident in their abilities, and the soundness of their vessels have the necessary tools for any situation—and always have a backup plan.
One such tool is the Dockmate remote control system. Easy to install, the Dockmate remote control system lets captains and crew operate engines, bow and stern thrusters, anchor winches, and horns from anywhere on board with a small handheld device, regardless of whether you’ve got a small boat or a large yacht. It lets you confidently command the boat’s movement while stepping away from the helm for the best vantage point. Now, an old timer may come back and say, “I don’t need some gadget to help me dock my boat.” For those boaters I’d ask, have you ever tried to dock in a crowded marina and just felt stressed? Isn’t the point of boating to put stress behind you for a while? How about those times when conditions change and it is a little more difficult to control your boat? We all know other boaters are not always as capable as you are. Could a little fine-tuning help you avoid the credit card captains? Can you dock single-handed or do you need a crew? If you are injured, can your partner dock the boat? Can your children?
Packed with innovative features, Dockmate is just the right tool to add to your bag of tricks as part of good seamanship. You don’t need to use it every time you dock, but it can be useful to make what could be a stressful situation a breeze. With just a short calibration by an installer, Dockmate’s software can be programmed to your exact preferences and the specific equipment onboard. The patented SoftDocking technology lets the system provide a measured and fully customizable engine response, eliminating the “kick" that boaters often dread when maneuvering in close quarters. Once SoftDocking is programmed, a full push of the keypad button or the joystick will still engage the throttle for standard control, however, a quick tap will initiate a pre-programmed, customizable fraction-of-a-second burst of the propeller for fine-tuning. The ThrusterHold feature makes it easier for captains to moor their boats, keeping the thrusters engaged to port or starboard at a certain level to hold the boat pressed against a jetty, pier, or other boat.
The award-winning Dockmate Positioning System (DPS) solution is an industry first for a remote-control system—with the press of a button locks the boat in position, regardless of wind or current. DPS has two operating modes: in open water mode, DPS will use only the engines to keep the boat in its target position, while in the close quarters operating mode, DPS uses both the engines and bow and stern thrusters in concert to keep the vessel in its target position and heading.
Each Dockmate system comes with a rugged wireless, handheld transmitter with an easy-grip rubber finish that sits comfortably in your hand; a lanyard that keeps it in easy reach; and a wireless charger that lets the remote act as a joystick system at the helm. The powerful, waterproof, floating transmitter’s two-way communication ensures faultless operation. Each Dockmate Receiver integrates a proprietary communications protocol with state-of-the-art two-way Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) communication. This means that every Dockmate system uses a unique set of six channels in the entire band of 71 channels, and rotates through more than six channels per second, virtually eliminating any possible chance of interference. The Dockmate signal reaches up to 165 feet, which is by far the longest range in the industry and does not require an expensive range repeater on larger vessels, like competitive products.
Embracing new technology is all part of being a responsible boater. Whether you are a newbie or an old salt, a tool like Dockmate might be the perfect addition to your boat and give you the stress-free time on the water we all look for.
