Anyone with the Vesper Watchmate ?

[CAELESTIS]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

I love mine too. Did you buy the external GPS? I am looking for a compact unit to add on. I just sent an E-Mail to Gilson with the specs. Milspec marine has one listed for less than Vesper but it is physically large and comes with 10 meter cable. I am trying to put it inside the FRP panel over my companionway. 5-inch cable works. If a 20 dollar Gilson works I will buy spares as well as a stand-alone for my Standard Horizon 2100

Yes, I bought an external GPS antenna, and the Vesper splitter.

One story . . .Sailing down the west coast in 35+ and big seas, on a course for San Fran, the Watchmate sounded an alarm. An outbound containership was going to be passing within .1 nm. We called him up on VHF, explained that with the sea state, wind angle, wind strength, and a broken traveller, it would not be easy to jibe out of his way. I politely asked if he could alter course, and he did (yes, I am fully aware he was the stand on vessel). If I did not have the Watchmate, I would not have seen the ship until he was sounding the horn. The Watchmate also showed he could only turn 6 degrees/mi.

The Watchmate made the situation easy and safe. I frequently spotted vessels 60+ miles out. Buy one, as you cannot write the check on the way down.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by CAELESTIS

Buy one, as you cannot write the check on the way down.

A very seamanlike endorsement!

[Nicholson58]

I just found this site for buzzers, chimes alarms. Piezo Audible Alarms & Buzzers - Floyd Bell, Inc.

I was looking for a less desperate sounding alarm and seleced their AudioLarm II with CHIME. when you go to the specifications page you can select the voltage and also volume control. Its power demand is low enough that I can put one topsides & one near the bed. There is additional capacity to also run an Imtra red courtesy light at each station.

They also have an ANNOUCER series (250 ma) that allows you to send in a custom message up to 10 seconds long.

Specs say they are seawater compliant and available panel mount in various configurations.

[S/V Alchemy]

Nice find! I've incorporated that infor into a recent blog post I wrote on boat alarms and buzzers. I proposed one's own voice as the best (and most comprehensive) sort of way to get one's attention:

The world encompassed: The buzz on boat alarms

It's the sort of thing that if it hasn't been invented, I'll considered fabbing it for my own boat.