The new year has arrived, and so has the boat show. With it comes a fresh look at my checklist—and this year, alternative power is at the top.

Bigger boats often carry generators, and I like the idea. But hauling extra fuel on board isn’t my first choice. At the marina, shore power makes everything easy: coffee, microwave, cooking. But at anchor, you’re on your own. A generator can bridge the gap, but I wanted to explore other options.

From YouTube to the Bimini

After watching a number of YouTube series, I realized you can build a decent setup with lithium batteries and solar panels. Shore power can top off the batteries, and solar can keep them going when you’re away.

I found a pair of 120‑watt flexible solar panels on Amazon. They were inexpensive, and I was skeptical. If I got 100 watts combined, I’d be happy. Sure enough, performance was okay—not great—but they met expectations.

Next came the batteries. I went to AliExpress and found what looked like an amazing deal: 150Ah batteries for $22. Of course, that was the old bait‑and‑switch. By the time you clicked through the options, the real price was closer to $80. Buyer beware. Still, I bought them, and they paired up fine with the panels.

To protect the system, I added a solar controller—again from AliExpress, half the price of Amazon. No free delivery, import charges not clear, but it worked.

Building the System

Installation was simple. I used two‑sided Gorilla tape to fasten the panels to the bimini, ran the wires down into a battery box, and housed the controller and batteries there. All summer, the load on the batteries was solid. I never had to top them off with shore power—solar did the trick.

For now, I’ve kept this system separate from the motor and house batteries. I also added a 2000W inverter, which let me run a number of household items on board. It’s good to know what’s possible.

Looking Ahead

The next step is to combine the batteries into a 24‑volt system and use a DC‑to‑DC charger with a switch to toggle between the house battery and the solar bank. I’m still working out the details, but the important part is this: I now have power without extra gas.

Digital Boat Lesson

“Alternative power isn’t just about saving fuel—it’s about independence. Solar may not be perfect, but it kept me powered all summer.”

As winter slowly gives way to spring, I find myself itching to get back on Our Time. But a Robin claimed my boat trailer as her nesting spot this spring, and I had to postpone launching until her chicks had safely flown away. The unexpected delay turned into a gift of time—I used it to finish deploying OpenPlotter and wiring up the digital backbone. By the time the boat was ready to roll, both the robin family and my electronics were set for new adventures.

I’ve been following a number of open source efforts where boaters are building their own chart plotters. The beauty of these projects is that they can combine proprietary products, house them under one system, and make them communicate through an NMEA 2000 network.

My Garmin is great, but it doesn’t always play nicely with other peripherals. So I decided to build my own solution. All I needed was:

• A Raspberry Pi 4B
• A 12‑volt power supply
• A way to connect the Pi to the NMEA 2000 network

I chose the Copperhill PICAN‑M hat and built my OpenPlotter system. And it worked!

Connecting the Dots

To access the Raspberry Pi, I used my smartphone with RealVNC server. By setting the Pi as a Wi‑Fi host, I could connect my phone, bridge the internet, and integrate that connection into the NMEA 2000 network. That meant I could update plotters and even the Garmin before any voyage.

Once installed, I discovered my boat already had an NMEA 2000 backbone—but with proprietary Lowrance fittings. I was glad I’d invested in a generic system. With it, I could:

• Capture and log engine data through the CX5106
• Integrate Garmin with other devices
• Add modern GPS and AIS via the Signal K software

A Digital Boat

With OpenPlotter running, Our Time now has:

• AIS receiver
• GPS receiver
• Wi‑Fi host
• Internet connection via smartphone
• NMEA 2000 integration
• Bluetooth streaming to the radio

Add in solar panels and lithium batteries, and the digitization of the boat is well underway. This is more than just a winter project—it’s the foundation for automation, smarter systems, and a connected future on the water.

I think I’ll call it Digital Boat.

Digital Boat Lesson

“Open source isn’t just for coders—it’s a way to unlock hidden potential in your boat and bring all your systems together.”

