Garmin Electronics Aboard Mainship Trawlers

Garmin International has announced that it has signed an agreement making it the exclusive OEM marine electronics provider for Mainship Trawlers for its 2009 Models. "We're excited to be associated with Mainship Trawlers and their reputation for reliability, value, and design -- the same qualities that our customers have come to expect from Garmin," said Dan Bartel, Garmin's vice president of worldwide sales.

"Whether you're a dedicated and experienced captain, or a newcomer to the world of powerboating and passagemaking, the combination of Mainship and Garmin is a powerful union."

New Mainship boat owners get three choices of electronics packages, all featuring Garmin's state-of-the-art GPSMAP 5208 multi-function touchscreen chartplotter and sonar.The GPSMAP 5208's 8.4-inch (diagonal) touchscreen makes navigating menus a snap because the "virtual buttons" change depending on the function -- allowing boaters to intuitively see and select the information they want, while eliminating the clutter they don't.

For those long journeys, the GPSMAP 5208 comes pre-loaded with detailed U.S. coastal charts, as well as detailed Explorer Charts data for the Bahamas.

For unparalleled situational awareness, new Mainship Trawler owners can choose to pair the GPSMAP 5208 with other Garmin Marine Network(TM) components, including sonar, XM WX Satellite Weather, radar, autopilot, or other third-party NMEA 2000 or 0183 devices. Customers can also choose to connect multiple GPSMAP 5208 displays for separate stations.

In Mainship's premium electronics packages, customers can take advantage of Garmin's new GMR(TM) 24 HD high-definition radome, which provide enhanced target separation and clearer definition, particularly at close ranges.

The new GHP(TM) 10 Marine Autopilot system is also available to Mainship customers. This innovative autopilot features Shadow Drive(TM), a patented capability that automatically disengages the autopilot if the helm is turned, allowing for quick manual maneuvers. Once a steady course is re-established by the helmsman, the autopilot automatically re-engages.

For reliability, the GHP 10 does not use a rudder angle sensor -- the one component in any autopilot system that is most prone to failure.