How did you get involved in Bilge Saver?
I went on a holiday to a resort owned by my friend Christie Carter called WavePark Resort in the Mentawai islands. Between surfs and fishing, he told me he was working on novel ways to get residual water out of his boats. He explained how this is a real issue for seafarers and boat owners. He had also had harrowing tales of personal experience, when bilge equipment failed, float sensors and pumps failed, more than once.
He was working on two goals:
1. A bilge sensor that he could trust with his boats, and
2. A system that will get rid of the slimy residual damp that traditional systems leave behind.
Why did you get involved in Bilge Saver?
The idea was good; It’s a great product and one that I could use personally.
What is the skill-set that you bring to Bilge Saver?
I am an embedded systems engineer, with expertise in embedded control. ‘Smart Sensors’. I studied Maritime Electronics specifically which turns out to be exactly what the Remora development needs.
What are your hopes and aspirations for Bilge Saver?
We have two products now. I’m working to make Remora an Industry-standard for secondary bilge pump systems. Boats will always have a high-flow rate bilge as they do now, with a float switch or pressure switch to deal with higher volumes of fluid leakage. Remora will be there to finish the job, or do it properly, so to speak.
The Barnacle is another great product and the goal with this one is for the Barnacle to replace every float switch in the world. Whenever a traditional float switch jams or fails, Remora can’t jam and won’t fail.
What about you personally? Who is Richard?
I am a keen recreational fisherman. When I’m ‘outside’ offshore, I’m trusting my life with electronic equipment. It has to be reliable or I won’t put it on my boat. Even when my boat is parked back home, I need the hull to stay dry, mosquito free with no electrolysis and no bilge slime to be ready to use next time.
