Whittington & Associates, LLC

North Florida Doctor (July 2008)
New on the Waterways

By R.P. Whittington

Salt water, fresh water, sailing or water sports? Whatever your persuasion, if you're a boat owner or enthusiast here are a few new products and technologies to get your boat in the water and keep it looking great – including some notable "green technologies" for boat cleaning and restoration, and even safety.

Many of these sales distributors and manufacturers recently showcased their products at the Jacksonville Boat Show.

Dock Power from the Sun

For years, boat owners who wanted to light and provide power to their docks have relied on good ‘ol DC electricity – and the wear, tear and corrosion that prompts calls to the electrician every few years to repair the lines. Enter GenPower Technologies, LLC, based in Jacksonville, which recently helped a homeowner in Switzerland, Florida equip his dock with solar power to run his dock's navigation lights at night, operate his boat lift, and even provide power to appliances and other accessories in his boat house.

"When you're running power lines to a dock 700 feet from the home, you have to deal with voltage drops and the yearly maintenance routine that comes with having to rewire the system due to water damage from high tides, bad weather and even contractors who sometimes cut into the lines," said GenPower President Lavelle Davis. "And, of course, unlighted docks have led to some tragic accidents over the years." GenPower installed a 3.5 kilowatt system, powered by a few photo voltaic (PV) solar panels at a cost of about $5,000. "The number of panels and the cost depend on the customer's needs," Davis said. "In this case, we also added a battery back-up to ensure the customer can get the power required, even on a rainy day." For more info, visit www.solargenpower.com

Boat Lifts of Note

In the war movies depicting World War II, you've no doubt seen the US Army or Marines build temporary bridges across rivers to bring in jeeps, tanks and other vehicles into enemy territories.

Dave Vrondran, owner of Versa Dock, says this military technology from the 1940's is still at work – but these days for peace-time purposes and the boating pastime.

"Most of the companies that built these temporary bridges were based overseas and came over to the states in the preceding years after the war," Vrondran said. "Now, the same type of system is used to get boats in and out of the water without the use of a lift."

Basically, these floating docks allow the boat owner to literally "slide" the boat off and on the Versa Dock. The Versa Dock is attached, and floats, beside the traditional wooden dock area and can handle crafts from 12 to 34 feet in length. Vrondran says their customers' average boat size is 12 to 24 feet – and they are used a lot for jet skis, too. There are no open areas to allow salt water to splash up and cause corrosion, and likewise no gaps to allow boat owners or their shipmates to fall in the water getting in and out of the boat. The cost of the Versa Docks range from $1,500 to $20,000, depending on the size of the boat and dock required. For details, and videos that show how they work, visit www.shorelinedocksystems.com.

John McCormick, owner of Pelican Marine Products based in Ocala/Salt Springs, Florida, is the distributor of Sunstream Boat Lifts – lifts described as being of a "pop-up" or "bottom lift" variety. "They've been around for more than 10 years, but they're new to Florida," McCormick said. "I describe them as ‘floating boat lifts' and they draw attention. There's only one other manufacturer we're aware of offering these types of lifts."

Requiring no construction, they are run by a hydraulic motor and a pump, powered by 12 volt DC, and the lifts can run on standard electricity or solar power. They are quick, too. "Thirty seconds and your boat's in the water," he said. "The lifts can handle anywhere from 6,000 or 16,000 pounds."

The boat owner operates the quiet, high-speed hydraulics with a remote control from the helm of the boat, launching the boat in seconds instead of minutes. For safety, an over-center design prevents boats from being accidentally lowered. The lift can simply be tied to a dock or a mooring and its ready to go, and the design allows for use in shallow water. They also sell the "HoverCovers" for boats, which fit tightly to the boat by lowering the cover onto them as the boat rises from the water. For details, visit www.pelicanmarineproducts.net .

When a boat is at dock, tides and large swells can slam it about and do some significant and costly structural damage. Enter SlideMoor, which solves most of the docking problems that most boaters will encounter, according to company president Tom Parsons. This simple system involves tying the boat to a bumper/slide that rides on an 8-foot track bolted to the dock piling.

"The tract system is unique in that it holds the boat very tight and virtually eliminates the side to side motion and allows the vertical motion, basically making the boat a floating dock," Parsons said. "It's an especially good option in large ports like Miami, where large ships displace a lot of water and can really bang up boats that are tied up at port."

In Miami, the Coast Guard was so impressed that it is using SlideMoor for its station there, and Parsons says he's currently talking to Coast Guard representatives in Fort Myers as well.

"They've told me that compared to everything they've tested, this system works best for stabilizing their boats," he said.

While the eight-foot track is the standard size, they can range from 12 to 16 feet. The price: between $450 and $600 dependent on size. Visit www.slidemoor.com for more details.

Dust-Free & "Green" Cleaning

Geoffrey Cooper, a sales representative for Mobile Enviro Cleaning, says he most recently used his environmentally-friendly cleaning machine to safely and effectively strip a 1951 Ford Pick-up Truck during a restoration project, but the technology is just a safe and easy to use on boats to bring them back to their pristine condition.

"The cleaning system has a 100 grit profile, which allows us to refinish a boat in one day," Cooper said. "It's 95 percent dust free, and the machine runs on regular gasoline, biofuels and all alternative fuels."

This cleaning method, called the Farrow System®, uses low-pressurized air combined with an environmentally-friendly Farrow Green Clean™ material and heated water to remove a wide variety of surface coatings. In addition to boats, he says it's just as effective on resort furniture, sea walls, barges, and boats with painted bottoms – whether they are made from wood or fiberglass.

Clients include Moody's Shipyards in Jacksonville, which is using the system to strip small barges and the City of New York, which purchased units to remove graffiti. Craig Grason, the owner of Blue Green Technologies and manufacturer of the product, says the company is currently in negotiation to sell the "green cleaning" equipment to Walt Disney World – and looking for investors as well.

For those who don't want to buy their own $45,000 unit, it is also available for use on a lease or rental basis. For more information, and a video presentation, visit www.mobileenvirocleaning.com or www.farrow4u.com.

Media Contact: Ron Whittington (904-563-0402)