Every January, my brother‑in‑law and I make our annual trip to the Toronto Boat Show. He and I go way back—we were friends before I met his sister (now my wife). We’ve always shared interests: me with technology and boating, him with contests and games. It’s a good match, and this show has become our tradition.

This year marked six months since I bought Our Time, so I was especially excited. Not just to see the shiny new boats, but to check out the vendors, take in a few seminars, and maybe even pick up some wisdom for my growing checklist.

Meeting Familiar Faces

One highlight was catching up with Steve Bull, the former owner of Our Time and a familiar face from TV. He was giving a talk on renting boats as a way to get on the water. We swapped a few stories, and he told me about the time he was in New York Harbour, right in the ferry crossing lanes, when the fan belt broke. Not much detail, but I noticed extra belts on board later and silently thanked him for the foresight.

As a bit of a celebrity, Steve had managed to get Our Time featured in videos at various stalls, showing off the swim platform and the Toronto‑to‑NYC series. At one point, Neil deGrasse Tyson even chimed in with some physics‑flavoured boating commentary. (Side note: I still don’t agree with him on Pluto not being a planet—just because one family member is a little different doesn’t mean they’re out.)

Boats, Vendors, and Discoveries

This year, the show didn’t have the massive centre console with six 500‑horsepower outboards. Probably not many buyers for what I call “carbon tax boats.” Fun to dream about, but I wouldn’t want to see that fuel bill at the marina.

What I did find, though, was a wealth of vendors that could help me with my checklist. Some I expected—electronics, safety gear, and accessories. Others were surprises:

• OEM parts for older boats (a goldmine for a 30‑year‑old vessel like mine).
• Toronto marinas selling supplies at good rates.
• Marine toilet upgrades—including a unit with a built‑in macerator and electric flush. (Currently, I’m pumping 25 times just to get things moving. Enough said.)

The Value of the Show

That’s the beauty of a big boat show: the knowledge, the contacts, and the chance to see what’s out there. I even noticed the same faces at smaller shows—new boaters, first‑time owners, all of us comparing notes. Vendors can spot us a mile away, but that’s part of the fun.

For me, the Toronto Boat Show isn’t just about shopping or seminars. It’s about tradition, community, and seeing how each year adds another layer to the story of Our Time.

Digital Boat Lesson: Not Everything’s on the Internet

We live in a world where you can order almost anything with a click. Need a fuse box? Amazon. Need a dog life-jacket? Costco. Need a part for a 30‑year‑old boat? Maybe AliExpress if you’re willing to wait.

But here’s the truth I’ve learned: not all the information you need is online.

That hit home at the Toronto Boat Show. Walking the aisles with my brother‑in‑law, I found vendors I didn’t even know existed—OEM parts for older boats, marinas that sell supplies at fair prices, and specialists who could answer questions in plain English. I could ask about my specific boat, my specific problem, and get an answer right there. No search engine required.

The same goes for fishing shows and sportsman shows. You meet people who’ve been there, done that, and are willing to share what worked (and what didn’t). You see gear in person, touch it, ask questions, and sometimes even hear the backstory from the folks who designed it. That kind of knowledge doesn’t always make it into a product description online.

Why It Matters

When you’re building a checklist for your boat—or just trying to avoid the next breakdown—there’s no substitute for face‑to‑face conversations. The internet is great for price comparisons and overnight delivery, but the wisdom of the boating community lives in places where people gather.

Digital Boat Lesson

“Not all answers are online. Sometimes the best upgrade comes from a handshake at a boat show.”

After weeks of talking about batteries, dashboards, and winterizing, it’s time to get back to why I bought this boat in the first place: fishing. Because at the end of the day, all the upgrades and planning only matter if they help me spend more time on the water, catching more fish, and enjoying it with family and friends.

From Guesswork to Guidance

Back in the day, fishing was part skill, part luck, and part superstition. You’d watch the birds, read the water, and hope you were in the right spot. With the old Lowrance, I was basically staring at a cartoon boat floating on blue nothingness.

