---

For Immediate Release

Friday, July 22, 2005

---

NMMA, BWI Name Innovation Award Winners

First Environmental Innovation Award goes to Clean Water Solutions

Chicago, IL

The best new accessories available to recreational boats are on display this week at the Marine Aftermarket Accessories Trade Show (MAATS), being held through Friday, July 22 at the Las Vegas Hilton and Convention Center.  National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), organizers of MAATS, and Boating Writers International have recognized seven of the new products with NMMA Innovation Awards, and one product with the new Environmental Innovation Award.

The following seven companies were presented Innovation Awards during the MAATS Award reception on Thursday night (category in parenthesis):

• Clean Water Solution’s Oil Eradicator (Boat Care & Coatings)
• Navionic’s Charting System (Electronics)
• Humminbird 987c SI Combo (Electronics)
• Garelick Hydraulic Lift Outboard Motor Bracket (Hardware, Rigging, Rope & Anchoring)
• Volvo Penta of Americas Q-L Boat Trim System (Propulsion)
• Mari-Tech Industries Wireless Lanyard (Safety Products)
• Air-Tight LLC E-Axle (Trailers, Parts & Accessories)

Clean Water Solution’s Oil Eradicators, which also was honored with the first-ever Environmental Innovation Award, is made with a foam carrier packed with oil-eating microbes to create a bio-reaction that removes oil from any water’s surface. 

“This is a great biological solution for a common boating problem,” says Boating Life editor and Innovation Award judge Randy Vance.

Speaking about its benefits to the environment, Boating Writers International president Roger Marshall says, “That they can pour oil onto foam in a tank full of fish without killing the fish shows that this product works.”

Navionic’s Charting System dissolves charts into a satellite photo of the local area, enabling navigators to see features that may not be visible on an ordinary chart, so if there is a water tank that is not visible on a chart, the Charting System can locate the tank allowing the boater to easily take a bearing.

Humminbird 987c SI Combo features a high-definition, side-imaging sonar with clarity unmatched by any previously released product, providing the best photo-like view of under water structures.  The product includes GPS, chart plotting and also helps boaters by memorizing the latitude and longitude of angling hot spots.

The Outboard Motor Bracket from Garelick helps to resolve the issue of raising heavy four-stroke outboard motors.  “I recently fitted a bracket for a kicker motor and found that it was difficult to pull the motor up,” says DIY Boat Owner magazine editor Jan Mundy.  “Garelick’s Outboard Motor Bracket makes the whole process much easier.”

The judges from BWI were impressed with the Q-L Trim System from Volvo Penta of the Americas due to its simple and clean design and four-button control system.  A revolutionary form of trim tab, the Q-L system pushes a plate vertically downward up to about two inches, rather than extending a plate aft of the hull.  Volvo says boats that use this system are quicker to plane, have less drag and have much higher reliability.

Mari-Tech Industries Wireless Lanyard is an electronic outboard kill switch.  If someone falls out of the boat, the engine stops allowing the person to swim back to the vessel.

“This is a great idea for all small boats.  Now, I can let my kids run around on deck with peace of mind, knowing that should they go overboard that the engine will be stopped,” says Sail magazine editor Peter Nielson.

 

The E-Axle from Air-Tight, LLC doubles as a spare tire mount and a universal replacement spindle for a trailer.  In the unfortunate event of a bearing failure, the E-Axle will have a trailer up and running again in as little as 15 minutes.

For more information on the NMMA Innovation Awards and Environmental Innovation Award, contact NMMA director of Trade Communications Dan Green at (312) 946-6269; dgreen@nmma.org.