Boat Monitoring and electronic update

[nautibeaver]

Quick update on some monitoring/data/updating on the NautiBeaver

Background:
I purchased a 1992 68' 1992 Nordlund almost 5 years ago, at that time, i traded in my 1994 58' Sonship for this vessel that I owned for 1.5 years. (never had a vessel before the sonship). Obviously a steep learning curve, but a challenge is nothing i have back down from, since then, I have put spent almost 2k*hours on both boats, and learned a great deal. including a 1500 mile trip to Alaska. When i bought her, she was all but a clean slate, i still needed to rip out hundreds of lbs of cable (with the help of the most honest and knowledgeable person in the business, matt@ Petrelmarine.com) and hundreds of lbs of 1992 equipment. I purchased the boat because it was 2x the weight (which in my mind meant 2x the boat), but it had great bones and great engines. 2 x Luggers with 3k hours.

i had (i did not do) the interior refitted, and as a techie went to work on much of the systems (i did do some DIY things like kitchen, salon remodel, engine room remodel and re-lighting). First thing was to rip out the helm.
It was old.....
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https://www.dropbox.com/home/Public?preview=IMG_5159.JPG
https://www.dropbox.com/home/Public?preview=IMG_5164.JPG
https://www.dropbox.com/home/Public?preview=IMG_5165.JPG
https://www.dropbox.com/home/Public?preview=IMG_5177.JPG

I designed an built my own new helm based on the following

3x Argonaut displays running on Apple MacMini's running bootcamp, using nobletec and connected to Furuno NatNet3d systems. Took me a few designs to get the helm correct and the over head correct. Much of this was done in my spare time.

https://www.dropbox.com/home/Public?preview=IMG_6543.JPG



phase 1:
https://www.dropbox.com/home/Public?preview=IMG_6537.JPG
https://www.dropbox.com/home/Public?preview=IMG_6538.JPG
Housing to store computers and other parts.

test install for space (notice i added a 4th areas to the port, but since removed it)
https://www.dropbox.com/home/Public?preview=IMG_6543.JPG
Now
https://www.dropbox.com/home/Public?preview=IMG_0607.jpg (this is mid project)


Replaced every switch with chetco system and also installed chetco engine monitoring and NMEA2k to ethernet.

Big difference
This https://www.dropbox.com/home/Public?preview=IMG_8082+(1).jpeg
vs
this
https://www.dropbox.com/home/Public?preview=IMG_5164.JPG

that was 2.5 years ago.....i have moved on from chetco. it was not intuitive at all and encountered many problems with stability in monitoring info (engine) however will say that switch to digital switch worked well.

Now i have (by recommendation of my mast marine electronic guru who lets me do some of the work as i want to know ever system and push the comfort zone from time to time.) moved on to a PLC based system and SignalK system.
Matt Netting from PetrelMarine (puget Sound)

My current build (i will call it that) is still 2x Apples MacMini running bootcamp, Nobeltec, Furuno NavNet3d, Furuno Radar, Furuno Sounder, Simrad AP. I have however changed out the Chetco for a Siemens PLC machine (same equipment running on oil platforms). This PLC/HMI runs all my monitoring (engine based), digital Switching ( FlyBridge/PH house) and LED controls ( my flybridge has LED RGBW strip lights that change colors.). It also monitors things like bilge cycles and total time counts, changes LED colors, added intermittent wipers, has a horn program for Fog/distress. All is simple programming modifications. it can email me a daily report, send out alerts via Txt.

I also have some home automation, water monitor (different parts of my bilge high-water marks, lights, cameras, LED lights, stair lights, motion controls, and NEST thermostat controls. it is based on Samsung smarttthigs. It can even be programed for logic:

Example:

if i am going over 1000 RPM, it alarms to remind me to turn off my Hydraulics (Bow Thruster).

The last part was to get NMEA data on something for weather, and other relative info that others might want to see. I installed an iKommunicate system (SingalK) and used NMEARemote before switching over to Wilmhelm app running on IPADs.

This is where the meat of the post is about. iPads, NMEA2k, SignalK, iKommunicate, and WilhelmSk app.

These systems are incredible, especially for price.

