As we cross oceans on our vessels, we spend a great deal of time studying our chartplotter, autopilot, depth sounder, radar, AIS transponder, knot meter, wind-speed indicator and so on while also tending to the deck winches just to squeeze that extra half knot of speed out of our sails. That’s a lot of information to be churning in our heads as we constantly make decisions and course corrections on the path to our next landfall.
Over the last 20 years or so, manufacturers of navigation and communication gear for pleasure craft have recognized the need to consolidate these myriad data sources into a package we can use to make well-informed decisions while underway. The first generation of combining data into a single screen was the Ethernet, a system of cables and connectors joining major data sources for display on one or more monitor screens.
While an Ethernet installation is a durable strategy for ensuring connectivity, it requires wires to be run from each component in the array, through bulkheads and behind settees, and then gathered into an organized system leading to a router, which is connected to a chartplotter monitor.
Despite the extra expense and labor involved in an Ethernet installation, it has the advantage of being totally self-contained and, except for the unlikely VHF and ham/SSB radio antenna emissions, protected from ambient electronic interference.
The type of system we are seeing more frequently on cruising yachts is a wireless interface connecting the various navigation devices via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Now we can wander from the head to the masthead with cell phone in hand, constantly informed of changes in heading, engine temperature, wind direction and speed, and so on. Furthermore, adding an extra handheld device to the mix is simply a matter of entering a code on the device in order to pair it up with the onboard net.
However, we also must keep in mind that internet-connected components still need 12-volt power from the house battery in order to function, except of course, handheld devices. Ensure you have enough space on your DC switch/fuse panel to accommodate all the devices you plan to install, plus a few extra switches for future equipment installations. If you need a custom panel, AC/DC Marine in Torrance, Calif., is ready to produce any type of electrical panel you can dream of at a very reasonable price.
Ethernet System
The center of an Ethernet system is a router through which cables are attached to allow communication among the various electronic devices in the boat’s component array. One high-quality Ethernet router is the NavLink2, a gateway from Digital Yacht enabling the vessel’s NMEA data to integrate with the vessel’s wireless network.
Roughly the size of the palm of your hand, NavLink 2, according to their website, “is an easy-to-fit, NMEA 2000 to Wi-Fi server designed to make NMEA 2000 navigation data available for apps on smartphones, tablets, iPads and PCs.” At a cost of just under $300, this is a small investment for a lot of value offering a cable router with the user-friendly option of accessing charts and vessel data through both a hardwired chartplotter and a cell phone.
To configure the NavLink2 or merge the system with an existing Wi-Fi system aboard your vessel, just open the browser on your chartplotter screen or iPad to access the app. From there you can review your settings and other data.
Wireless Networks
Every time I take off sailing to the California Channel Islands on Saltaire, I deploy the windvane self-steering system, switch on my Garmin 64cv chartplotter, tap the ActiveCaptain app on my iPhone and walk about my vessel casually sitting here or there, enjoying the sail while taking occasional glances at our progress on the phone screen. I spend hours at a time away from the tiller, still out on deck as long as I’m within 100 miles of shore, but free to nod off for short catnaps, secure in the knowledge I know my precise location without the need of stepping over to the chartplotter under the spray dodger.
For skippers looking for a multi-input, reasonably priced navigation instrument array, the Garmin Wireless GNX Sail Pack is a popular option. The GNX Wind Instrument, available as part of the larger package, consists of a glass monochrome LCD display with several backlit colors from which to choose. The Wind Instrument indicates true and apparent wind direction and speed, steering feedback, vessel speed and other data.
Garmin’s gWind Wireless 2 Transducer features a three-blade propeller with Nexus twin-fin technology capable of transmitting wind data from the masthead (up to 50 feet) to the display at the helm. The entire kit, which communicates via NMEA 2000 network, includes a ST810 thru-hull Smart Transducer and GNX 20 color display. The whole Garmin GNX Wireless Sail Pack installation kit is available through the GPS Store online for a very reasonable $1,000.
The Simrad GO9 XSE Fishfinder/Chartplotter Combo comes in a kit with a “three-in-one Transducer and C-MAP Pro Discover Charts,” opening a whole new way of navigating the aquasphere. The widescreen, multi-touch display with LED backlight makes navigating in coastal and open-ocean waters far easier than having to look back and forth between depth sounder and chart to stay safe in coastal areas.