Now, with the Garmin chart-plotter tied into the NMEA 2000 backbone, I can:

• See detailed contour maps of Lake Erie
• Track depth changes where fish like to hold
• Mark way-points when I find a productive spot
• Overlay weather data so I know when conditions are shifting

It’s not about replacing instinct — it’s about giving instinct better tools.

OpenPlotter as a Fishing Log

With OpenPlotter running on the Raspberry Pi, I can log every trip:

• GPS tracks of where I trolled
• Water temperature and depth at each catch
• Time of day and conditions

Over time, this builds a personal fishing database. Instead of relying on memory (or fish tales), I can see patterns: where the walleye bite in June, or how depth changes affect the catch in August.

Smarter Rods, Better Results

The tech doesn’t stop at the helm. With the right gear setup:

• Rod holders keep lines consistent while trolling
• Down-riggers let me control depth precisely
• Digital speed and heading data help me keep the boat moving at the sweet spot for the lure

It’s the combination of old‑school technique and new‑school data that makes the difference.

Why It Matters

Fishing isn’t just about filling the cooler. It’s about the experience:

• The anticipation when the rod tip bounces
• The scramble to grab the net
• The satisfaction of knowing your planning and setup worked

The upgrades — Garmin, OpenPlotter, NMEA 2000 — aren’t just gadgets. They’re tools that make the time on the water more productive, more fun, and more memorable.

With the Garmin installed, the NMEA 2000 backbone humming, OpenPlotter running on a Raspberry Pi, and the CX5106 converter turning analogue gauges into digital data, the boat finally has a voice. The next step? Teaching it to speak up when something’s wrong.

Why Alerts Matter

On an older boat, you rely on your eyes and ears. You glance at gauges, listen for odd sounds, and hope you catch problems before they catch you. But with digital data flowing through the network, I can go further:

• Set thresholds for engine temperature, oil pressure, or voltage
• Trigger alerts when something drifts out of range
• Log events so I can see patterns over time

Instead of staring at dials, I can focus on the water — and let the system tap me on the shoulder if something needs attention.

OpenPlotter in Action

OpenPlotter makes this possible. With the Raspberry Pi connected to the NMEA 2000 backbone, I can:

• Create custom dashboards that show RPM, fuel, trim, and depth in one view
• Configure alarms that pop up on screen or send notifications to a tablet or phone
• Log data for later analysis — spotting trends like a belt slipping or a battery slowly losing capacity

Practical Examples

Here’s what I’m setting up first:

• Low voltage alert: if house batteries dip below 12V, I get a warning before electronics shut down
• Engine temperature alert: if cooling fails, I know before damage happens
• Fuel level alert: a nudge when it’s time to think about the next fill‑up
• Bilge pump runtime alert: if the pump runs too long, it could mean a leak

Why This Upgrade Matters

This isn’t about replacing me as the captain. It’s about adding a co‑pilot that never blinks. The analogue gauges stay for redundancy, but now I have a digital safety net that watches 24/7.

It’s also a step toward automation. Once the boat can sense and alert, the next logical move is to let it act — adjusting stabilizers, managing power, or even routing data to voice prompts.

The Bigger Vision

This is how a 1994 Monterey becomes more than a project boat. It becomes a platform:

• Analogue bones for reliability
• Digital dashboards for awareness
• Alerts and automation for safety and confidence

The boat doesn’t just move me across the water. It talks back, it learns, and it grows with every upgrade.

Adding a Garmin chart-plotter, an NMEA 2000 backbone, OpenPlotter on a Raspberry Pi, and a CX5106 converter was a huge leap forward. Suddenly, my 1994 Monterey wasn’t just a boat with good bones — it was a platform for digital innovation.

But here’s the truth: none of it matters if the power doesn’t hold.

Why Power Matters

Every new gadget — from a Bluetooth transmitter to a chart-plotter — draws from the same source: the boat’s batteries. And unlike a house, there’s no endless supply. If you don’t plan, you’ll either drain the bank or spend your day listening to alarms instead of music.