Example: a somewhat sunlight readable HMI system connected to the PLC (PLC is often viewed as expensive, but that is a very wrong assumption) is about 1k, i did purchase one of them so i had an advance system that i could VNC (remote control software) to but for FlyBridge using an IPAD with VNC. Now i can turn off lights, fans, systems, and more via my phone or iPad from any place.

Example: Here is an iPad, VNC/App for Siemens showing my engine monitoring for water temp, RPM, oil press, oil temp, trans pressure, exhaust temp, and more.
https://www.dropbox.com/home/Public?preview=IMG_1145.PNG

Switch examples:
https://www.dropbox.com/home/Public?preview=IMG_1149.JPG
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I utilize 2 iPads installed on my upper helm to display NMEA info (WhilhelmSK) and Engine Data or navigation data.

I have many further plans:

Integrating SignalK with Smartthigs,
I
ntegrating SignalK with IFTTT; Currently i have smart things integrated with IFTTT:
Example: when i get close to my boat, it disarms the door/hatch sensors, shuts down the security cameras, activates the heater system. When i leave, it sets the lights to proper mode (depending on if it is daylight or nighttime), arms the cameras, and arms the door/hatches.


Integrate SignalK with PLC for remote monitoring/switch capability and to add simple monitoring info on SignalK.

Example: Hold temps, engine room temp, each room temp, tank monitoring, and more.

Last thought, if you have NMEA2k data you want to display, go buy a iKommunicate device (unless you have the expertise to install yourself, which i do, and still went the iKommunicate path). it took 15 minutes to install, including wiring and it was displaying data. The rest was ensuring my Furuno and Nobeltec systems were outputting the correct data for Signal K to display. Oh, and go get WilhelmSK well worth it. WilhelmSK app shows what Signal K, good boat WiFi, and smart DIY coding can do
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NautiBeaver.

 

[twistedtree]

Very cool project, but none of the photo links seem to work. I'd love to see them.

 

[O C Diver]

Sounds impressive. Just a thought, either post your pictures in the thread, or link them somewhere that visitors don't have to sign into. Not giving out my email address for junk mail to view your pictures.

Ted

 

[Benthic2]

the link just seems to take me to my own drop box page...

 

[nautibeaver]

2nd Try.....

Quick update on some monitoring/data/updating on the NautiBeaver

Background:
I purchased a 1992 68' 1992 Nordlund almost 5 years ago, at that time, i traded in my 1994 58' Sonship for this vessel that I owned for 1.5 years. (never had a vessel before the sonship). Obviously a steep learning curve, but a challenge is nothing i have back down from, since then, I have put spent almost 2k*hours on both boats, and learned a great deal. including a 1500 mile trip to Alaska. When i bought her, she was all but a clean slate, i still needed to rip out hundreds of lbs of cable (with the help of the most honest and knowledgeable person in the business, matt@ Petrelmarine.com) and hundreds of lbs of 1992 equipment. I purchased the boat because it was 2x the weight (which in my mind meant 2x the boat), but it had great bones and great engines. 2 x Luggers with 3k hours.

i had (i did not do) the interior refitted, and as a techie went to work on much of the systems (i did do some DIY things like kitchen, salon remodel, engine room remodel and re-lighting). First thing was to rip out the helm.
It was old.....

 

[nautibeaver]

Part 2:

I designed an built my own new helm based on the following

3x Argonaut displays running on Apple MacMini's running bootcamp, using nobletec and connected to Furuno NatNet3d systems. Took me a few designs to get the helm correct and the over head correct. Much of this was done in my spare time.



phase 1:


Housing to store computers and other parts.

test install for space (notice i added a 4th areas to the port, but since removed it)

Now
[ (this is mid project)


Replaced every switch with chetco system and also installed chetco engine monitoring and NMEA2k to ethernet.

Big difference
This
vs
this

 

[nautibeaver]

Part 3


that was 2.5 years ago.....i have moved on from chetco. it was not intuitive at all and encountered many problems with stability in monitoring info (engine) however will say that switch to digital switch worked well.

