Seakeeper
Making Waves Making Waves Summer Winter 2016 2020
Page 4141 Page
And the Death of Rock and Roll
RFA Sponsor Product Overview by Gary Caputi
I
n the first Making Waves look at an RFA sponsor’s products and services we are focusing our attention on a company that has created an entirely new category of products for the recreational marine market—boat stabilization systems. Since 2008, Seakeeper has gone from being a novelty to possibly the most sought-after option on new boats to ever come down the pike, and with their growing product line and simplified installation, retrofitting existing boats is easier than ever.
that designed and manufactured motion control systems for high-speed commercial vessels. The two got together in 2002 to try and wrap their heads around a vexing problem. How do you take the anxiety out of recreational boating and grow the market?
The duo identified what they felt was the greatest cause of angst among potential boat buyers— boat roll. You know, the side-to-side movement a boat exhibits when at rest or in motion that causes the dreaded seasickness for some folks. They envisioned a gyroscopic stabilization system Seakeeper is the brainchild of co-founders Shep McKenney and John Adams, who between them aimed specifically at the recreational market, but have decades of experience in the marine indus- little did they realize, they were embarking on a try. McKenney is a former co-owner of the Hinck- multiyear project that would require a giant leap in design and manufacturing technology to make ley Yacht Company and was responsible for the development of their groundbreaking JetStick™ their vision a reality. fly-by-wire control system, which sparked a revo- McKenney and Adams began research and devellution in electronic navigational systems. Adams opment in 2003, but it would take over five years is an expert naval architect who had been imbefore they showcased their first demo unit to an mersed in the mechanics of vessel stabilization for initial group of boat builders, right in the middle decades. He led Maritime Dynamics, a company of the Great Recession. Still, their fledgling sys-
