People everywhere are relying more on computers for everything from communications to entertainment, and it’s no different in the world of boats, not even in the world of commercial fishing vessels.
That’s why Mike Whitten and Jeff Sawyer decided to create computers designed to endure the rigors of life at sea, including lots of vibrations and plenty of moisture, not the average conditions in a room at home.
Mariner P.C. was launched last year by their 6-year-old marine electronics business, Sawyer and Whitten, located at 416 Commercial St., Portland, next door to Becky’s Diner, in the heart of Portland’s fishing community.
“We buy computer boxes and parts, coat the interior parts with vapor barriers to prevent damage by moisture, and build the computers ourselves,” explained Whitten.
“We make them rugged with shock mounts. They are all available in either household voltage, 110 AC, or 12-volt DC, the primary voltage for boats.”
The Sawyer and Whitten marine electronics dealership came into existence six years ago. The pair had each worked at Chase Leavitt for five years before the venerable company closed that part of its operation. Sawyer, of Falmouth, was already a veteran of the marine electronics business before joining Chase Leavitt. Whitten, of Gorham, was fresh out of electronics school when he went to work there. Between them, they hold FCC licenses, have certifications as electronics technicians, and accredited software training. When Chase Leavitt closed they decided to open Sawyer and Whitten, a full sales and service marine electronics dealer, supplying radar, sonar, GPS, communications, computer navigational systems and security systems.
Last year they launched Mariner P.C. “We’re trying to be smart about it and not jump in too fast,” said Whitten. Their line has 10 computer models and three screens now, ranging in price from $1,399 to $10,000. Product names include Nautica-PH10, Sailor, Nautilus, Firstmate and Marine Pro. The priciest model is a panel P.C., “industrial grade, government standardized for water integrity and vibrations, a high, bright screen, all in a two-and-a-half-inch package.”
“You can get it with a touch screen, so there’s no mouse, no keyboard, and you can have all your navigational equipment routed through this one screen,” said Whitten. While they have yet to sell the highest-end model, generally the computers are doing “real well.” Many boaters, especially sailors, have expressed interest in PC-based systems. “It’s an economical way to do it and you don’t have to have a lot of hardware if you have a PC.”
“For all boats, 30 feet and up, computers have become a staple,” Whitten said. “Everyone wants to do everything at sea that they can do at home – check email, surf the web. Marine electronics manufacturers such as Raymarine and Furuno “are now incorporating their products into networks that run through computers. You can route their products, everything, through our computers, including a secondary radar. That way if fishermen have one thing break down at sea, they have the second unit.”
Sawyer and Whitten is not the first or the only company to offer “marinized” computers, but most only offer a couple of units in 12-volt, Whitten said. “We have a nice vibration mount system that takes 95 percent of all jarring out and prolongs the life of the computer,” he added. “We’ve actually done this: mounted one of our computers on top of a vibrating engine and put a glass of water on top. There’s no vibrating.”