NEW ADVANCEMENTS IN MARINE TECHNOLOGY
Boating has changed substantially over the past few years, and new opportunities to visit in-person boat shows and see all the new gear up close attest to the massive R&D that’s been taking place behind the shadow of the Covid pandemic, writes Craig Ritchie.
After having been locked down and cooped up for far too long, the opportunity to get back out in the world and return to walking through real, live, in-person boat shows has been just too good to pass up. So, I’ve been doing exactly that – on three different continents, no less – and it’s been an intensely revealing experience. While the return to familiarity has been delightful, it is hard to not be awestruck by how dramatically the world of boating has changed in such a short time. These changes have absolutely nothing to do with the pandemic of course, but simply reflect how rapidly technology has advanced since we all last had the opportunity to see it first-hand.
While we’ve always been presented with incremental changes at shows – the boat now comes with a blue stripe instead of a red one, or the device now uses operating system 22.3 instead of 22.2, which is so last year – the changes we’re being confronted with today aren’t so much evolutionary as revolutionary. Incremental upgrades have given way to entirely brand new, clean sheet ideas. Boats have changed. Engines have changed. Electronics are almost unrecognizable.
Having now seen the latest and greatest at early season boat shows in Europe, North America and Asia, as well as at the massive Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (CES), I’m confident we boaties are witnessing the dawn of a new era in boating that’s bringing greater comfort, greater safety, greater convenience and greater ease of operation than ever before. Sound interesting? Then let’s take a closer look at the highlights from the best of the 2023 shows so far.
Autonomy Is changing boating forever
Boatbuilders and electronics giants were already talking about assisted docking systems long before the pandemic. But now that Covid has come and gone, assisted docking has gone from a “maybe, someday, one day” concept to a “here it is” proposition.
At the Miami International Boat Show in mid-February, Yamaha treated a handful of select journalists – yours truly among them – to an advance peek at its own assisted docking platform called DockPoint. The company demonstrated an early prototype of the system that was installed on a Grady-White Canyon 336 centre console day yacht rigged with twin Yamaha 425 XTO Offshore outboards.
Yamaha’s new product introduction manager, David Meeler, explained that the DockPoint system allows boaties to store the physical location of up to 100 different docks and boat ramps in its memory, including preferences such as port-side or starboard-side mooring. Upon return to the marina, the operator simply navigates to a predetermined location situated anywhere within 100m of the slip – a convenient spot called the midpoint – then pushing two buttons activates the system and has it take control of the boat for the final approach to the dock.
Using two differential GPS antennas, Yamaha’s DockPoint system can accurately take the boat to within a few centimetres of the slip and hold it in position while the skipper secures the lines. The DockPoint platform instantly responds to wind gusts, boat wakes and currents to ensure a successful approach every time out.
Compatible with Helm Master EX controls, the DockPoint platform uses proprietary position analysis technology developed at Yamaha’s new, 7,000m2 Marine Innovation Center in Georgia, US, where more than 125 employees are said to be working on advanced control systems. Meeler said the company is aiming to introduce a full production version of DockPoint for spring 2024.
The prototype worked flawlessly in its Miami demonstration, easily overcoming relentless boat wakes and a persistently gusty onshore breeze to properly position and hold the big Grady-White with its sail-like high freeboard to within a hand’s-length of the slip every single time.
What Yamaha did not show the marine journos – and indeed denied any knowledge of – was a touchscreen-controlled software package that presents an overhead view of the marina and allows the skipper to use familiar drag-and-drop fingertip controls to select a slip and trace path to it. Pushing an activate button turns it over to the app, as it then drives the boat along the indicated route to the dock. It’s not in production, and doesn’t even exist as a prototype, but Yamaha has filed an application with the US patent office for just such a system, which would perfectly complement its DockPoint platform.
