The Throne

A Sea/Fresh Marine Elegance by Raritan has been added to Serenity. Pros: Much less water use when using fresh. Macerator at bottom of toilet (less clogs).  Simple to use, i.e., press a button rather than flipping valves and pumping.  Much cleaner installation. Cons: Electrical use, however it is a very short burst of power. More complication added to the boat.  Verdict: We love it!

AIS

A Class B Automated Identification System (AIS) has been added to Serenity's kit.  We gave it a go over the Forth of July weekend and were thoroughly impressed.  On several occasions it alerted us to large ships before we could get a visual.  On one occasion, I would have taken unnecessary evasive action to avoid a tug pulling a barge, if I had not been able to determine the tug was turning using the AIS information displayed on the chart plotter.  Attached is a picture of what it looks like on the chart plotter.  Serenity is represented by the green icon, the tug is passing on the starboard side.