Think of it like this:

• Batteries = water tank
• Electronics = taps
• Charging = the hose filling the tank

Open too many taps without refilling, and you run dry.

Stage 1: Know Your Loads

I started by listing what I actually use:

• Garmin chart-plotter/fish finder
• Raspberry Pi with OpenPlotter + PICAN-M
• CX5106 converter feeding digital gauges
• Bluetooth/FM transmitter for music
• Cabin lights, bilge pumps, and the usual essentials

Each one sips or gulps power differently. The Garmin might draw 20–30 watts, the Pi another 10, pumps spike when they run, and lights add up. It’s not about exact math — it’s about awareness.

Stage 2: Build the House Bank

The original setup had one engine battery and one house battery. That’s fine for 1994, but not for a digital boat. The plan:

• Upgrade to a larger house bank (AGM or LiFePO₄)
• Add a smart charger for shore power
• Use an automatic charging relay (ACR) so the alternator tops up both banks without draining the starter

Stage 3: Silent Replenishment

Running the engine just to charge electronics is noisy and wasteful. The solution: solar. Even 100–200 watts of panels can keep the digital layer alive at anchor. With an MPPT controller, every ray of sun goes to work.

Stage 4: Efficiency Wins

• Swap cabin lights to LEDs
• Put electronics on labeled switches so I can shut them off when not needed
• Use battery monitoring to see real-time draw and state of charge

Why This Upgrade Matters

This isn’t just about keeping Spotify playing. It’s about building confidence. When I know my power system is solid, I can push further — longer trips, more tech, even overnighting without fear of a dead bank.

The digital backbone is in place. Now the power foundation is catching up.

Digital Upgrade: Building the Power Foundation

Electronics are only as good as the power behind them. With a Garmin chartplotter, OpenPlotter on a Raspberry Pi, and an NMEA 2000 backbone in place, it was time to face the next big question: how do I keep it all running without fear of draining the batteries?

The New Power Bank

The answer started with batteries. I added two 150Ah lithium batteries as the heart of the new house bank. Compared to lead‑acid, lithium gives me:

• More usable capacity (you can safely use 80–90% of the charge)
• Faster charging
• Longer lifespan

That’s 300Ah of reliable power — a serious step up from the original setup.

Solar for Silent Charging

Next came 200 watts of solar panels. Even on cloudy days, they’ll trickle in enough to keep the digital layer alive. On sunny days, they’ll top up the bank while I’m at anchor. With a proper MPPT controller, every watt gets used efficiently.

Shore Power Integration

When I’m tied up at the dock, I can plug into 120V shore power. A smart charger will handle the lithium bank, topping it up without overcharging. This way, I start every trip with full batteries.

Alternator Charging: DC‑to‑DC

But what about when I’m underway? That’s where a DC‑to‑DC charger comes in. It takes power from the boat’s alternator and safely charges the lithium bank while also protecting the starting battery. The benefits:

• Keeps the engine battery isolated and safe
• Provides the correct charging profile for lithium (which alternators alone can’t do)
• Lets me use engine run time to replenish the house bank

Safety First: Fuses and Shutoffs

Adding power isn’t just about capacity — it’s about control and protection. Every new circuit needs:

• Proper fuses sized for the load and wire gauge
• Manual shutoffs so I can isolate batteries or devices in an emergency
• Clean wiring runs with marine‑grade connectors to prevent shorts and corrosion

This way, if something goes wrong, I can shut it down before it becomes a bigger problem.

Why This Matters

This upgrade isn’t flashy like a new radar dome or autopilot, but it’s the foundation. With a solid power system, I can:

• Run digital electronics without fear of draining the bank
• Stay at anchor longer with solar keeping things topped up
• Charge underway, at dock, or off the sun — three ways to stay powered
• Build confidence that every new gadget has a safe, fused, and controlled place in the system

The dream of a digitized, automated boat doesn’t start with software. It starts with power. And now, the foundation is in place.

