by Bob Bob

5210March08 038 (2)Our newest Krogen Express 52′, christened Daystar, will make her debut at the Palm Beach Boat Show next weekend. The show runs from Thursday, March 27th to Sunday, March 30th. You can find us in Slip 1051, which is on Ramp 10, the southernmost dock at the show. Click here for more show details.

Like her namesake, the very first Krogen Express 52′, Daystar will serve as the company’s showboat. Her Marine Blue canvas complements her stunning San Mateo Wheat hullsides and we couldn’t be more pleased with the combination. In addition to her striking new hue, Daystar has superb Trac stabilizers and the latest Garmin electronics. She is also awaiting the installation of the Yachtcontroller wireless remote system, all firsts for Krogen Express.

Our experience with the new stabilizers is minimal at this point, but our early impressions are very, very positive. Most owners will find that with her hard chines aft, the 52′ resists rolling motions so well that the tradeoffs associated with stabilizers won’t be justified. But for those expecting to push the envelope and explore the deep blue on a very regular basis, with reduced regard for conditions, the investment might payoff well. Stay tuned to this blog site for more.

As her commissioning is just reaching completion, we haven’t fully tested the Garmin electronics either. But her new GPS 5212 chartplotters, especially when augmented with the Vision card, has some terrific features. The Vision card enables, among other things, satellite imagery to display on land, which means that in our home port in Fort Pierce, the boat actually shows up floating in a marina instead of grounded high and dry as with other cartography we’ve used. The system also has the ability, once vessel water and air draft are entered, to accurately calculate a course to take us safely from our slip and right out the inlet. Very cool! We’ve also found her touch screen interface to be easy to use and intuitive.

Our new Yachtcontroller system will be installed on Wednesday in Palm Beach. The system will allow us to wirelessly control both transmissions as well as the stern and bow thrusters. This is a great alternative to an aft docking station, as it allows her captain the freedom to operate from anywhere on the boat. As a bonus, the new controller will also run the windlass remotely, which allows the anchor “handler” greater flexibility to move around the bow. We’ll give you the whole skinny right here in a week or so.

If you’re anywhere in the area, be sure to stop by and see us at the show. Betsie’s been working hard to ensure that Daystar’s decor complements her striking exterior and we think you’ll love what she’s done. We’ll be happy to give you the grand tour, along with a demo of the great new Garmin electronics and Yachtcontroller system. With any luck at all, we won’t need to engage the stabilizers at the show! Hope to see you there.