Laura Shaughnessy is the former managing editor at Dockwalk.
In February, Manta Racks released the industry’s first rack system for floating mats. This was developed in part due to a space problem — floating mats, whether rolled or not, take up a lot of room, making it unsafe for passengers to maneuver around them.
Manta Racks, which is based north of Orlando, manufactures board rack systems for recreational water sports. They launched their Manta Racks FM Rack System as a way to safely and securely transport any mat to your center console.
Tim Wilhelm, company president and CEO, says the FM Rack System is the first of its kind. “There are no other racks designed to transport floating mats on the market. Our primary Rack Systems are patented and developed for the center console and tender industries using the same mounting system for flush-mounted rod holders. The difference between our Rack Systems is the design of the top half of the rack, which actually holds the customers’ water toys,” he told Dockwalk.
“There are no other racks designed to transport floating mats on the market. Our primary Rack Systems are patented and developed for the center console and tender industries using the same mounting system for flush-mounted rod holders," says Tim Wilhelm.
As Wilhelm points out, most superyachts, when they transport water toys for their passengers to enjoy while anchored, the issue arises when there is an excursion to the nearby island or sandbar and the superyacht is anchored too far offshore. “The crew would take the tender with boards and/or kayaks to the island or sandbar. Before Manta Racks, the crew would have to tie down these items inside the tender, taking up space, possibly damaging the boards and tender, plus jeopardizing the crew and passengers’ safety,” he says. “Not to mention, our products will save the crew’s time by reducing transportation and securing time.”
When they developed their rack systems, it was to solve a problem. “As we were testing our product, we realized that not only did we solve a problem, we also created a product that improves safety. Before Manta Racks, crew would have to place the boards or kayaks inside the gunwale on the deck blocking the walkways,” Wilhelm says, explaining emphasizing that “this is not safe for the crew and passengers, not to mention the potential to damage the tender, paddleboards, or kayaks.”
This column is taken from the March 2021 issue of Dockwalk.