Every boat project has a turning point. For me, it came on Black Friday.

I’d been limping along with a 1990s Lowrance fish finder — the kind of unit that belongs in a museum more than on Lake Erie. It showed a boat icon floating on blue nothingness. No detail, no charts, no real situational awareness. It was time to move on.

Out With the Old, In With the Garmin

The deal was too good to pass up: a new Garmin fish finder/chart-plotter. Suddenly, I had modern mapping, depth, and the ability to expand into a full electronics suite. But the Garmin wasn’t just a replacement — it was the start of a bigger plan.

Building the Backbone: NMEA 2000

If you want your electronics to talk to each other, you need a common language. That’s where NMEA 2000 comes in. Think of it as the backbone of a digital boat: one cable “spine” that lets devices share data — GPS, depth, engine info, fuel, weather, and more.

By adding an NMEA 2000 backbone, I wasn’t just installing a fish finder. I was laying the foundation for everything else I want to do.

OpenPlotter + Raspberry Pi

Of course, I can’t resist open source. Alongside the Garmin, I set up OpenPlotter running on a Raspberry Pi 4B. With the Copperhill PICAN-M hat, the Pi connects directly to the NMEA 2000 network.

That means I can:

• Capture and log all the boat’s data
• Build custom dashboards
• Stream information to tablets or phones over Wi‑Fi
• Experiment with automation and alerts

It’s the bridge between the commercial marine world and the DIY hacker world.

Making Analogue Digital: CX5106 Converter

Here’s where it gets really interesting. Boats like mine are full of analogue gauges — tachometers, fuel, oil pressure, trim. They look great, but they don’t talk to anything.

Enter the CX5106 Multi-function NMEA 2000 Signal Converter. This little box takes the signals from those analogue gauges and converts them into digital data. Suddenly, my old dials can also show up on the Garmin screen or inside OpenPlotter.

That means:

• Engine RPM, fuel, and trim data on one digital display
• Redundancy — analogue gauges stay, but now I have digital backups
• A step closer to automation and smarter alerts

Why This Matters

This wasn’t just a Black Friday deal. It was the first real step in turning my 1994 Monterey into the boat I’ve been envisioning:

• Analogue bones, digital brains
• Open source at the core
• A foundation that can grow into voice control, automation, and smarter navigation

The Garmin gave me charts. The NMEA 2000 backbone gave me integration. The Raspberry Pi gave me flexibility. And the CX5106 gave me a way to bring the old gauges into the future.

The project boat is becoming a platform.

When the boat is wrapped up for winter and the snow is falling, that’s when the ideas start flowing. I’ve spent decades in IT, helping companies digitize and disrupt, so of course I can’t help but look at my 1994 Monterey and think: how do I bring her into the digital age?

The first step was small but meaningful: streaming Spotify through the original analogue radio.

The Simple Solution

Instead of tearing apart the dash or rewiring the boat, I found a $25 gadget that plugs into the 12‑volt socket (what used to be the cigarette lighter). It’s a Bluetooth FM transmitter.

• Pair your phone to the transmitter.
• Tune the boat’s radio to an unused FM frequency.
• Match the transmitter to that frequency.

That’s it. Music plays through the old speakers, hands‑free calls work, and the USB ports even charge your phone. One tiny device turned my “lipstick boat” into a Spotify cruiser.

Know Your Load (The Easy Way)

Here’s the thing: even small gadgets use power. And when you start adding more tech — fish finders, chart-plotters, Wi‑Fi, lights — it adds up.

Think of your boat’s batteries like a water tank:

• Every device you run is like opening a tap.
• The more taps you open, the faster the tank drains.
• Unless you refill it (with the alternator, shore power, or solar), you’ll run dry.

That Bluetooth transmitter barely sips from the tank. But add a few screens, pumps, and chargers, and suddenly you’re draining fast. That’s why planning your power is just as important as planning your electronics.

