Return to BTJ Online

Americans sure do like their boats. In 2005 there were nearly 13,000,000 registered boats across the country. A main concern of the marine electronics industry is to make this myriad of crafts safer and increasingly user-friendly.

One company that is spending a lot of time researching and developing new and improved electronic systems to stay on the cutting edge is Sea Ray. For nearly a half- century the company has designed some of the most technologically advanced boats in the industry. David Richard, the electrical engineer manager at the company’s Merritt Island product development facility, said his team is currently working on about a dozen or so projects that will help boaters have a smoother sail; at least when it comes to their marine electronics.

For instance, the staff is now working on a networking system that will allow previously separate entities to “talk” to each other. Implementation of the system will allow components such as the engine, navigation system, and generator to be linked up and monitored via a touch screen in the ship’s cabin. Richard said creating more user-friendly systems opens up the boating market to people who may have felt intimidated by it in the past.

“The user has better information and better user interface,” Richard said. “The whole idea is to make boating easier and more enjoyable.”

Another trend Richard said is on the horizon is the increased use of telematics systems, which is the integrated use of telecommunications and computer systems. This type of system can offer users features such as vessel tracking, emergency aid, system monitoring, and Internet access.

This industry is traveling along the fast lane of technological advancements. Kevin Gallagher, owner of NoLand Engineering, said he has seen the tech side of the marine industry change dramatically in the 12 years he has owned his business. The Melbourne-based company manufacturers multiplexers that allow an interconnection between various systems on a vessel. Gallagher said he started his company from his garage 12 years ago at a time when no one was using microprocessors.

“Boats are going more and more electronic everyday and we’re trying to keep up with it,” Gallagher said.

Vessels equipped with high-tech options are not only for the yachting set anymore according to Jules Rutstein, owner and president of Bethel Marine Electronics, a wholesale/retail dealer based in Rockledge.

“We’re seeing the technology move toward recreational ships,” he said.

Rutstein is also the vice chair on the National Marine Electronics Association board of directors. The association was created nearly 50 years ago to promote education, communication, training, and certification and fair business practices among its members.

Five years ago the association developed the NMEA 2000, a network standard for shipboard communications. The standard contains the requirements of a serial data communications network to inter-connect marine electronic equipment on vessels. It is multi-master and self-configuring, and there is no central network controller. Equipment designed to this standard has the ability to share data. A single network cable is used to interconnect devices such as navigation, steering and piloting systems, fire alarm, and power generation.

Rutstein said since the development of the standard he has seen a steady increase of electronics manufactures implementing it into their products. He said each year the number of products using the standard increased by between 15 and 20 percent.

Rutstein who has been an avid boater for the majority of his life said advancements in marine technology has gone a long way in making boating safer and less problematic that it was when he first started hitting the open water.

“Going out on a boat 50 years ago was a major event,” he said. “It (tech advancements) provides a safer environment for you to go out in the water. With today’s hurry up world you don’t have as much time to prepare as you did before.”

Even with an onslaught of technological advancements, safety remains a key issue to consider in the boating world. Given snap changes in the weather and or a miscalculation in navigation, a fun day on the water can turn into a tragedy within a moments notice.

Rutstein offers safety course at his company as well as traveling around and offering safety seminars at boating clubs and other related organizations. One piece of equipment that he highly recommends to all boaters is the VHF radio. This may not be new technology, but he says it is an essential component to have aboard. Rutstein said many people he speaks to at his safety seminars believe a cell phone is sufficient, but he disagrees.

“If you have a problem, who are you going to call?”

Using the VHF can alert a nearby boater of your situation and that is where the first help you receive is likely to come from, Rutstein said. He said the coast guard might not be available to assist you fast as a fellow mariner.

“They’re doing a good job, but it’s a lot of water to cover,” he said.

Each year the U.S. Coast Guard compiles statistics on reported recreational boating accidents. In 2005 there were nearly 5,000 boating accidents reported nationwide, almost 700 were fatal. The accidents tallied up top about $38.7 million in property damage. According to a coast guard survey taken between 2001 and 2002, more than 65 percent of boat operators nationwide have never taken a boating safety course. A survey taken of Florida boat owners showed more than 53 percent of them had never taken a boating safety course.

“It’s not like driving a car,” Rutstein said. “There are no breaks on a boat.

For more information about safe boating, please visit the U.S. Coast Guard web site at www.uscgboating.org.

For more information about the National Marine Electronics Association, please visit www.nmea.org.