Page 59: of Marine Technology Magazine (January 2011)

Buoys Survive Hurricane Season

Several AXYS

Technologies Inc. (AXYS) metocean buoys deployed in seas plagued with extreme weather have sur- vived an exceptionally rough hurricane season this year. Hurricane Karl was the most destructive hurricane of the 2010

Atlantic hurricane season. It crossed the Caribbean and hit the AXYS 3 meter buoy deployed off the East coast of

Mexico on September 14. Data from the buoy shows a major pressure drop followed by 10m waves with 11 sec- ond period and winds averaging 30m/s with gusts up to 40m/s. The AXYS buoy performed for the duration of this storm, continuing to report data in real-time via satellite telemetry to the end user. www.axystechnologies.com

SOSI Debuts ECO Sheave

Sound Ocean Systems released the ECO Sheave, an over boarding sheave designed for use with 1/8 inch electro- mechanical cable or wire rope (0.125 in. [3.2mm] nomi- nal diameter). The ECO sheave is constructed of stainless steel (316L) and has an eight-inch Delrin sheave with per- manently oiled bronze bearing. It’s an accessory for SOSI’s

ECO Winch product line and has a working load limit of 500 lbs. (227 kg), suitable for small to medium-sized oceanographic or environmental sampling instruments. www.soundocean.com

Extending the Panther ROV Range

A new powerful ROV was launched by Saab Seaeye. The

Panther XT Plus, rated for operation to a depth of 1500m, is the latest addition to the Panther range - and with two systems already sold for delivery in the first quar- ter of 2011 this latest version is generating considerable interest in the ROV market. The new ROV gives opera- tors about double the horizontal thruster power compared with the Panther XT, which makes it the most powerful

ROV in its class, according to the manufacturer. The

ROV is fitted with 10 thrusters to ensure its speed, agility and capability to hold steady in strong cross currents. www.seaeye.com

New 66 Series

SEACON (europe) Ltd. released a new range of underwater electrical dry- mate connectors to complement the existing 55 Series. The new 66 Series of reverse gender connectors enable power to be applied to the bulkhead con- nector yet still be safe to use. Manufactured utilizing tried and tested meth- ods and materials this new range also incorporates shorter locking sleeves to ensure easier mating capability. The 66 Series is currently available in two shell sizes; 16 and 20 with two configurations (8#16/13#16), however more configurations will be added to the range if required.

Email sales@ seaconeurope.com www.seaconeurope.com www.seadiscovery.com Marine Technology Reporter 59