The 2024 International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX), a program managed by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and judged by Boating Writers International (BWI), recently announced the winners of the 2024 IBEX Innovation Awards in Tampa, Florida.
The judges selected 13 award winners and 5 honorable mentions from over 80 entries. Here are some of the new products that took awards.
SMartyr SCP Anode by CMP Group Ltd.
Because traditional metal sacrificial anodes add toxic metals to the water, CMP developed a solar-powered cathodic protection device, called the SMartyr SCP Anode. It has a self-contained lithium battery, works under water, and doesn’t shed any metals. The unit senses hull potential, self regulates and indicates proper functioning with LED lights. Its slim design reduces drag, and a single bolt attachment for easy install makes it a cost-effective, greener solution.
CLiX by Arthur Edison, LLC
How do you fuel up without overflowing all over your boat and into the water? CLiX solves the problem with a simple, unique design made from a custom blended material. It simply stops the nozzle from delivering fuel when the tank is full.
Outer Armor Self-Booting Power Bimini
This new product was designed to eliminate the canvas sleeve typically used to protect the Bimini when it is stored. Fully automated, the canvas tucks in an accordion fashion into a UV stable boot box that will protect the canvas. The Bimini can be used at speeds of up to 65 mph.
PHIBER Systems
PHIBER is a new company that has created a pressurized, hydro-injection design for brine evacuation and remediation. It is the first product to streamline the flushing process and to have universal applications for inboards and outboards. PHIBER makes freshwater flushing maintenance an intrinsic function for any system that uses raw water for cooling and does it at the touch of a button.
WIF-Shield by OhNoH20
The WIF-Shield is a simple product that makes the Racor fuel filter even more efficient. The easily removable heat shield bowl allows two key functions— water detection in the fuel and the ability to drain contaminants—to be easily accessible.
Proteus Hub by Tocaro Blue
The Proteus Hub integrates with an existing MFD and radar to leverage artificial intelligence and provide real-time collision warnings. When combined with a depth finder it also provides active depth remapping. AIS can also be integrated, although it is not required. The product allows a user to easily digest and understand information from a boat’s radar, sonar and AIS systems on a single MFD.
Banshee VA1 by Banshee Marine Audio
The Banshee VA1 isn’t the first VHF radio extension speaker, but because of a 10-watt integrated amplifier and DSP to filter out background noise and emphasize the human voice, it is probably the clearest and loudest extension speaker yet. It has versatile mounting options to make it easy to fit on any boat.
The Bow Step G2 by Quality Mark, Inc.
If you’ve ever struggled to get into your trailered boat, you’ll appreciate this product. The Bowstep G2 is a trailer-mounted ladder with a foot-activated step that deploys, folds and locks the system. You can control the ladder from the top step or from the bottom while standing on the driveway or boat ramp.