The Bigger Picture

This little upgrade proved something important: I can bridge analogue and digital without losing the boat’s character. But it also raised the next challenge — power management. If I want to add networks, sensors, and automation, I’ll need to think about batteries, charging, and solar.

For now, though, I can sit back, turn the key, and let the music play my play list Yacht Rocks.

I’ve spent my career helping businesses go through digital transformation—taking clunky, electronic and paper‑driven processes and turning them into sleek, connected systems. So when I look at my own boat, I can’t help but see the same opportunity staring back at me.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my boat. But it’s not my dream boat. My dream boat doesn’t just float—it thinks. It’s fully automated, with voice commands that actually work. I want to be able to say, “Set course for the marina,” and have the boat respond without me juggling three screens, two manuals, and a half‑charged flashlight. If cars can drive themselves down a six‑lane highway at rush hour, why can’t my boat handle a straight shot across the bay?

That’s what I mean when I talk about a Digital Boat. It’s not science fiction—it’s the natural next step. Just like businesses had to move from filing cabinets to cloud platforms, boats are moving from analogue chaos to digital clarity.

A Digital Boat is a vessel where the systems, logs, and electronics don’t just exist—they talk to each other. Instead of a GPS here, an AIS there, and a fish finder doing its own thing, everything is connected through backbones like:

• NMEA 2000: The marine industry’s universal language, letting your GPS, engine, depth sounder, and sensors share data on one cable.
• Ethernet: High‑speed connections for chartplotters, radars, and cameras.
• Wi‑Fi & Bluetooth: The bridge to your phone, tablet, or laptop, so you can check fuel burn from the dock or update charts from your couch.

Think of it as wiring up your boat’s nervous system. Without these backbones, your devices are just shouting into the void. With them, they’re a choir.

The Instruments: Eyes, Ears, and Memory

Once the backbone is in place, the fun begins:

• GPS + AIS: Not just “where am I?” but “who else is out here, and are they about to run into me?”
• Modern fish finder/sonar: No longer just about finding fish—these units can log depth, bottom contours, and water temperature, building a living map of your cruising grounds.
• OpenPlotter (open‑source magic): Running on a Raspberry Pi, it can capture logs, integrate sensors, and even serve as your DIY chart-plotter. It’s like giving your boat a brain upgrade without paying yacht‑club prices.

The Smartphone: Your Pocket Bridge

Your phone isn’t just for selfies at the helm. With the right setup, it becomes:

• A remote display for instruments.
• A messaging hub for weather alerts, AIS collision warnings, or maintenance reminders.
• An update tool for charts, firmware, and even your own logs.

It’s the tether between your boat and the rest of your digital life.

The Next Step: AI as Your First Mate

Once your boat is capturing and storing all this data, AI can step in to:

• Spot patterns: “Hey, your fuel burn has crept up 10%—time to check that prop.”
• Predict maintenance: “Based on hours and conditions, you’ll want to service the impeller in 20 hours.”
• Assist in navigation: “Given the tide, wind, and your past routes, here’s the most efficient course.”

It’s not replacing the captain—it’s like having a first mate who never sleeps and actually reads the manuals.

Why Upgrade?

Because the analogue alternative is fumbling through a soggy binder while your engine sputters. The digital alternative is:

• Safety: Better situational awareness.
• Savings: Lower fuel costs, fewer breakdowns, better insurance rates.
• Satisfaction: The confidence of knowing your boat is organized, connected, and ready.

A friend once asked me why I was so obsessed with digitizing my boat. I told him it’s because I’ve lived the alternative. Picture this: we’re halfway through a trip, the depth sounder starts acting up, and suddenly everyone’s looking at me like I’m the “tech guy.” I dig around, pull out a binder that looks like it survived a hurricane, and start flipping through pages that smell like diesel and mildew. After ten minutes of squinting, I realize I’m holding the manual for the microwave.

That was the moment I decided: never again. If my boat can’t tell me what’s wrong in plain English—or at least let me pull up the right manual on my phone—it’s not the dream boat I’m working toward.