Boat Instruments

All ship data at a glance

- For a clear overview -

Electronic boat instruments are now commonplace on board on both motorboats and sailing yachts. Regardless of whether you opt for an analogue or digital display, it is important that the display instruments provide boat and technical data in real time, i.e. all the necessary and required data for safe navigation at sea and on inland waterways. Boat instruments not only help by displaying data such as position, wind force, wind direction, speed or depth for your current voyage, they also help you plan for where you are going.

Manufacturers such as RAYMARINE, B&G and NASA MARINE have developed complete, networked systems and multifunctional instruments for safe sailing, in which the various measuring instruments communicate with each other and exchange data - with or without a cable connection. For example, an autopilot can maintain the set course or sail at a certain angle to the wind. Some boat instruments can also monitor the engine with corresponding sensors and transducers. RPM, speed, fuel level, oil pressure, engine hours, fuel flow and consumption as well as temperature can then be displayed and analysed on your on-board computer or chartplotter.

Modern display instruments for boats are waterproof and UV-resistant, yet elegant in design and easy to operate and install. 

What instruments are on a boat?

Technical progress in marine electronic display instruments never stops. The hardware is constantly becoming more powerful, the software more flexible. More and more data can now be collected and analysed, making navigation more precise, cruise planning easier and sailing more fun. Bright, high-resolution displays are easier to read and more convenient to use. But above all, marine instruments are important safety devices. Use them to determine your exact location in real time, read about wind and weather conditions, receive navigation assistance, and be warned about shallow waters.

One of the most basic on-board instruments is the depth sounder, also known as an echo sounder, which displays the current water depth under the boat. Incredibly useful when sailing in shallow waters, an echosounder is used for depth measurement and mapping of the seafloor, which can prevent running aground and help determine the length of anchor chain. 

The log is primarily used to measure a ship's speed. Other functions include the display of maximum and average speed, daily and total miles. Separate instruments also measure water temperature. 

Wind displays are useful on sailboats, but motorboat users can also benefit from having such devices installed on board, as knowing about wind force and direction is relevant to safety at sea. But wind indicators are essential on sailboats and can be analogue or digital, depending on the model. Anemometers provide data on wind direction and wind strength.

Barometers deliver information about changes in the weather, which is important. After all, nowhere are you closer to the elements and the forces of nature than at sea, which is why every boat should be equipped with one. Barometers are available in analogue form, optionally combined with hydro and thermometers. Digital versions are also available, such as the MeteoMan barograph from NASA MARINE, which provides and records precise data on air pressure, wind conditions and temperature.

A compass is essential for determining your course. In addition to a satelite-based GPS compass, every skipper should also keep a magnetic compass on board, in case of a system failure.

Manufacturers such as RAYMARINE, B&G and NASA MARINE have now combined various display instrument functions in a single device. These multifunctional instruments display all incoming data clearly at the touch of a button. They can also be connected to corresponding chart plotters and autopilots via the on-board system.

Marine instrument installation tips?

If you want the simplest, least complicated installation of your marine instruments, it is important to stick to one system, i.e. brand. Mixing components is usually not possible, and not entirely recommended. As the various instruments on the boat are connected to each other, usually via NMEA 2000, all modules - from the transducer and cables to the display - should be harmonised with each other. In this way, boat-specific and technical data can be collected and displayed in the most clear and comprehensible way at a single glance.

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Boat instruments provide all the relevant data so that the latest generation of chart plotters can realise their full potential. Together with the boat instruments, they form a network, usually connected via NMEA 2000, which transmits data between various navigation devices and the autopilot.  

Chart plotters can also collect engine data. Transducers measure variables to provide information about performance, consumption and operation, which can be analysed on the chart plotter.