The Marine Electronics Hub
Innovation in the past five years or so has been a little bit lumpy. The impacts of a global pandemic, followed by severe supply-chain shortages, slowed the pace of product introductions and advancements. Even so, three major innovations are hitting the marine marketplace with a big splash. Each one is changing the way boaters use their boats, and leaving a lasting imprint on the industry.
Editor’s Note: This column originally appeared in the May issue of Soundings Trade Only as part of my Getting Technical monthly column. covering all things technology. I welcome all feedback on these pieces. Feel free to...
As part of a well-engineered system, lithium batteries can replace generators and make life on a boat seamless with or without shore power. But they aren’t perfect. The battery industry continues to research improvements and alternative chemistries.
NMEA OneNet is the National Marine Electronics Association’s most recent standard, one of only three major electronics standards the organization has released in the past 40-plus years. First came NMEA 0183 in 1983, then NMEA 2000 in 2001, and now OneNet. The previous standards stood the test of time. In fact, despite being 41 years old, NMEA 0183 continues to be built into many electronics and remains the preferred standard for many light commercial vessels.
At the recent Miami International Boat Show, I saw an overarching theme. In years past, just about the only discussion of environmental sustainability came from electrification. This year, the focus shifted — to something that is, at best, unclear.
Will this be the year of autonomy? Will it be the year of electrification? Maybe the year of hydrogen? Or since it’s so popular everywhere else, the year of AI?
