Boatshow season has begun and there are plenty of great new products and ideas to inspire you for the upcoming season.
Blue Frontier has been at the New England Boatshow offering seminars on DSC VHF, AIS, and computer  navigation.  The latter includes discussion about both PC based and the latest "i" navigation craze.
The new Nobeltec software, Trident and Odyssey, are making quite a splash.  These programs are loaded with valuable features and have no shortage of "bells and whistles" either.  If you are running a Furuno Navnet navigation system, this software will seemlessly integrate into the network and it works off the same "Time-Zero" based plotting engine.  Odyssey is being offered at a special introductory price until the end of the February.  And if you are an existing Nobeltec user, you can get into this software for about 50% of the retail price!
Raymarine is debuting their new e-series displays.  Already available in a 7" version, expect to see the 12" on display by Thrusday.  Raymarine also released this week that there will be a price reduction in the C and E Wide series, effective immediately.
Underwater lighting is hitting a new stride at both the high end market and the smaller trailerable market.  Lumishore has introduced LED underwater lights are available that will change colors, limited only by the color spectrum.  These lights can now be controlled by an app on your iPad or iPhone.  Ocean LED continues to expand its offerings with not only small and trailerable boat lights, but also LEDs that can be used out of the water for the trailers themselves or as spreader or deck lights.
Of course, the boatshow is loaded with all sorts of other products from canvas to clothing, electronics, jewelry, fishing rods, magazines, and BOATS!!

Spring is a great time to brush up on boating some skills.  and there are plenty of resources to get some refresher lessons or
maybe add a new feather to your cap.  Whether it is a navigation class,  fly-tying, learning your electronics, a Captain's license, or commiting to getting some on-board instruction to master docking, winter and spring is the  right time.  And book early.  While it may be a mental adjustment to think about boating in February, the longer you wait to enroll, the more likely classes will
be booked.
Check out these friends of Blue Frontier to see what offerings they have for spring classroom instruction.  Then stick with it and
continue with some on-the-water training. 
Boatwise Marine Training
Boston Sailing Center