Central America

Volvo Penta Expands Marine Services in Central America

Volvo Penta announced it has entered into a new partnership with SVF Panama, part of the SVF Group, to support its customers with marine services in Panama and Costa Rica.In recent years, Volvo Penta has steadily expanded its service and support network, partnering with companies that specialize in marine operations to provide technical support, field service, maintenance operations and parts supply for its customer base across the marine leisure and commercial sectors.“SVF is an ideal partner for Volvo Penta…

KVH Introduces TracVision UHD7

KVH Industries has introduced the TracVision UHD7, a high-performance 60 cm (24 inch) marine satellite TV antenna designed to provide boat owners, charter yacht guests, and commercial vessel crews with access to ultra high-definition (UHD) and 4K programming from DIRECTV as well as regular HD programming from other leading satellite TV providers. The system is on display at the Fort Lauderdale (FL) International Boat Show, October 30-November 3, in Booth 328.Designed for ease of installation and use…

Shipbuilding: Hurtigruten Hybrid Construction Forges Ahead

Norwegian company Hurtigruten, the world’s largest expedition cruise operator, is continuing to push the boundaries when it comes to green travel with its order for three hybrid-powered vessels nearing completion, the first ship being due for delivery in May 2019.Two of these revolutionary ships are currently under construction at the Kleven Yard in Ulsteinvik, Norway, the MS Roald Amundsen and its sister ship, the MS Fritjof Nansen, both of which are custom-designed to cope with some of the most extreme conditions seen on our planet, each having a specially-designed, ice-strengthened hull.

Mercury Introduces V-6 FourStroke Outboards

Mercury Marine has introduced its new V-6 FourStroke outboard family and the expansion of its SeaPro commercial line at the 2018 Miami International Boat Show. The new engine family, which builds on Mercury’s 75-150hp FourStroke outboards, features 175hp, 200hp and 225hp FourStroke outboards and a V-6 200hp SeaPro commercial outboard. The new Mercury FourStroke and SeaPro outboards are built on Mercury’s new 3.4-liter V-6 platform, which is designed to be powerful, light, compact and fuel-efficient. The new V-6 engines are precision engineered from skeg to cowl.

Volvo Penta Names Bjuve VP, Customer Support/Training

Volvo Penta of the Americas has appointed Martin Bjuve as vice president for customer support and training. In this position, he will provide strategic direction and management for support and product training for dealers and customers across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Bjuve has served as vice president and chief financial officer at Volvo Penta of the Americas since 2013. In addition to his responsibilities in the finance department, Bjuve has led key manufacturing investment projects in the Americas.

Mercury Marine Ties-up with Supratechnic

Mercury Marine that it has entered in to an exclusive distribution agreement with Supratechnic Pte Ltd, one of the largest marine distributors in Asia, based out of Singapore. This partnership will allow Mercury to expand and build a regional distribution channel in Southeast Asia that will include all of Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei. "This new relationship will allow Mercury to further penetrate the commercial market in Asia, giving us the opportunity to grow both in product range and territorial expansion," said John Pfeifer, Mercury Marine president.

Palladium Announces VP of Business Development

Palladium Technologies has  announced the addition of David Arnold as its Vice President of Business Development. For 15 years, Arnold has been involved in the Luxury Residential, Commercial and Marine/Aviation markets with relation to IP Automation and Control solutions. As the recent V.P. of International Business at Savant Systems LLC., Arnold setup the Distribution and Field Engineering for the company and also developed and managed all B2B relationships in the International markets. Those markets included Australia, New Zealand, ASIA, EMEA, Russia, South America, Central America /Caribbean and Canada.

Software Update Expands Simrad Display Functionality

Simrad NSS and NSO evo2 users are able to download a free software upgrade for Simrad NSS and NSO evo2 multifunction displays. The latest software updates, RTM 3.5 for NSS evo2, RTM 4.5 for NSO evo2 and RTM 2.0 for GO7, enable TripIntel, StructureScan 3D, SonicHub2 capabilities and significant enhancements to the WM-3 Weather Module. Offering boaters valuable vessel-tracking information, TripIntel presents vital data in an intuitive graphical format providing everything a boater needs to plan and manage a day offshore. By offering actionable performance enhancements, users gain insight that can improve safety, cut costs and maximize time on the water.

