Monthly Archive: August 2020
My iPad is a veritable archeological dig of marine navigation apps. At some point over the years, I have installed just about every major release: C-Map Plan2Nav, Navionics Boating, NV Charts, iNavX, AquaMap, Garmin Bluechart Mobile (that became Active Captain), and some others lost to memory. It’s the iPad equivalent of Gizmo’s radar mast. With that history, it should be no surprise that I downloaded and installed TimeZero’s TZ iBoat app version 2 when it was released a few weeks ago…
Monitoring the temperature of your boat (or RV) can be important to maintaining the health and safety of your vessel. My reasons for such monitoring have included ensuring that the heat is working (and nothing is freezing) inside the boat, that the air conditioning is working (and nothing is cooking) inside the same boat, that the engine room temps are normal underway, and that the conditions are safe for pets. It’s not always simple or cheap to get this information remotely, but I’ve recently come across an inexpensive and simple option that’s worked well for two months, the Govee WiFi thermometer and hydrometer.
Earlier this year, unfortunately, we roasted the 1,855 amp hour battery bank needed to achieve electrical nirvana on our 40-foot trawler Bliss. And that meant a painfully expensive and unbudgeted replacement, plus a period of no lights, no engine, and no electric toilet. So having recently suffered through the battery selection process, I’d like to share in depth what I know about the multitude of deep cycle high-performance battery choices…
Bob Metcalf doesn’t deserve this entry’s title, but he’s a good sport and I wanted to get your attention. Plus, I did indeed spend a morning helping the Ethernet’s inventor get more comfortable with his extensive new Garmin system, and got reminded of several marine electronics truths in the process: Current systems can be dauntingly complex no matter who you are (or who designed them), Smart guys like this one are usually adept at…
Batteries are essential for engine starting and operating onboard utilities. With Veratron’s new Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS), it’s simple to monitor their status and health in real-time. The system works with any OceanLink, AcquaLink or NMEA 2000-networked display, and is compatible with the latest glass cockpit systems.
