Tech races forward at an ever-blistering pace and that certainly applies when it comes to marine electronics. This year’s no different, and multiple manufacturers have some incredibly cool new options for you to peruse as you outfit your boat with the latest and greatest. We’ve rounded up a few:
FURUNO gets the ball rolling with TZ Maps, taking your ability to look at the bathymetric world to new heights. Or maybe we should say to new depths because this chartography can provide detail levels to rather shocking three-inch contour lines. Thanks to the potent processing power of the TZTouchXL system just introduced last year these lines get redrawn as you zoom, and you can overlay the data on navigational charts and render them with custom shading and detail. TZTouchXL also gets a new autorouting advantage thanks to the use of AI, and it can now reroute in near-real-time as the course or speed of moving radar targets creates a potential for collision. Added bonus: additional raster and vector charts, satellite photos, and topo maps can also be downloaded directly into the big brains housed by these units. Price starts at $2995 for the TZT10X; check out furunousa.com to get the details.
SKYHAWK has a new option for remotely monitoring your boat with the Oversea system. The base unit includes geofencing capabilities and sensors can be added for high water alarms, bilge pump activity, battery level, and more. This 2024 NMMA Innovations award-winning system differs from the competition thanks to a unique application of low power-draw technology, which means battery life is measured by years rather than months. That eliminates the need for hard-wiring, and both the base and the sensors are completely wireless. They’re also IP67-rated for waterproofing so they can be placed just about anywhere on the boat. Still, despite all this, the system’s biggest asset is probably its price—starting at just $299 it’s half the cost of industry-leading competitors. Check out oversea.boats to find out more.
SIMRAD has introduced the NSX Ultrawide, which is the same NSX tech packaged in an MFD with a 63-percent wider LCD screen. Available in 12- and 15-inch models, the short, wide screen is ideal for boats with low-profile dashes at the helm. This is a common trait of many modern dayboats and cruisers (especially those with Euro-styling) which, up until now, would generally sport a pair of smaller units mounted side by side. That means there’s a blank space between the screens with bezels in-between, reducing the overall amount of screen space as compared to the amount of dash space they take up. Now with the Ultrawide, however, zero space gets lost and you have a more beautiful LCD touchscreen to work with. Views can be sized and organized to your taste via drag-and-drop customization, instrument panels can be customized, and C-MAP Discover X charts are bundled for North America and Canada. Price: $2899/$3549. Visit simrad-yachting.com to get more specifics.
YAMAHA and SIREN MARINE recently unveiled an all-new Connected Boat Customer Experience Platform—a robust Marine IoT ecosystem and the only one featuring seamless integration with Yamaha outboards and systems. The Connected Boat Experience starts with the Siren Connected Boat mobile application that personalizes the boating experience by combining the branded look of the user’s boat builder with specific information curated especially for them. It combines real-time vessel security with flexible boat monitoring and tracking functions—and convenience features like remote digital switching—into one easy-to-use system that's controlled from their smartphone, or now even their smartwatch. In addition, Siren Connected Boat automatically reminds both the boater and their preferred dealer when scheduled maintenance is due based on actual engine usage. It also contains all maintenance records for the boat, which are input by the servicing dealer or by the DIY boater. The Siren Connected Boat mobile application comes in a basic free tier as well as a premium tier that requires installation and activation of a Siren 3 Pro main device and cellular service. Siren 3 Pro system hardware starts at $797 MSRP, and cellular service is as low as $18.75/month. Siren hardware is currently shipping standard on select 2024 models from Grady-White, Regulator, G3, and Skeeter with more brands and models to be announced soon; learn more at sirenmarine.com/pages/yamaha.
CMAP introduced major updates to its North America charts, introducing detailed data for hundreds of lakes, improved satellite imagery, enhanced shaded relief, and more. The new data includes satellite imagery improvements in over 19 states; the popular Shaded Relief, exclusive to C-MAP Reveal and Reveal X, has seen improvements across more than 500 lakes; and information for 13,000 bridges with enhanced geometry and positioning, and the addition of vertical and horizontal clearances to more than 6400 bridges, has been added for safer navigation. Visit c-map.com for more details and pricing information.
ICOM’S newest black box VHF marine radios, the M510BB and M410BB, are ideal space-saving solutions for vessels requiring multiple communication points. The M510BB allows up to three CommandMic stations, and the M410BB, up to two. Install the black box RF unit out of sight and hang the CommandMic within easy reach, up to 60 feet away (two optional OPC-1541 cables are required for 60-foot installation). This setup is perfect for use in the cockpit, flybridge, tower, and more. These radios consist of a black box RF unit and one CommandMic. Both radios carry in-demand features and functions such as an intercom function, Class-D DSC distress button, internal GPS receiver, active noise cancelling, NMEA 2000 and NMEA 0183-HS interfaces, loud one-way RX hailer and intercom, AquaQuake, and Anchor Watch. The M510BB also includes additional features such as an integrated AIS receiver, two-minute voice recording and playback, and a DSC remote-control interface. $649/$799; icomamerica.com
RAYMARINE announced the launch of five new products just last year, including the Axiom 2 Pro and Axiom 2 XL family of multifunction chartplotter displays. Axiom 2 Pro is the most powerful all-in-one Axiom system ever developed by Raymarine with a blazing fast six-core processor and intuitive LightHouse 4 operating system. Available in nine-, 12- and 16-inch sizes in two variations, the Axiom 2 Pro S includes embedded High CHIRP sonar that is perfect for premium cruising and sailing vessels, while the Axiom 2 Pro RVM is engineered specifically for the avid sport angler. Axiom 2 Pro's HydroTough nano-coating technology repels water for reliable touchscreen control, enhanced colors, and excellent sunlight visibility. Smart backlighting and an ambient light sensor automatically adjust display brightness for day and evening lighting conditions. The Axiom 2 XL lineup is available in 16-, 19-, 22- and 24-inch sizes. These displays feature enhanced networking and extended multimedia capabilities like HDMI input and output, and touchscreen pass-through. Axiom 2 XL screens are also built on the new six-core platform with LightHouse 4 OS that is intuitive, yet extremely powerful. Prices range by model. Learn more at raymarine.com.
