Raymarine - Experts & Thought Leaders

Raymarine, a global major in high-performance marine electronics for the recreational boating, marine first responder and law enforcement market, has announced that its best-in-industry Pathfinder Radar system has achieved Type Approval. Issued by the TÜV SÜD BABT Certification Body, the Type Approval confirms that the IMO-compliant Pathfinder Solid State X-band radar system complies with the Marine Equipment Directive for Shipborne Radar Equipment CAT 2 and CAT 3. Commercial vessel operations “When we designed Pathfinder, we were building on our long history of creating intuitive, effective, industry-renowned electronics for all markets,” said Grégoire Outters, General Manager, Raymarine.  Grégoire Outters adds, “The Pathfinder system is setting a new standard in commercial vessel operations, redefining maritime situational awareness and making voyages in challenging environments safer and more predictable. We couldn’t be more excited to be finally putting it in the hands of crews around the world.” Borne of Raymarine innovation The revolutionary radar system uses its cutting-edge technology, borne of Raymarine innovation The revolutionary radar system uses its cutting-edge technology, borne of Raymarine innovation to deliver exceptional resolution and detection capabilities even in the most challenging marine conditions.  It offers superior target separation and increased long-range resolution through CHIRP pulse-compression and beam-sharpening technology. Ideal for vessels up to 10,000 tons, the Pathfinder system stands out in the industry for its reduced maintenance, enhanced longevity and ease of use. Commercial radar arrays  Pathfinder is powered by a fanless, six-foot, low-profile open-array antenna. Weighing half of comparable commercial radar arrays, the system is easy to install, with a small-diameter cable that simplifies runs and reduces installation time significantly. It is available with console mounts, deck stands or desktop mounts for ease of retrofitting, and has ample input and output ports, which allow for complete customisability and the potential for added future functionality. Intuitive user experience With displays that are rugged for long-term use, are the brightest on the market and with a new interface that was built from the ground up to provide a clean, no-distraction experience, the Pathfinder delivers the most intuitive user experience possible.  Its displays are also protected with Raymarine’s HydroTough™ nano-coating technology that repels water and oil contaminants.

Raymarine is disrupting the commercial marine market with a cost-effective and easy-to-install, IMO-compliant solid-state X-band radar system – the Pathfinder Radar. Built on the brand’s proven and award-winning solid-state radar technology, Pathfinder is designed for CAT 2 and CAT 3 SOLAS vessels. Solid-state technology Available in CAT2 and CAT3 configurations, this revolutionary radar system is ideal for vessels up to 10,000 tons, including superyachts, megayachts, and OSV/deep water vessels.  Using cutting-edge solid-state technology, the system delivers exceptional resolution and detection capabilities even in the most challenging maritime conditions.  IEC 62288 and IEC 62388 The Pathfinder X-Band radar is set to redefine maritime situational awareness Compliant with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards IEC 62288 and IEC 62388, this radar stands out for its reduced maintenance, enhanced longevity, and ease of operation. The Pathfinder X-Band radar is set to redefine maritime situational awareness, making voyages in challenging environments safer and more predictable. Intuitive, effective electronics Grégoire Outters, General Manager at Raymarine said, “Raymarine has a proven track record of designing intuitive, effective, and industry-leading electronics for recreational vessels." "The sleek and rugged Pathfinder system is the perfect solution for commercial vessels, and we are very excited to release it to this vital sector.” Pathfinder X-Band radar's features Delivering exceptional clarity and an intuitive user interface, Pathfinder is driven by a fan-less, six-foot, low-profile open array antenna. It offers crews superior target separation and increased long-range resolution using CHIRP pulse compression and beam sharpening technology. The solid-state transmitter provides performance exceeding a 12kW magnetron, and the system meets and exceeds all IMO performance requirements for target detection. Easy to install The Pathfinder system has ample input and output ports, allowing for complete customisability At half the weight of comparable commercial radar arrays, the Pathfinder system is easy to install and has a small-diameter cable, simplifying runs and reducing installation time by days. In addition, it is available with console mounts, deck stands, or desktop mounts for ease of retrofitting. The Pathfinder system has ample input and output ports, allowing for complete customisability and the ability to add functionality in the future. Ground-up approach The displays, available in 16- or 19-inches for CAT 3 vessels or 22- or 24-inches for CAT 2, are the brightest on the market, greatly increasing the longevity of the system. The displays are protected with Raymarine’s HydroTough™ nano-coating technology, which repels water and oil contaminants while delivering HD resolution and excellent sunlight visibility. Taking a ground-up approach to the user experience, Raymarine has designed a new interface that allows access to critical features without distracting from the main radar screen.