Now i have (by recommendation of my mast marine electronic guru who lets me do some of the work as i want to know ever system and push the comfort zone from time to time.) moved on to a PLC based system and SignalK system.
Matt Netting from PetrelMarine (puget Sound)

My current build (i will call it that) is still 2x Apples MacMini running bootcamp, Nobeltec, Furuno NavNet3d, Furuno Radar, Furuno Sounder, Simrad AP. I have however changed out the Chetco for a Siemens PLC machine (same equipment running on oil platforms). This PLC/HMI runs all my monitoring (engine based), digital Switching ( FlyBridge/PH house) and LED controls ( my flybridge has LED RGBW strip lights that change colors.). It also monitors things like bilge cycles and total time counts, changes LED colors, added intermittent wipers, has a horn program for Fog/distress. All is simple programming modifications. it can email me a daily report, send out alerts via Txt.

I also have some home automation, water monitor (different parts of my bilge high-water marks, lights, cameras, LED lights, stair lights, motion controls, and NEST thermostat controls. it is based on Samsung smarttthigs. It can even be programed for logic:

Example:

if i am going over 1000 RPM, it alarms to remind me to turn off my Hydraulics (Bow Thruster).

The last part was to get NMEA data on something for weather, and other relative info that others might want to see. I installed an iKommunicate system (SingalK) and used NMEARemote before switching over to Wilmhelm app running on IPADs.

This is where the meat of the post is about. iPads, NMEA2k, SignalK, iKommunicate, and WilhelmSk app.

These systems are incredible, especially for price.

Example: a somewhat sunlight readable HMI system connected to the PLC (PLC is often viewed as expensive, but that is a very wrong assumption) is about 1k, i did purchase one of them so i had an advance system that i could VNC (remote control software) to but for FlyBridge using an IPAD with VNC. Now i can turn off lights, fans, systems, and more via my phone or iPad from any place.

Example: Here is an iPad, VNC/App for Siemens showing my engine monitoring for water temp, RPM, oil press, oil temp, trans pressure, exhaust temp, and more.


Switch examples:




I utilize 2 iPads installed on my upper helm to display NMEA info (WhilhelmSK) and Engine Data or navigation data.

I have many further plans:

Integrating SignalK with Smartthigs,
I
ntegrating SignalK with IFTTT; Currently i have smart things integrated with IFTTT:
Example: when i get close to my boat, it disarms the door/hatch sensors, shuts down the security cameras, activates the heater system. When i leave, it sets the lights to proper mode (depending on if it is daylight or nighttime), arms the cameras, and arms the door/hatches.


Integrate SignalK with PLC for remote monitoring/switch capability and to add simple monitoring info on SignalK.

Example: Hold temps, engine room temp, each room temp, tank monitoring, and more.

Last thought, if you have NMEA2k data you want to display, go buy a iKommunicate device (unless you have the expertise to install yourself, which i do, and still went the iKommunicate path). it took 15 minutes to install, including wiring and it was displaying data. The rest was ensuring my Furuno and Nobeltec systems were outputting the correct data for Signal K to display. Oh, and go get WilhelmSK well worth it. WilhelmSK app shows what Signal K, good boat WiFi, and smart DIY coding can do




NautiBeaver.

 

[Bob Cofer]

Super interesting project! I have been considering going to plc based controls for all of the systems on Ebbtide. The integration possibilities are endless. Thanks for sharing.

 

[twistedtree]

I'm really interested in the PLC approach you have taken. Is there any chance you have a schematic of any sort for your system?

Also, what is IFTTT?

I've been using Maretron products for all my monitoring (no automation, just monitoring) and have a real love/hate relationship with it. It's mostly love, but I'm having a real hard time keeping N2KView running for any length of time without something hanging up in some way. It's just not proving reliably enough, especially for remote monitoring. Maretron is working on it and really cares, but I'm starting to explore alternatives.

 

[Jeffrey S]

Great stuff. It speaks to me and, as you probably know, I play in that same playground.

You should join the Nautical Geekery Facebook group - it's a very small group of boaters who put together things like this. It's a place to get real ideas from others doing similar things:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/nauticalgeekery/

One quick thing to start experimenting with is a Raspberry Pi and the Signal K server code there. Scott/WilhelmSK has made some great add on's for it including an IFTTT server, centralized anchor alarm server, and other experimental things. The iKommunicate is a wonderful tool (I have one too) but new things come out for the pi quicker since it's easy to add server code to it.

Check out the D-Link WiFi Siren too - I'm sure you'll see a use for it. I'd bet that AC voltage use onboard isn't a big deal for you which opens up a huge range of products like that.