With the Simrad GO9’s NMEA 2000 connectivity, you can integrate the chartplotter with a Simrad autopilot, a CHIRP sonar with SideScan and DownScan Imaging. This would keep you apprised of potential dangers, a particularly important feature if you plan to cruise through South Pacific atolls, where towers of coral just below the water’s surface could otherwise slice a hole in your hull and have you scrambling for the life raft.
The B&G WS320 wireless wind sensor, like several other navigation sets on the market, is available as part of a package, which includes a DST810 Multisensor thru-hull transducer, a ZG100 GPS antenna and a micro-C backbone kit running on a NMEA 2000 Micro-C network.
The WS320 wind sensor is designed to support crew with uninterrupted data, which includes apparent wind speed and angle data reported at a speed of five times per second. The B&G DST210 thru-hull combination sensor measures speed with a paddle wheel, depth with a transducer and temperature with a reliable, submerged thermometer. Completing the B&G package is a ZG100 GPS antenna, which provides B&G chartplotters with fast, reliable data transmission.
Norwegian marine tech startup Orca recently has introduced its Remote Access system, pushing the limits of what a chartplotter can do. This latest update further distinguishes the Orca Core from traditional chartplotters. Available immediately, Orca Core users’ boat sensors are now fully accessible through the Orca app at all times and all locations with an internet signal. You can check fuel levels, battery status and other vital parameters, ensuring your boat is in full operating condition and ready for its next adventure.
According to Orca, “The Remote Access function will evolve to allow users to set alerts to be notified when unexpected events occur. Such alerts will allow Orca users to identify from home whether their boat’s battery is depleted, or their boat has moved from the anchor point.”
Launched in 2021, Orca is a modern navigation system for sailboats and powerboats. Originally, Orca offered coverage for the Nordics and northern Europe, quickly meeting demands to cover most of Europe, the U.S. and New Zealand, with plans to add complete global coverage in development.
Orca’s navigation system consists of the Orca mobile application, Orca Display 2, and recently launched Orca Core 2, offering powerful navigation on the water, with features including instruments and autopilot control via tablets and smartphones. The marine-grade Orca Display 2 delivers incredible brightness and robustness and has been designed for boaters who want to navigate with ease and confidence.
The Orca app is free to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play. The modern app has received widespread praise and a global rating of 4.5/5 in the Google Play.
Remote Access and many other exciting features are available now with an Orca Core. Remote Access will be offered under a subscription package. However, all Core owners can access it free of charge during the initial beta phase.
If you are looking for a stand-alone battery monitor, consider the Victron Cerbo GX, “a hub for all energy on board.” To be sure, other monitoring systems have jumped straight ahead to cellular apps, using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology to keep us informed of battery charge and the overall performance of our onboard electrical systems. Xantrex, Siren Marine, Oceanic Systems, Naut Alert and other manufacturers offer dependable battery monitoring, complete with shunt and wireless connection, providing detailed data on charging and performance.
The center of the Cerbo GX is a small, blue box or hub, with eight analog inputs for temperature readings, depth sounder, water and fuel tank levels, etc., plus four digital inputs for battery charge monitoring. With four battery sensors, you can keep tabs on the starter battery, house bank and two reserve banks from a single screen on your chartplotter while on passage.
If you still need the added convenience of connectivity to the cloud, you can use the Cerbo GX as a Wi-Fi server in the same manner as its competitors. In order to connect to the Internet, you will need access to a Wi-Fi or LAN network, or a GX GSM network.
While you are away from the vessel, you can use the Cerbo GX Internet connection to keep yourself apprised of battery charge, which offers clues to other electrical activity occurring on your floating palace during your absence. If you are 200 miles inland on a road trip and you notice a sudden charge drop in one of your house batteries, this could indicate a spontaneous, unexplained firing up of your electrical system, or just as bad if not worse, a short that could cause a fire.
A sudden drop in the starter battery charge, followed by a surge, could mean your yacht is in the hands of a nefarious, ill-intentioned intruder – a pirate! Battery charge fluctuations are a key source of information on the overall health of your vessel while underway or in your home port.
The Cerbo GX from Victron Energy is compatible with virtually all chartplotters, including Raymarine, Garmin, Lowrance/B&G/Simrad, Navico and Furuno. At roughly $340, it is hard to imagine a more sensible investment for your vessel’s battery management system.
Whether your vessel is more easily managed through an Ethernet router with Wi-Fi access or a fully wireless network, you have many options available. Choose the system best suiting your needs for ease of installation and use, and as always, your requirements for vessel security. n