Marine NavigationAustralia · 2026

By Vessel Type

Complete system designs for sailing yachts, catamarans, motor yachts, offshore fishing boats and trailer boats.

9 guides50 min of reading
BUILD THE BRIEF BEFORE THE SHOPPING LISTPassages + crewHull + retained gearPower, steering and working positionsSupported package + acceptance planLength informs the layout; it does not size the pilot
Define the boat and crew’s work before choosing hardware. The final specification includes installation and acceptance, not only boxes.
BUILD THE BRIEF BEFORE THE SHOPPING LISTPassages + crewHull + retained gearPower, steering and working positionsSupported package + acceptance planLength informs the layout; it does not size the pilot

vessel planning

Choose navigation gear by vessel, passage and budget

Find practical navigation plans for 32-foot and 50-foot monohulls, catamarans, fishing boats and motor cruisers, with budget and premium priorities.

Best for Choose the operating brief before the equipment brand.Check first The stated mission and retained equipment change the recommendation.Also needed A complete installation, power and commissioning plan

By Vessel Type3 min read

Read the guide A sailing yacht profile with labelled positions for the masthead wind, VHF and radar, the GNSS antenna, the heading sensor near the centre of motion, and the hull transducer. wind · VHF · radarGNSS antenna heading sensortransducer SENSOR SITING

sailing yacht

Cruising sailing yacht navigation system

A cruising yacht should not be equipped like a fishing boat with a mast. Limited power, heel, exposed helms and long autopilot duty cycles change every priority.

By Vessel Type8 min read

Read the guide 32 FT · KEEP THE WORKING HELM SIMPLEHELMdepthOne reachable chart displaySeparate depth / instrumentsBackup: own battery + positionConcept only · verify actual installation

vessel planning

Best navigation gear for a 32-foot sailing yacht

Build a practical 32-foot yacht navigation system: sensible screen sizes, retained instruments, pilot checks and budget or premium upgrade paths.

Best for One Axiom+ 9; retain working pilot and radio.Check first A$4,668 instrument basket excludes fitting, pilot and VHF.Also needed A complete installation, power and commissioning plan

By Vessel Type5 min read

Read the guide 50 FT · TWO STATIONS, KNOWN DEPENDENCIESHelm: chart + radarProtected planningShared network / sensors / powerIndependent fallback outside this chainTwo screens do not remove every shared fault

vessel planning

Best navigation gear for a 50-foot sailing yacht

Plan a 50-foot yacht system around offshore workload, steering loads, two working stations, power resilience and a realistic premium equipment brief.

Best for Axiom+ 12 at helm and 9 at the chart table.Check first A$14,265 hardware basket excludes pilot and installation.Also needed A complete installation, power and commissioning plan

By Vessel Type4 min read

Read the guide A catamaran seen from ahead with its two hulls, wide bridgedeck, mast and sails, the beam dimensioned and the twin rudders marked. BEAM TWIN RUDDERS · WIDE HELM

catamaran

Cruising catamaran electronics

Wide beam, an elevated helm, twin engines and long cable runs make catamaran electronics a different design problem from an equivalent-length monohull.

By Vessel Type7 min read

Read the guide MONOHULLCATAMARANOne reference to labelIdentify hull and sourceDots: possible sensors · dashed lines: conceptual cable routes

vessel planning

Catamaran vs monohull: navigation equipment that changes

Compare catamaran and monohull electronics by helm position, steering, cable routes, depth references and shared failures rather than length alone.

Best for A raised helm and sheltered station with labelled depth sources.Check first Two displays can still share one sensor and network.Also needed A complete installation, power and commissioning plan

By Vessel Type4 min read

Read the guide A planing motor yacht with a raised helm, an open-array radar on the mast, a thermal camera below it, and a speed annotation. thermal open array 25 kn · 0.42 NM / MIN

motor yacht

Motor yacht navigation electronics

At 25 knots a vessel covers 0.42 NM a minute, compressing the time to detect, interpret, decide and manoeuvre. Speed changes what a helm needs to do.

By Vessel Type6 min read

Read the guide A fishing boat with a downward CHIRP sonar cone and a side-scanning fan, fish returns in the water column, and a rocky structure rising from the seabed. SIDE SCAN structure 1 kW CHIRP

fishing

Offshore fishing electronics

Offshore fishing puts sonar far higher in the hierarchy than cruising does. On a serious fishing boat the transducer can matter as much as the display.

By Vessel Type6 min read

Read the guide A trailer boat with an outboard crossing breaking water over a sandbar, with a sounder reading of 2.1 metres to the shifting sand below. 2.1 m SHIFTING BAR TRAILER BOAT

trailer boat

Trailer boat and small craft electronics

A trailer boat has a small budget, a small console and limited power, which makes every decision a trade-off. Spend on safety and sonar before screen size.

By Vessel Type7 min read

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The library is organised so each shelf answers a different kind of question.

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