I'm a technology nerd that loves playing piano, playing with new electronics, being on the water, and solving new problems.
NMEA 2000 networks are part of any connected boat, and can be problematic by nature of their design. Troubleshooting an N2K network can be done very easily.
Servers are more common on boats today than ever before. Having some sort of system to run SignalK, a dedicated alerting system, or some other service has become just as integral as having a chart plotter or VHF radio.
I switched from sail to power a year ago and haven't looked back. There are pros and cons, but I am glad I made the switch!
Furuno released the FM-4800 VHF radio in late 2018, and I have been using it since then, and really like it as my primary boat radio.
As of iOS 13, there is a Low Data mode for WiFi! For many years, you've been able to limit cellular bandwidth usage, but iOS has not had a way to control the same thing for a WiFi network, until now.
weBoost released the Drive Reach recently which is a more powerful and refined version of the venerable Drive 4G-X, the gold standard for cellular amplifiers since 2014. I have been using mine for a few months, and have some observations
I upgrade my power system with Battle Born batteries, Balmar alternators, and Wakespeed regulators to give me way more power and longer time at anchor.
These are my recommended system designs for getting high quality Internet on your boat. There are several different choices depending on your budget.
Having a reliable setup has always been one of my top goals, usually leveraging several technologies. This article covers the tech that I used on my boat.
The Yamaha P-125 piano is super light, has an excellent action, a few great piano sounds, and is perfect for my boat. I also built a system to store it in a closet.
After months and months of troubleshooting problems, changing chain and anchors, I finally have an anchoring system that I feel very confident in.
NaviSafe dinghy lights are easy to add to your dinghy or other small boat. They run a whole season on one set of batteries, and can be configured in many ways.
