Blind Fishing Boat

With an increasing variety of marine electronic products coming on to the market that comply with “National Marine Electronic Association” (NMEA) 2000 standards, I decided I needed a larger boat that would accommodate more sophisticated electronics on a permanent basis.  A second larger boat also made it possible for me to carry out more trials of the Porta-Bote as the larger boat serves as an escort vessel. 
My ideal test vessel needed to have good height gunnels, ample console space for electronics, excellent handling characteristics in unpredictable sea and weather conditions, a shallow draft, ample space to accommodate both researchers and their guide dogs, and a substantial electrical power supply for running various electronics. 

The front of the Blind Fishing Power Cat

A 20-foot power Catamaran was secured direct from a manufacturer in late 2007.  The boat is equipped with dual internal gas tanks, 4 deep cycle batteries, VHF radio, Garmin GPS and Sounder, auxiliary power strips, trim tabs, two bilge and a washdown pump, running and emergency lights, dual consoles, and a number of other accessories.

Alfred McDonald and Lawrence with Boat

With the support of Laurentian Marine and Evinrude, the boat was matched with a 115 hp E-Tech outboard, controls, gauges and wiring harness.  PowerTech Propellers provided the 4-blade stainless steel propeller, Minn Kota provided the 80lb thrust Terrova bow-mount trolling motor, Salus provided the life jackets and Auto Tether provided the wireless kill switch for the outboard. 

Lawrence at the helm

The goal is to install a complete National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) 2000 standard  network of sensors, sonar, GPS and other marine electronics, all communicating with each other over a common network backbone cable.  I’ll then tap into this network and access the data being shared using synthesized electronic speech. 

A set of electronic eyes will be positioned around the boat to provide audible information about the surrounding environment.  Navigation will be assisted with both GPs and digital compasses giving real-time feedback on the route and direction.  Development of the systems will take 3-5 years.  In the mean time, the power catamaran will serve as the safety vessel for the Porta-Bote, which will allow me to conduct more trials on the Ottawa River, which is only a 5-minute drive from my home.