The electronics revolution has provided boat owners with a
confusing assortment of sophisticated equipment that improves the performance
of their boats and increases the safety and convenience of life onboard. The
tricky part here, however, is to choose the right equipment to deliver a
satisfying performance for a particular job and to make sure that they are
correctly installed and compatible. They also need to be durable enough to
withstand hours of operation and being exposed to elements such as water and
sunlight.
No matter what boat you have, either if it’s a centre
console aluminium boat or a yacht, these are the electronics that are
needed for your boat to work in its best condition:
Batteries
A battery is designed for one particular use: to power a
machine. However, a battery designed for one specific use may not be suitable
for another. But the huge array of different types, specifications, and costs
make it easy to make an expensive mistake by choosing the wrong battery for a
particular gadget or machine.
VHF Radios
While the origins of VHF radios were for maritime, nowadays
all sailors, whether commercial or recreational can now enjoy the accessibility
of communicating for help during emergency situations through VHF radios. VHF
radios can range from handheld devices to machines that need to be rigged in
the boat interior.
GPS and Chartplotters
Gone are the days when sailors only rely on their skill and
manual way of trying to figure out their positions while out in the ocean
through the use of electronic position devices. Nowadays, GPS and chart plotters have become
widely used in the world of recreational boating. Even though some sailors are
still campaigning to still continue the use of paper charts since GPS can be
inaccurate sometimes. It’s best to learn how to read and navigate using paper
charts if you’re dead set on fishing offshore regularly.
Radar
Radar equipment is becoming steadily more affordable and
easier to operate. In the last two decades, radar would only be found on larger
boats but the invention of LCD systems and compact antennas has brought radar
within the budget of most recreational small boat owners. Radar equipment can
range between a budget set to the top-of-the-range models. Choose one which
really suits your needs.
Computer
This is a no-brainer. We don’t realise it but we are using
computers every day. Computers have gone from being a machine being set up on a
table to a machine that could fit in your pocket. Your smartphone or tablet can
basically do almost everything. You can use it as a tool for navigation,
weather forecasting, communication, research and entertainment. You can even
use it as part of your fishing
accessories when you’re trying to track schools of fish if you’ll be out in
the water trying to catch one. The downside to relying on your phone is that it
is vulnerable to water, knocks, falls, etc. and it couldn’t reliably pick up
signals out in the open water.
EPIRB (Emergency Positioning Indicating Radio Beacon)
EPIRB is a device commonly found in ships and large boats to
alert search and rescue operations in case of an emergency out at sea. What it
does is track the boat in distress by transmitting a signal to locate the
position of the boat.
Network Instruments
These types of devices are useful to do multiple operations.
For example, a chart plotter can be integrated with other electronic equipment
so that not only you see your position but also the positions of other vessels
through the AIS technology, and radar, tidal, wind, and weather information.