Your digital switching is quite nice. I'm currently exploring AC/DC current monitoring on all circuits in a reasonably priced way. Putting in the digital switching on your lights, etc was a very nice touch.

 

[SlowGypsy]

IFTTT - "If This, Then That"

 

[twistedtree]

IFTTT - "If This, Then That"

huh, never heard that one before.

 

[Robster_in_edmonds]

Big Plus-One for Matt Netting

Very cool project. I'm here in Edmonds, WA, right on the Puget Sound. Matt Netting is a great, licensed electrician, incredible well-versed, and his rates are more than reasonable. On top of that he is a great guy to work with. I couldn't recommend him more highly. Find him at www.petrelmarine.com.

 

[SlowGypsy]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IFTTT

 

[nautibeaver]

huh, never heard that one before.

It provides the functionality of integrating a bunch of IoT devices. Example:

Proximity, when I come near my dock, IFTTT takes my GPS info from phone and sends a command to my Nest (thermostat) and warms up the boat. It then and unrelated, sends commands to my arlo cameras and Samsung camera and turns them off (leaves on aft cam). It then sends commands to SmartThings and said disarm boat.

When I leave that area, it does the opposite. Super powerful and getting more integration daily. It also does things like, txt me stock prices if they pass thresholds I have setup, txt me currency changes. It can also take every picture I take with my phone and upload it to Dropbox or OneDrive, or google drive.

 

[nautibeaver]

Great stuff. It speaks to me and, as you probably know, I play in that same playground.

You should join the Nautical Geekery Facebook group - it's a very small group of boaters who put together things like this. It's a place to get real ideas from others doing similar things:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/nauticalgeekery/

One quick thing to start experimenting with is a Raspberry Pi and the Signal K server code there. Scott/WilhelmSK has made some great add on's for it including an IFTTT server, centralized anchor alarm server, and other experimental things. The iKommunicate is a wonderful tool (I have one too) but new things come out for the pi quicker since it's easy to add server code to it.

Check out the D-Link WiFi Siren too - I'm sure you'll see a use for it. I'd bet that AC voltage use onboard isn't a big deal for you which opens up a huge range of products like that.

Your digital switching is quite nice. I'm currently exploring AC/DC current monitoring on all circuits in a reasonably priced way. Putting in the digital switching on your lights, etc was a very nice touch.

Thanks, I sent request (joel raper). I have seen the siren, the nice part is most things use 12v or some sort of DC, like my camera, router, and more, I just clean the power and connect that. Try to limit need for inverters as much as possible. I only have fridge/freezer, computers, TV, on inverters now. Saved me. Lot of batteries $$$ when I moved to AMG this year.

I also talked with Scott and sent over a fee request for additions to WilhelmSK (sounded like a great guy and love his product so far). He mentioned about the Needing to get a node server going, I have ordered my R Pi 3 already, so will be there soon.

 

[nautibeaver]

I'm really interested in the PLC approach you have taken. Is there any chance you have a schematic of any sort for your system?

Also, what is IFTTT?

I've been using Maretron products for all my monitoring (no automation, just monitoring) and have a real love/hate relationship with it. It's mostly love, but I'm having a real hard time keeping N2KView running for any length of time without something hanging up in some way. It's just not proving reliably enough, especially for remote monitoring. Maretron is working on it and really cares, but I'm starting to explore alternatives.

Pm sent. Look forward to the discussion.

 

[twistedtree]

It provides the functionality of integrating a bunch of IoT devices. Example:

Proximity, when I come near my dock, IFTTT takes my GPS info from phone and sends a command to my Nest (thermostat) and warms up the boat. It then and unrelated, sends commands to my arlo cameras and Samsung camera and turns them off (leaves on aft cam). It then sends commands to SmartThings and said disarm boat.

When I leave that area, it does the opposite. Super powerful and getting more integration daily. It also does things like, txt me stock prices if they pass thresholds I have setup, txt me currency changes. It can also take every picture I take with my phone and upload it to Dropbox or OneDrive, or google drive.

Thanks. One of these days I'll need to crawl out of my cave and step into 21th century programming. I pretty much stopped about 20 years ago.

At least IFTTT is something concrete. IoT and Cloud drive me a bit nuts because they are just new cool names applied to nothing really new. I dealt with that sort of thing too much when I was still in the industry.

