King of Night Vision

New technology that makes our lives easier or safer seems to come out almost every day, especially around the holidays and especially in the marine industry.

One boat gadget that caught our "eye" recently (pun intended) is the new First Mate, which claims to be "the world’s first waterproof, hand held, high-performance maritime thermal night vision camera available for $2999."

This means it helps you see in the dark and that this high-end technology is now affordable for many recreational boat owners.

First Mate is manufactured by FLIR, a leader in night vision products whose biggest customers include militaries of countries around the world.

Marine electronics guru Ben Ellison recently reviewed the First Mate on Panbo and stated it "could be useful to navigation, and also to security around a marina or waterfront." We couldn’t agree more, as this price and technology are a good combination for your mid-sized and up recreational boat if you want to extend your cruising hours beyond sundown.

It looks like the First Mate will not be in stock at your favorite electronics store until January, but even the promise of one would make a generous gift for any boat owner.

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