The early 2023 boat shows also provided a first opportunity to see Garmin’s innovative Surround View camera system, which provides a real time overhead view of the boat to provide skippers with greater situational awareness as they approach the slip. Launched in September 2021 in the midst of the pandemic, this year’s shows mark the first chance most of us had have to get a good look at the system.
Surround View uses a proprietary software suite to stitch together live data feeds from up to six different cameras mounted onboard the boat, yielding that seamless, wrap-around overhead view. A visual bumper feature helps the captain see when docks, piers or other objects breach preset barrier limits around the boat, while distance markers provide visual cues to help maintain safe clearance and separation.
From docking assistance to fully self-driving boats
Docking assistance is magnificent. But fully self-driving boats that take automation a full step further have gone from the realm of science fiction to the point of being ready to hit market – not at some point in the future, but starting this year.
Raymarine kicked off the 2023 Miami International Boat Show by signing a multi-year partnership agreement with Seoul, South Korea-based tech firm Avikus that will see the two companies exclusively collaborate on launching the Avikus NeuBoat autonomous navigation system. Avikus used the Miami show to survey consumer attitudes about autonomous navigation, and gave away 100 systems in a free raffle for boaties wishing to become beta testers.
Having announced its self-driving boat software at the 2022 CES show, then demonstrated a prototype at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show the following October, Avikus – a division of HD Hyundai – went on to win a 2023 CES Innovation Award for its now production-ready NeuBoat platform. The company already has orders for more than 200 systems from commercial ship operators, with the consumer version of its self-driving platform scheduled to launch in months.
The current Avikus software is considered a Level 2 system, meaning that insurance liability considerations still require a human to be at the helm ready to take control in case of a malfunction. A Level 3 upgrade allowing full self-driving capability is in the works, and expected to hit the market by 2025.
Avikus has hinted at incorporating advanced features into its NeuBoat platform, including an integrated fish finder application which allows the user to choose what kind of fish they want to catch, leaving the platform to take them to the ideal fishing location based on the fish’s preferred habitat and historic catch data. It then commands a separate sonar system to execute a search pattern over the area to physically locate fish.
The firm is also developing a sun locator app which can take the boat to the perfect location to enjoy a spectacular sunset, arriving at the right time and positioning the craft precisely to provide the best views. Additional watersports and cruising apps are also being proposed.
Joining Avikus in the race to make self-driving boats a reality is Samsung Heavy Industries, which unveiled a prototype version of its own autonomous navigation platform at the Korea International Boat Show (KIBS) in early March. Its Level 2 system also features advanced collision avoidance technology and is in an advanced testing stage. Like HD Hyundai, Samsung Heavy Industries is also initially targeting the commercial market in a bid to rapidly offset development costs, before launching a consumer version for the mass market. While it has not confirmed a launch date for the consumer version, demonstrating the product at a major international boat show like KIBS suggests that point can’t be far off.
Not to be outdone, Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering demonstrated a version of its own autonomous navigation system at KIBS. While appearing slightly less developed than either of the Avikus or Samsung competitors, it too operates as a Level 2 system. Initially targeting the commercial shipping sector, it was being presented to consumers as a taste of what could be coming their way, and perhaps more quickly than they might expect.
Swedish propulsion giant Volvo Penta used the winter shows to present a wide range of future boating concepts, including ideas around its own fully autonomous navigation suite. The focal point of the company’s winter show displays has been an animated, futuristic video that explores potential future boating scenarios, touching upon themes of shared access, electrification and fully autonomous operation.
The company says that it has received tremendous, constructive feedback from its show displays, underscoring the level of interest that already exists in boats that drive themselves.
The future really is electric
While huge petrol engines tend to attract the lion’s share of attention at the Miami International Boat Show, the launch of an all-new Electrification Pavilion this year highlighting the latest and greatest in high voltage propulsion was a first and an indication of just how far electrification has come since the start of the pandemic – and even in the gas guzzling, high horsepower US market.