 

[nautibeaver]

Thanks. One of these days I'll need to crawl out of my cave and step into 21th century programming. I pretty much stopped about 20 years ago.

At least IFTTT is something concrete. IoT and Cloud drive me a bit nuts because they are just new cool names applied to nothing really new. I dealt with that sort of thing too much when I was still in the industry.

100% agree, cloud is someone else's servers. We called that colocation or outsourcing back in the day. How ever what is good is apps that leverage someone else's servers. Think of OneDrive or Dropbox, NIce to have something on all the time.

As for IoT. I think that is pretty concrete as well, it is connecting things to the internet that were not there before. Without it, I could not turn on my Nest, check my camera, or have my phone go nuts when I have water above a high line in the bilge.

The world is changing rapidly, the hard part is we need full time internet access, hopefully the changes with unlimited data plans are helping that. Most people boat within reasonable access to cell towers the majority of times. If so, all these connected systems are great!

Sadly with all my systems and updates needed, plus cloud camera, my boat uses 15gb-20gb of data a month. (I think those iPads and cameras are hogs)....moved away from cell based internet, but it was nice to have on all the time underway.

 

[Lou_tribal]

While I like the geeky aspect, a lot of these things are for me highly useless and nice to have. Don't mind me there is no bashing in my comment. But things like starting the washing machine with my cell phone is cool, but is it really useful? More the kind of thing we find useful because we can have it but nothing more. I do not say that everything is a gadget, but some things are really a great step (like being able to have your chartplotter on your tablet, for me it is great step, cost less and simple to use, very handy) while other things are like my internet connected fridge, kinda cool but...

 

[sdowney717]

While I like the geeky aspect, a lot of these things are for me highly useless and nice to have. Don't mind me there is no bashing in my comment. But things like starting the washing machine with my cell phone is cool, but is it really useful? More the kind of thing we find useful because we can have it but nothing more. I do not say that everything is a gadget, but some things are really a great step (like being able to have your chartplotter on your tablet, for me it is great step, cost less and simple to use, very handy) while other things are like my internet connected fridge, kinda cool but...

At the hospital lab where I used to work, the sales tech people installed a new blood analyzer machine and excitedly told us we could run it remotely from the internet. My comment was a medical technologist still has to load the machine, so what use is being able to run it from the net.

 

[Jeffrey S]

But things like starting the washing machine with my cell phone is cool, but is it really useful?

Incredibly so. But it seems like you're starting from a position of, "this is all silly" so you're not able to see it.

Three years ago, South Jersey Marina in Cape May replaced their washing machines with ones that connect to the internet. We arrived there about a month after they were installed. The benefits were obvious. Today, many of their reviews mention it. Many boats come there *because* of it. Why would that be?

Ask your wife about the usefulness of being able to see if there's a free washing machine prior to walking over with laundry or seeing the cycle of the machines she's using...all on her phone. It's all like that. All it takes is a little imagination and the benefits of connectivity usually save money, time, or make decisions better.

 

[twistedtree]

I'm all for interconnecting this stuff, but I find the reliance on ubiquitous internet to be a real problem. I acknowledge that our use is different than many/most, but here are some of the issues that I struggle with on a regular basis.

1) Reliable connectivity. Having a reliable internet connection can be a real challenge all by itself. I have visits a lot of marinas, and very few of them have reliable internet. By "reliable", I mean that I can connect via my Microtik Groove extender, and remain connected indefinitely without having to touch anything. This is essential if you are going to leave a boat unattended and relay of remote monitoring. And then there is the question of whether any data will actually go through that network, even if you do remain connected. I'd say at least 50% of the wifi services that that do exist at marinas are essentially non-functional because they are overloaded, configured incorrectly, or something else. I have found that cellular internet is many, many times more likely to connect, stay connected, and allow basic services to actually work than marina wifi. How sad is that? Wifi should be the first choice for connectivity, but it's at best second when on a boat.

2) Reliability of connected software and services. Even with a reliable connection that successfully passes data, the various communications services are less than reliable. For example, I have never been able to keep Maretron's N2KView running and sending alert emails for more than 30-60 days before a person needs to restart it or reboot the system it's on. And I've been experimenting with Back To My Mac for system remote access to do that restarting and rebooting, and it is supremely unreliable. Screen sharing will work for a few days or weeks, then stop until I reboot some combination of systems and routers. And the same is true for the file sharing. It will work for a while, then stop. And the services work or fail independently of each other. Usually it's screen sharing that craps out, but more recently it's file sharing that's not working. These are just examples, but in my experience it's always something and human intervention is required.

