BOATraNET is a revolutionary new product from Digital Yacht that allows onboard navigation data to be viewed wirelessly through any browser based device – from iPad to iPhone, Android to Windows 7 mobile or PC to Apple MAC. It is essentially an intelligent, onboard wireless server that takes data through the industry standard NMEA format and makes it available to any connected device using WiFi. This innovative concept of “e-nabling” the boat’s existing navigational system, regardless of manufacturer (Raymarine, Garmin, Navico, Furuno, etc.), will create a completely new and exciting way of viewing and sharing navigation information on board the vessel.
BOATraNET creates a local, wireless “hot spot” onboard your boat, so there is no connection to the internet required, but viewing the boat’s data is just as simple as viewing a web page on your portable device. What’s more, because it is using a browser to display the data, operation is simple and there are no compatibility problems or special “apps” that need downloading to your device. It also works with the up and coming Android range of products.
Up to two channels of NMEA information can be fed into the system so it can connect to instruments, AIS and GPS. It also incorporates a Navionics based chart plotter, so will turn your mobile device into a real time chart plotter based around the popular Navionics format cartography. A simple card reader arrangement is available which allows existing users of Navionics cartography (for instance on the Raymarine and Lowrance products) to use their existing electronic charts with the BOATraNET product.
BOATraNET is not limited to just navigation. Photos, documents and music can also be stored by simply inserting a USB memory stick with the users data. This then becomes available to any connected device. The possibilities are endless with the ability to display all of your onboard manuals, diagrams, logbooks, photos or music.
BOATraNET uses a wireless connection to communicate with the mobile devices or can be connected to a wired network if preferred. Digital Yacht has also made it compatible with their hi-power WL500 system, so that local users of BOATraNET can connect to marina “hot spots” to get internet access. What is more, BOATraNET automatically shares the internet connection allowing all of the wireless devices on the boat to access the internet.
The beauty of the platform is that it is very flexible and designed to integrate with existing systems. Digital Yacht promises a host of additional data for 2011 including weather, chart updates and marine news. Systems come pre-loaded with many popular handbooks and manuals for marine products and the list is growing day by day. BOATraNET is priced at £500 + VAT and will be available in the first quarter of 2011. It is on show at the London Boat Show at Stand number B14 in the North Hall