Featuring exhibits from electric boating brands like Torqeedo, ePropulsion, X Shore, Vision Marine Technologies, Aqua SuperPower, Ingenity and Taiga Motors, the Electrification Pavilion supported growing interest in electric boating, and particularly among younger buyers.
There was plenty of electrification out on the main show floor as well, with the US public debut of the Mercury Avator electric motor line that had made previous appearances at the Dusseldorf Boat Show in Germany and the CES show in Las Vegas. The company showed three different Avator electric models, highlighting the Avator 7.5e model available now, as well as Avator 20e and 35e models scheduled for release in the coming weeks. Mercury says it aims to have five electric outboard models to market this year.
Intended for use on small boats like tenders, inflatables and kayaks, the Avator 7.5e generates 750 watts of power at the propshaft, allowing it to produce similar speed and acceleration as a 3.5hp four-stroke outboard. The Avator 7.5e will be offered in a choice of either tiller or remote steering variants, with deliveries dealers expected to begin in the spring.
The Avator 7.5e is powered by an internally-mounted, 48-volt, 1kWh battery which is designed to be hot swapped on the fly, enabling boaties with a spare battery to use one while the other goes on charge.
Additional features in the Avator 7.5e include a quick-connect mounting system and intuitive controls designed to provide easy, familiar operation, while an integrated full-colour display tracks battery level and range. A free, companion Mercury Marine app, available for iOS and Android devices, includes a library of tutorials and the ability to connect with a preferred dealer for expert support. Adding a Mercury SmartCraft Connect module to the outboard unlocks advanced features like a GPS map and the ability to track speed, battery level, outboard hours and system notifications.
In addition to launching Mercury’s new electric motor range, parent company Brunswick delighted CES visitors with its new Veer boat brand, designed from the keel up specifically with electric propulsion systems in mind.
Veer’s initial X13 model, due out later this year, is made from rotomoulded polyethylene, a lightweight yet tough and durable material designed to withstand repeated beach launching. It’s also affordable, with retail pricing expected to start in the range of US$12,000.
Yamaha also drew its share of oohs and aahs at the early boat shows with its Harmo 9.9hp-equivalent electric outboard, and particularly with its unique rim drive and large four-blade impeller. Harmo features an integrated digital electric steering and Yamaha’s Helm Master EX joystick to provide a 140o total steering angle for what the company describes as exceptional handling and control, The system can rotate a single-engine boat within its own length, and allows for true lateral operation in a twin-motor configuration. A 74o tilt angle helps keep the impeller clear of the water when not in use.
Powered by a high-yield, low-drag 3.7kW motor and 48-volt battery, Yamaha’s Harmo generates 225 pounds of static thrust, giving it a power output roughly equivalent to that of a 9.9hp petrol outboard.
Not to be left out of the electrification fun, Honda showed a prototype of its own small electric outboard in January at the Düsseldorf Boat Show.
Although the company offered few details, the transom-mount electric outboard appears to use Honda’s Mobile Power Pack, introduced in October of 2021 to create a battery standard for swappable power supplies. The batteries are already used on Honda electric scooters.
Honda further announced the Honda Marine Monitor at the early boat shows, which makes boat and engine data accessible through a website portal and an accompanying smartphone app. Compliant with BF40 to BF250 engines, the Honda Marine Monitor connects to the boat’s battery and NMEA 2000 network which reads Honda-specific engine data. In the event that a cellular network signal is unavailable, the data is stored locally in the monitor unit and then transmitted once network coverage is resumed, ensuring no data is lost.
There’s more – plenty more – but the best way to understand the capabilities of all this incredible new gear is to get out and see it first-hand.
So much has changed in the last couple of years, and particularly in boating where new technology inevitably drives even further technological advances. But what’s clear is this – we’re seeing the dawn of a new chapter in boating that brings greater comfort, greater safety, greater convenience and greater ease of operation than ever before.