3) Bandwidth control. Pretty much every product out there can now connect to the internet in some way, and they are all designed with the assumption that bandwidth is free and unlimited. The same is true for apps. They are like a gaggle of school girls that can't stop talking. But on a boat, bandwidth is seldom free and unlimited, and can often be very limited and very expensive. This runs completely counter to the design of most modern devices and apps. Last summer I spent a fair amount of time monitoring the data on our boat trying to understand who was using what, and how much. My Samsung TV is a "Smart" TV, but I only use to display my Apple TV. One day I found that while turned off, and with automatic updates disabled, it had downloaded over 600MB of who knows what. 600MB may not sound like much these days, but on a 2GB monthly cellular plan, it's huge. The TV is now blocked in my router and can't access the internet.

Satellite is where it gets real challenging. We pretty commonly are out for weeks at a time with no cellular access, and I'm just not willing to pay thousands of $$ per month for sat data, so I live with a $250/month plan, which I still think is outrageous. That plan gets me a whopping 250MB of data for the whole month. My goal has been to live with that for basic email communications. Check and send email twice a day, disable all automatic attachment downloads, disable all HTML web accesses, etc. No web browsing, no cloud, and definitely no IoT. The only way this works is by only allowing a specific set of devices to access a specific set of TCP ports that support email. Nothing else. I know people who have bought boats with Satelite internet and not paid attention to data useage. I'm not talking about people using netflix or other streaming - just basic email, web browsing, etc. After the first month's $25,000 KVH bill, things change quickly.

Anyway, I guess my point is that the internet is great - heck, I've been involved in building products for it in one way or another for over 30 years. And having more and more stuff connected is great. But at least some kinds of boating run contrary to common connected product design, and sometimes are completely incompatible with common designs. But that represents opportunity for enterprising souls .......

 

[Lou_tribal]

Incredibly so. But it seems like you're starting from a position of, "this is all silly" so you're not able to see it.

Three years ago, South Jersey Marina in Cape May replaced their washing machines with ones that connect to the internet. We arrived there about a month after they were installed. The benefits were obvious. Today, many of their reviews mention it. Many boats come there *because* of it. Why would that be?

Ask your wife about the usefulness of being able to see if there's a free washing machine prior to walking over with laundry or seeing the cycle of the machines she's using...all on her phone. It's all like that. All it takes is a little imagination and the benefits of connectivity usually save money, time, or make decisions better.

Well this is exactly what I meant when I wrote that we find it useful because we can have it. Sorry but i never spent time in front of my washing machine to look at what is the cycle. I start it and come back later when I know it is done.
I was not talking about what it brings but if it is useful or not. Bringing some benefit over a not connected thing yes, does this benefit is useful for me... not always. Same with a fridge, I don't care to see the fridge displaying that I miss some milk, I know it as I was the one that finish the milk bottle...
Is it useful to be able to unlock my car with my phone? Well it does not much more than a simple key, geeky cool yes, useful no.
I am not against progress or modernity at all and a lot of stuff are really cool and make life easier, but sometime it is a total overkill, at least for me.
But I do not blame any body who like this

L.

 

[Jeffrey S]

It's rather amazing to see the difference in tone between this forum and boating groups on Facebook with active boaters, generally posting when they are cruising and away from home.

I'm just starting to understand this place...

 

[nautibeaver]

Everyone has their opinions and each are valid, they are formed from their experiences and environment. Kind of like what anchor to use. I mean this not to be "nice" or to try to sell you on my opinion, but in truth, what you may value will likely be difference that what I value.

The reality is most of this stuff is for one or two purposes, convenience and knowledge. The remaining, at least for me, is to save cost with what I perceive to be just as good or better systems. I have a large boat, but it is older, I do most of the work my self so i can try to afford it, when I can forgo a 1600$ 7 inch screen with a 400$ iPad and then get the benefits of remote capability, then I do it.

