Lumishore ' s MFD Connectivity is compatible with MFDs from Garmin, Raymarine, and
Simrad, among others, and allows boaters to control Lumishore lighting on their boat.
NMEA brings competing companies together to collaborate on industry-wide solutions for marine electronics safety. By setting aside brand-specific interests, companies work together through NMEA standards meetings to develop shared, practical solutions that benefit the industry as a whole.
Smart-home tech begins to onboard
The gap between high-tech home devices and onboard marine electronics is narrowing, thanks to advances in connectivity and software.
Garmin’ s latest telematics solution, OnDeck, has gained traction, allowing boat owners to remotely monitor everything from bilge pumps to battery levels to generators, and to utilize geofencing.
“ You can check your batteries and your bilge pumps remotely,” Dunn explained,“ Even if you live close to where your boat is docked, if you have a larger vessel, you could turn on your ice maker and have it ready to go when you walk up on the boat.”
Smart-home convenience is making its way onto boats. Consumers want remote access, real-time monitoring, and greater control over their vessels from anywhere.
Cloud integration and OneNet
The transition to ethernet-based connections and the growing use of cloud data storage are expected to provide significant opportunities within the industry.
NMEA is focused on the future of data storage and cloud technologies. With the launch of its cloud initiative, NMEA aims to collect data from boats and share it with organizations like NOAA to aid in environmental protection.
NMEA got involved in promoting electronic technology to protect the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale by sharing whale sighting data with boaters and NOAA.
“ That has started us on this path of cloud storage. A lot of manufacturers have come to the table that have their own cloud platforms that also want to contribute to this new NMEA cloud,” Reedenauer said.
The potential for crowd-sourced data to benefit manufacturers and governmental organizations is also immense, offering insights to improve boating safety.
NMEA recently held standards meetings with discussions focused on OneNet. Several major marine manufacturers, not just electronics manufacturers, attended these meetings.
“ This hints to the industry that future product launches will include OneNet capability,” Reedenauer said.“ We all need to remember that standards take time to evolve and get accepted by industry. NMEA 2000 took around five years to get widespread adoption. Now NMEA 2000 is on boats worldwide of all types and sizes. OneNet, being ethernetbased, should have a shorter adoption time than NMEA 2000, hopefully in the range of one to three years.”
Garmin’ s Nate Karstens is a member of the OneNet Standards Committee.
Prioritizing cybersecurity
While cloud connectivity enables better data collection, industry organizations like NMEA are working to ensure this data can be shared safely and consistently across platforms.
NMEA has spearheaded efforts to educate the industry on the potential risks of malicious attacks on boats and it hosts specialized sessions at its annual conferences. Reedenauer stressed the importance of simple security practices, like securing USB ports and Wi-Fi networks, to safeguard against potential threats.
“ NMEA, a couple of years ago, started a cybersecurity committee,” Reedenauer said.“ We have a white paper that we have published on NMEA 2000 and the threats that could lie if a malicious attack was to happen on a boat. Cybersecurity in the marine environment is real. It’ s being addressed at the commercial level more right now than at the recreational level, but we are constantly monitoring.”
AI in marine technology
AI could soon assist in situational awareness, object avoidance and predictive steering, though Garmin currently avoids using AI for product development or support functions. The company is approaching AI cautiously but steadily.
“ We’ ll use AI to make our technologies better, but we won’ t rely on it,” Dunn said.
The industry is watching the evolution of AI closely. Dunn noted that while AI is not yet mainstream in recreational marine electronics, partnerships with other companies could soon bring AI-driven object recognition to MFDs.
Garmin has begun introducing AI-powered features on the consumer side through Garmin Connect +, a premium plan in its Garmin Connect smartphone app that offers health-based personalized insights through its wearable products. While not yet related to marine, it sets the stage for further integration.
22 may 2025 www. boatingindustry. com