BOATS & GEAR
PRODUCT ROUNDUP
Focus on schools Furuno aims for higher resolution with its split-beam sounder By Brian Hagenbuch
resh for 2021, Furuno has rolled out a new, higherresolution split-beam sounder, the FCV38. Matt Wood, Furuno’s national sales manager, said the FCV38 is representative of Furuno’s product line in that it borrows from the past — using the same transducer array and many of the same sensors as its predecessors — but combines it with more powerful signal processing, which provides for a finer-grain presentation of schools. “Being able to do fish school analysis and fish size analysis is kind of the holy grail of commercial fishing. Multibeam and split-beam sounders have always been at the leading edge of being able to see both the size of the school and the size of fish within that
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school,” Wood said. Wood added that several upgrades have made the FCV38 more userfriendly than its immediate predecessor, the FCV30. These upgrades include shifting the most meaningful data to be more prominently displayed on the screen as well as a new control mechanism that mimics a conventional PC mouse. “It’s an easier-to-use package, with the updated controller, the updated display unit, and a much higher resolution presentation,” Wood said, adding that the user interface and control mechanism have been harmonized and are more reminiscent of computers that people use on a dayto-day basis. And while split-beam sounders
The high-power FCV38 sounder also works for smaller boats.
involve a significant install and have been more common on larger fishing vessels, Wood said that smaller and smaller components mean boats all the way down to the 40- to 50-foot range can get the technology. “We’re really trying to come up with product sizing that will fit a broader array of boats. So we’re really pleased that overall size of the components of the FCV38 have come down enough to allow them to fit factory trawlers all the way down to seiners or even trollers,” Wood said. FURUNO www.furunousa.com
Warm welcome Grundéns’ Weather-Boss line is heavy-duty cold-weather gear By Brian Hagenbuch
rundéns has rolled out a suite of insulated cold-weather gear that is infinitely wearable. The feature attraction here is the Weather-Boss jacket and bibs, which are built to be heavy-duty workwear for cold conditions. Both coat and bibs are coated with heavy-duty, 10,000-millimeter and 5,000 mvp breathable nylon. All seams are taped, and the coat has a breathable waterproof layer that sits between the nylon shell and the insulated liner, which is made of Primaloft. The Primaloft liner is surprisingly soft and cozy, and maintains some warmth even when it gets damp. “This is just super nice insulation. It’s branded, nice, high-quality stuff, and it’s a big part of the reason the stuff works,”
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38 National Fisherman \ March 2021
said Grundéns representative Cory Lowe. Both the Weather-Boss coat and bibs have wider cuts for layering underneath, and the jacket has a regular length cut for wearing a tool belt underneath. While it is not exactly deckwear, this coat is perfect for working around the boatyard or as an outer layer for driving and delivering in cold weather. The bibs also have ample legroom for full workwear underneath, along with reinforced knees and kneepad pouches. “This is for people who are working around the yard, repairing lobster traps or nets in the winter, that kind of thing. It’s not waterproof, but it’s water resistant, and will shed some weather, but it’s more about keeping warm,” Lowe said.
Grundéns makes gear-work warm with insulated layers.
Another addition in the cold weather vein for Grundéns is the Ballast Insulated Jacket. Grundéns says the coat can be worn around the boatyard or on a date “with the right person,” and they do fall more into the evening wear category. This is a good-looking jacket with a slimmer fit than the Weather-Boss that still has great movement, in part from deep lateral shoulder gussets. GRUNDÉNS
www.grundens.com
www.nationalfisherman.com
