Marine NavigationAustralia · 2026

By Vessel Type

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

5 guides33 min of reading
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
Sensor positions on a cruising yacht. Each one is chosen for physics first and convenience second.
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 Type7 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 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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Other topics

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

FoundationsEquipment & SensorsBuying GuidesSeamanship & SafetyProjects & InstallationReference