Do I need to know if someone opened a hatch, opened a door, walked on my swim platform, wind is blowing 40knots, bilge has gone off 20 times for 45 minutes in the last 24hours, bilge water is increasing, all from the confront of my chair at home while sipping my scotch? nope, but sure is convenient and helpful.

Judging from my dock mates, my boat is used more than likely most for its size and owner/operator that is still in the workforce. But given that, it spends most of its days at my dock, and i or my family spend many more days on it at the dock then we do on vacation trips on the boat. Nothing against those enjoying their life at dock.

My rational is, monitor the heck out of the boat, where I have good internet, especially giving the cost advantages of IoT. Create systems that are more effective and will keep up with the pace of change, but don't require internet if needed when i leave the dock, but leverage the power of IoT when we can.

A few examples:

Example 1:
I have my lights in my flybridge (RGBW LED) connected to the PLC (no internet required) and to Smartthings. If someone opens the doors or a hatch, or motion is detected when my wife or I are not there, they turn on (power of internet and IoT) then flash red/blue like the police. When I leave the dock, this functionality is lost...I use iPads or PLC HMI to control the lights but i don't have monitoring of hatches or doors, that is ok by me. I don't need them on the hook.

Example 2:

how many times do you forget to turn off the heat when you leave the boat? I spend a couple of evenings on the boat, to smoke a cigar relax while waiting for my kid to get down with her Volleyball practice that is 50m from home, I would forget to turn down the heat a lot, but my system detects for me, that i have left the building, and turns down the heat and arms the boat automatically. Required, no, but convenient and money saving, yes.

Example 3:

How much would it be to install a boat monitoring system, including motion sensors, temp sensors, cameras, door sensors connected to normal marine protocol (NMEA) systems or hire a outside firm? For 200$, plus 30-70$ a device, no wiring, and maybe 8 hours setup, install it all, negate the need for a paid security monitoring company. Well for 600-700$ and some time, with no wires, except the CAT5 connection and power. I setup this system. Simple. Economical. Practical.


There is complication, there is cost and hopefully cost savings, and i recognize that this is not for everyone, but as someone that gets a kick out of the art of the possible, i am all in!

nautibeaver

 

[BandB]

The reality is most of this stuff is for one or two purposes, convenience and knowledge.

We have very similar to what you've done. I couldn't tell you the details or how it's all put together as I definitely did not do it myself. However, you miss perhaps our biggest purpose-Peace of Mind. I have a need to know. I can't comfortably just walk away or go home for three weeks or even just go to town for a few hours in some remote areas without monitoring. Others do fine. I'm just speaking of myself.

Now a good part of this is that prices are coming down. Compare the price of cameras to what they were. I think over time boat monitoring and security systems will become far more common in small to medium sized boats whereas now they're often seen only in very large boats. Here's a thought as to why I hope for that. Let's compare two boats. Owner A has a $200k trawler. Owner B had a $50 Million Yacht. Owner B has the fancy security and monitoring. However, Owner A is the one who can likely least afford something happening. On the other hand, things don't happen often so one could argue that we're solving a problem that doesn't exist.

That goes back to the reality that a problem does exist for me and that is peace of mind. Some things like being able to adjust the heat and air remotely are extremely useful.

I don't know how frequently some things do happen. We have had people climb aboard our boat when we weren't there.

We do have one other touch we got added. That is the ability to speak to whomever is on or beside the boat. It's almost worth it just to see the looks on their faces when you ask them, "Can I help you? Yes, you, the young man in the blue shirt and girl in the pink halter top." That couple was fun as the guy then asked "Where are you?" My wife replied, "We are everywhere."

 

[twistedtree]

It's rather amazing to see the difference in tone between this forum and boating groups on Facebook with active boaters, generally posting when they are cruising and away from home.

I'm just starting to understand this place...

You're saying we are not active boaters? Or arm-chair boaters?

Just clarifying.

 

[BandB]

You're saying we are not active boaters? Or arm-chair boaters?

Just clarifying.

Not active, stupid, ill informed and nowhere nearly as good as his facebook buddies. Interesting how he took the opportunity to trash the entire forum. Makes you wonder why he's here associating with all of us.

 

[Jeffrey S]

I will miss you guys. I could always count on getting whatever negative views were possible on here. I would often trial balloon things here to edit them in their real release.

But those days are coming to an end. I will miss you all. Seriously.