Ben Ellison

The multiple layers of Garmin wireless communications going on above may seem crazy, but they all work well and have endless practical and/or fun applications around a boat.

While I did not actually enjoy being first on the scene of the grounding, it is way too rich in interesting detail and possible lessons to leave undocumented.

After many hours testing a NXT radome on Gizmo in often busy Maine waters, I believe that Furuno's bold "Radar Redefined" claim is completely justified. This radar is so smart that it makes sense to run it in broad daylight.

The easy-to-install NMEA 2000 WiFi gateway will cost about $360 and will neatly put all G2 gauges, calibrations, and fault codes into otherwise free E-Link Android and iOS (Apple) apps.

There are many reasons for Gizmo's late launch last week -- travel, getting old, boatyard miscommunications, etc. -- but perhaps the most interesting one is what it took to properly retest Pettit Hydrocoat Eco bottom paint.

I was already inclined to try Firefly Oasis AGMs, and the switch from two conventional 8D AGMs to a four Firefly bank naturally led me to rethink Gizmo's battery storage, cabling, charging, and monitoring systems.

If I was once again in New Bern, North Carolina, about to cruise north with spring -- instead of watching late April freaking snow fall in Maine -- I'd certainly have the new Cruisers' Net app loaded on my iPad.

At this moment in time, the Garmin GPSMAP 8600 multifunction display announced in February may be the most powerful premium MFD available, and they had plenty more to show during their recent press event.

The time has come. I'd already sensed that Gizmo's AGM batteries were on borrowed time; But the real issue is what to do next.

Here's some big news in the small world of marine electronics: Boeing company Jeppesen just sold its marine cartography division to a formerly unknown entity named Digital Marine Solutions.

Being able to use your helm's bright waterproof color screen to run your stereo system has to be one of the most appreciated benefits of multifunction display evolution.

While Doppler effect is a seasoned and fairly well known concept, I suspect that its sudden and intriguing arrival to marine electronics is going to effect change.

While we've barely begun 2016, the state of recreational marine radar is entirely different than it was in 2015. Thanks to a wide variety of fixed and moving targets, the Miami area is a pretty good place to test radars.

Furuno and Garmin are both announcing new solid state radars here at the Miami Boat Show and boy are they great products.... I mean, can I get a HOLY MACKEREL!?!

When I wrote about the StructureScan 3D announcement last July, I recall feeling a bit skeptical. But I was wrong. On-water demos have taught me that SS3D is much more than a visual gimmick.

If you'd like better monitoring and control of your boat's electric refrigeration system, and/or automated defrosting (fridge only, not freezer), and/or improved battery time at anchor, read on.

The first U.S. Electric and Hybrid Marine Expo was wonderfully educational, though I hardly knew any of the companies involved and could only understand a fraction of some seminars.

I still think that many boaters don't realize the added safety, tracking, and navigation capabilities possible when GPS is integrated with portable VHF, though the Standard Horizon HX870 has been earning great reviews for a while.

I'd been following this boat project for years, knew that it motivated Kees's valuable CANboat work, and given that CANboat helped birth Signal K, I figure that Merrimac may earn a special spot in marine electronics history.

Wow, Raymarine is kicking off the new marine electronics year in grand style. Debuting today online (and at the New York Boat Show) is the Quantum Q24C solid-state radar seen above.

Let's end 2015 with some new technology that will really make a difference, I think. Dock-to-dock is not perfect, but it still strikes me as a quantum leap improvement that many boaters are going to appreciate.