We tried out Raymarine’s new integrated onboard system management package
by Luca Sordelli
Boat owners also normally inhabit houses, villas, and apartments, and they aren’t inclined to have a level of comfort on their yachts, which is inferior to what they have in everyday life.
We no longer talk wistfully of spartan sea life, and now boats have to be happy islands, far from land, perfect vehicles for pleasant and unique experiences. In this respect, and in the same way that our homes are becoming increasingly “smart”, it is inevitable that the same should also happen on our boats. Raymarine has fully understood that, and with the launch of their YachtSense Ecosystem, they have spectacularly arrived in the area.
YachtSense Link is a marine version of a network router with 4G mobile broadband that allows remote connection to NMEA 2k devices and evolved functions like Geofencing.
The aim is thus, and still staying in a domestic environment, to handle automatically, or remotely, devices and machines inside a home to simplify the lives of those who inhabit it, ensuring their safety, saving energy, or making its management more efficient. Behind that, there always has to be a wireless connection.
The YachtSense Ecosystem is divided into three elements: the YachtSense Link, the YachtSense Digital Control System, and the Raymarine App.
The YachtSense Ecosystem gives everything a maritime spin, changing it from being a Smart Home to a Smart Boat, and allows complete integration, both onboard and handled remotely, of all of the devices connected to the boat’s network. To gain a better understanding of it and of how it works, we spent a lovely day on board the new Cranchi Sessantasette which has the complete Raymarine ecosystem fitted, starting from the spectacular interface provided by the double 22-inch Axiom screens that are both on the bridge and the fly deck, and then moving on to the connection with the new open array radar to the solid-state Cyclone and DockSense, with its five video cameras and associated assisted mooring system. The YachtSense Ecosystem is divided into three elements: the YachtSense Link, the YachtSense Digital Control System, and the Raymarine app.
YachtSense Link
As mentioned earlier, everything starts from the possibility of always having a wireless connection. That’s handled by YachtSense Link, the heart of the system which is a seafaring version of a network router with 4G broadband mobile that delivers a remote connection to NMEA 2k devices and evolved functions like geofencing (which we will talk more about below). Thanks to the integrated GPS sensor and two SIM card slots, YachtSense Link combines Wi-Fi when moored, onboard Wi-Fi, Raynet ethernet, and 4G broadband mobile in a unified onboard network. So basically, everything is connected, right away. Telephones, tablets, televisions, and of course also the multifunction Axiom Raymarine displays.
The Raymarine App allows you to have both streaming (mirroring) of the multi-function onboard displays on your smartphone and also complete control of the functions.
Digital Box
The Yachtsense’s digital control system is what allows you to monitor all of the onboard systems, from the bulkiest generator right up to the smallest courtesy lights. Everything is right there at your fingertips, through the interface with the Axiom touch screens, and thanks to the new Lighthouse 4 operating system which, amongst other things, means you get limitless customisation possibilities for the screens. The architecture of the digital control system is modular so that shipyards can design control solutions of varying complexity according to the models that they have in their range. The configuration of every eco-system starts with the installation of a master module, and a power module, which have been created to protect all of the connected circuits from unexpected power surges and accidental reversals of polarity.
THE YACHTSENSE’S DIGITAL CONTROL SYSTEM IS WHAT ALLOWS YOU TO MONITOR ALL OF THE ONBOARD SYSTEMS, FROM THE GENERATOR RIGHT UP TO THE COURTESY LIGHTS.
The other modules to complete and expand the system are then installed. The “low power module” is a digital output device that can be used to turn on light electrical charges for things such as lights, windscreen wipers, and other electrical devices, and can handle up to four connections. The high-power one has been designed for higher electrical loads, such as pumps, fans, heaters, fridges, and infotainment equipment and can handle up to two devices. The inverse current module gives control of a continuous current circuit that can invert polarity and is ideal for applications to control hydraulic pumps, actuators, sliding roofs, sun awnings, and electric windows. And finally, there is the signal module, which can be connected to up to four incoming signals. These can be used to monitor tank levels, battery charge, thermometers, switches, and various other sensors. Each of the four channels can also be used as a low current output to monitor other electric devices or relays.
Through the App, you can download the map data onto an SD card, or directly onto the display.
Raymarine App
The most spectacular part of the YachtSense ecosystem is the one you can hold in your hand, the Raymarine App. Most importantly it means you can have streaming (mirroring) of the onboard multifunction displays on your smartphone and also means you can completely control the functions (with the exception, for safety reasons, of some, including the autopilot). Through the App, you can download the map data onto an SD card, or directly onto the display, receive notifications when new map updates are available, and also, of course, handle the accounts. And again, through the App, you get access to geofencing, which activates pre-programmed actions when the device goes through a virtual geographic boundary line. You can monitor the position of the boat, which is useful in terms of remote control, but also to check that your mooring is safe, or to ensure that your anchor isn’t dragging.
Raymarine Premium’s geofence technology allows captains to remotely monitor the vessel’s position and receive alerts if it moves outside a defined geofence circle.
During the 62nd edition of the Genoa Boat Show, Raymarine presented the new APP. The Raymarine app for smartphones and tablets, the heart of the integration between YachtSense Ecosystem and Axiom displays, allows boaters to quickly connect new devices, configure and modify the boat profile, backup and transfer waypoints, and others. data. The Raymarine mobile app can monitor NMEA2000 instruments and sensors, receive alerts and view engine telemetry from your smartphone or tablet. Among its features, the app can turn the mobile device into a full-featured Axiom remote station, allowing users to stream and control chart plotters from any location on board.
The Raymarine mobile app offers a Raymarine Premium subscription, which allows boaters to monitor their vessel from home and set up a high-resolution safety area around it using geofence technology. The Raymarine mobile app is free to download from iOS and the Google Play Store.
Prices and availability
The new YachtSense Link mobile router is available for 1,395.00 €. YachtSense Link users will be able to take advantage of a free six-month Raymarine Premium membership. After the trial period, the Raymarine Premium subscription will cost – to manage a single boat – 21.5€ per month, 95€ for six months or 175€ per year, or – to manage up to 3 boats – 35€ per month, 230€ for 6 months, 350€ per year.
(October 2022)
For further information about YachtSense Ecosystem, link at www.raymarine.com/yachtsense
(Raymarine YachtSense Ecosystem, Smart Boat – Barchemagazine.com – August 2022)
