SPONSORED | New intelligent and lifesaving searchlight offers both versatility and durability

Photo: FISL

Importation and distribution company Fishing Industry Services (FISL) makes a new, unique, and advanced marine searchlight available to customers in both New Zealand and Australia.

Developed and manufactured by Searchmaster in Denmark, the searchlight is designed to increase safety on board and to free up personnel for work tasks at sea, whether it’s for search and rescue (SAR), pilot transfers, fishing, or offshore support.

170W Searchmaster searchlight (Photo: FISL)

Where other searchlights have a fixed base with a movable head, the Searchmaster light is a fixed cylinder where only the interior of the lamp can move. This means that all moving parts are hermetically sealed in the lamp housing and cannot be exposed to the elements, which in turn increases durability.

Integrated pitch and roll sensors in the lamp head improve tracking in high seas. The light is self-stabilising and maintains the distance and direction of its beam through pitch and roll of ±40º.

Lit searchlight mounted on the Danish windfarm crewboat MHO Esbjerg (Photo: FISL)

In manual mode, the light is controlled via joystick and can be used as a normal searchlight although still self-stabilised.

In automatic mode, the operator can select a target and the searchlight maintains its lock on that target regardless of how the vessel is manoeuvred. The light can also be set to scan a 40º, 90º, or 180º arc on any bearing, and the beam will automatically widen as the boat nears the target.

Photo: FISL

If a PAB (Personal AIS Beacon) or AIS-SART signal is activated within its range, the searchlight will automatically switch itself on, sound an alarm to alert the operator, and track the beacon. This attribute is especially valuable during man overboard (MOB) situations.

The searchlight is available with various options, colours, and features. The various options include the ability to connect other devices as compass, radar, AIS and GPS. Features include the possibility of connecting up to three searchlights to the same controller for added security during SAR missions, should multiple SART alarms appear in the same place.

Controller (Photo: FISL)

The Searchmaster light comes in two variants: a unit with 170W, 700-metre light beam, and a unit with 340W, 1,000-metre beam. In April 2023, a third unit will be available, with a 680W, 1,800-metre light beam making it the strongest LED searchlight on the market. All variants come with a controller that contains a joystick, four buttons, and a target/controller display. The controller itself weighs only 2.3 kilograms and measures 33 by 18 by 18 cm, ensuring easy installation and taking up only minimal space in the pilothouse.

340W Searchmaster searchlight (Photo: FISL)

To learn more about the Searchmaster searchlight, please visit fishindserv.co.nz.

– SPONSORED –


Baird Maritime Gear Editor

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