'If the oceans die, we die.' The Sea Shepherd group, an international, non-profit, direct-action organisation dedicated to the protection and conservation of marine life, is well used to laying out hard truths in the bluntest terms possible to get its message across. The group's Italian arm, Sea Shepherd Italia Onlus, was founded in July 2010. Since then, its volunteers have been tirelessly involved in safeguarding the biodiversity of the rich marine ecosystems which surround Italy's 7,000km of coastline, a mission which – to borrow Sea Shepherd's own phraseology – requires 'courage, commitment, respect, determination, and precision.' It also requires the most rugged, reliable, user-friendly, high-performance technical equipment available. To this end, Sea Shepherd Italia has struck up a partnership with Raymarine, attracted by the company's trusted reputation as a world-leading provider of innovative marine electronics. Situational awareness Raymarine's involvement with Sea Shepherd Italia began in 2019 when the company equipped the Italian organisation's 7m RIB with an Axiom 9 RV multifunction display (MFD), a Quantum CHIRP Pulse Compression radar with Doppler collision-avoidance functionality, an AIS700 Class B AIS transceiver, and an M232 thermal camera with ClearCruise AR (augmented reality) technology. The new equipment was chosen to form an integrated system that would maximise situational awareness and crew safety  Last year, Raymarine stepped up again to equip Sea Shepherd Italia's 17m catamaran Conrad with an M346C LR thermal camera, an AR200 Augmented Reality Stabilisation Module, and an Axiom 12 Pro MFD. An eS127 MFD was already on board, which has now been replaced with a second Axiom 12 Pro. The new equipment was chosen carefully to form an integrated system that would maximise situational awareness and crew safety in all conditions, as the volunteers go about their duties. "We chose Raymarine because they offer the best visual navigation information and technology on the market," explains Erica Varaia, Italian media coordinator and Sea Shepherd Italia volunteer, who started on board Conrad in 2020. Using a long-range thermal camera Expert knowledge from the Raymarine team in Italy ensured that the Sea Shepherd vessels received the equipment best suited to their needs. "Both Conrad and the 7m RIB are about to set off on missions over the summer around the Aeolian Islands," says Carlo Baj, Country Manager, Maritime, Raymarine Italia. "The work often involves night operations, for instance, to remove illegal fishing nets or to check if there are fishing boats without licences in forbidden zones, so a thermal camera is vital in this respect. "The M346C LR is a long-range thermal camera with a very powerful 30x optical zoom. It also features two-axis mechanical stabilisation, so even when the boat is pitching, this movement is compensated for by the mechanical motion of the camera." Clear understanding The thermal image can also be very helpful during the day if a target boat is behind a promontory or another vessel " Carlo Baj also points out the advantages of integrating the thermal camera with the Axiom 12 MFD. "It means that volunteers can navigate easily on their night missions just looking at the thermal camera display because it enables a lot of additional information to be overlaid – everything from AIS targets to waypoints. The thermal image can also be very helpful during the day if a target boat is behind a promontory or another vessel, or if it's cloudy, or if there's anything else that prevents the crew from seeing it clearly. "The technology gives users a clear understanding of what is surrounding them in their sailing area. It's a very useful safety feature, and we are the only electronics provider offering this kind of technology for maritime systems." Protecting the waters The ability to definitively identify suspect vessels and discover whether unlawful fishing activities are being carried out is central to Sea Shepherd's missions, and the Raymarine equipment on the Italian fleet is proving indispensable for ongoing initiatives such as Operation Siso. This campaign aims to protect the waters around the Aeolian Islands from illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, with a particular focus on the use of illegal FADs (fish aggregating devices). The statistics are sobering. By the tail-end of 2019, it was estimated that there were up to 10,000 illegal FADs in use in the Tyrrhenian Sea alone. The problem is compounded by the fact that illegal FADs are often discarded in the sea. The scale of the consequent plastic pollution is alarming: figures suggest that around 1.5 million FADs have been abandoned to float in the Mediterranean. Recognise and respond The Sea Shepherd volunteers are passionate about their work, with an inexhaustible drive to protect and conserve marine ecosystems for future generations to enjoy. There are no grey areas, and this clarity of purpose is reflected in their choice of Raymarine systems to assist them on their missions. The thermal camera has two lenses making it much easier to see and identify floating objects, as well as other vessels "Our Raymarine equipment has been instrumental in mapping and saving the locations of illegal fishing methods," explains Erica Varaia. "It has also been used to photograph and record at times when an operator could not intervene. By providing an extra eye on the horizon, the technology has proved an invaluable companion for the crew of the M/Y Conrad and the fast craft Hunter." The augmented reality features offered by ClearCruise, such as Recognize and Respond functionality, are of particular value. The thermal camera has two lenses that combine visible camera details with thermal imaging, making it much easier to see and identify floating objects, as well as other vessels, which appear as colour overlays within the thermal picture. Day and night surveillance "Raymarine's technical support assisted at all times, helping us to install and set up all the additional components of the navigation system," continues Varaia. "They made it clear that we would be able to benefit from their full customer support system and that was the case, making it possible to troubleshoot, install and set up the technology smoothly and correctly. "The technology has proven to be consistently reliable," she concludes. "The crew relies on it fearlessly, saving positions, photographing at night, and using it daily."