Air Freight Services for the Marine Industry

The Caribbean islands, reaching from Antigua, St. Barts and Anguilla to St. Maarten, the Grenadines, the British Virgin Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands, are traditional hot spots for yachting. Yacht owners and marine suppliers in these areas frequently need to order supplies, ranging from spare parts to fishing gear, or restock provisions. It is important that orders arrive on time and in good condition, and airfreight is the preferred choice of transportation when time is of the essence. Amerijet International, Inc. has direct, all-cargo flights connecting the U.S. to the Caribbean.

WindStar Cruises to Implement Adonis

Adonis AS (Adonis) said that Windstar Cruises will be implementing Adonis Personnel Manager (APM) and Payroll for all its Human Resources (HR), time and attendance, crew management and payroll activities. The Adonis solution will enable Windstar to host and consolidate these processes using a central HR database, which will improve efficiencies and coordination between their vessels and their shore side crew in Seattle. Windstar Cruises operates a fleet of small luxury cruise ships that travels to 50 nations…

ZF Marine's Stanley Takes on Dual Role

ZF Marine Propulsion Systems Miramar LLC  said that Keith Stanley has assumed the position of Product Line Manager – Pleasure Craft for North and Central America. Stanley joined ZF in 2011 as Key Account Manager, and he was promoted to Engineering Manager in 2012, with responsibility for application engineering activities for the region. In his new role, Stanley will have responsibility for both activities. Stanley has a long history of experience in the pleasure craft industry. Originally from North Carolina, Stanley completed his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at NC State.

Marine Businesses Choose DockMaster’s Hosted Solution

From coast to coast, dealers, marinas and boat yards have chosen a simpler, more convenient technology experience. Imagine running your business without having to purchase and maintain a server, incur heavy IT consultant expenses or perform regular backups of your data. For scores of marine businesses, that scenario has now become a reality. DockMaster,a  suite of marine business software, offers a hosted solution that allows companies to move technology—hardware, software and data—out of their facility and into the cloud. The result is less time and money spent on technology and more resources to focus on core business.

ZF Marine’s Halavacs Dies at 59

AJ Halavacs, Pleasure Craft Product Line Manager, North and Central America at ZF Marine Propulsion Systems Miramar LLC, the North American arm of ZF Friedrichshafen AG Marine Propulsion Systems, has died after fighting illness for a number of years. He was 59. “It’s a devastating loss to our team and to the industry” said Wolfgang Schmid, Director, Industrial Technology, Head of Marine Propulsion Systems Region North and Central America. “The consummate salesman, AJ had a gregarious personality not soon forgotten. It seemed that there wasn’t a person in this business that didn’t know AJ.

US Coast-to-Coast Yacht Delivery Partnership Formed

United Yacht Transport LLC, a Fort Lauderdale-based yacht transport company, has reached an agreement with PACC Container Lines Pte. Ltd. to provide regular yacht transportation service between Port Everglades, FL and multiple West Coast North American Ports. With this backing, United Yacht Transport will provide regularly scheduled sailings from Port Everglades to Costa Rica, Mexico, Canada and Japan aboard a fleet of thirteen, 27,000 DWT multi-purpose ships. PACC currently operates a semi-monthly express liner service between U.S. Gulf and Atlantic Ports and S.E. Asia.

Standard Horizon Upgrades Navigation System

Standard Horizon released a free software upgrade for its CPN Series touch-screen multimedia navigation systems, the 10.1-inch CPN 1010i and seven-inch CPN700i. The update is available through Standard Horizon’s website at standardhorizon.com. By taking advantage of Standard Horizon’s v2.2.2.210 software, users of these advanced C-MAP 4D based chartplotters will unlock enhanced navigation performance, exclusive pairing with Jeppesen’s Plan2Nav mobile app and an improved online and entertainment experience anytime a WiFi hotspot is near.

Bob and Jeni Peterson Join Kadey-Krogen Yachts

Kadey-Krogen Yachts appointed Bob Peterson as sales executive, along with wife Jeni Peterson, based out of the company's corporate office in Stuart, Florida. Bob Peterson began cruising in the Pacific Northwest from his home state of Oregon to Canada and the Inside Passage. After moving to California, Bob and Jeni took their two young children on a year's trip to Mexico on a motoryacht. In 1974 the couple built a 94' brigantine and with ten teenagers aboard sailed from San Diego to Acapulco…