Digital switching: Your one-stop shop to control all your boat’s systems

While the passengers on a boat may be able to kick back and relax with not a care in the world, the captain knows there’s quite a bit to be aware of out on the water. If you’re using numerous switches and fuses to monitor your tanks, battery, bilge pump, lights and more, your helm might be cluttered.

That’s where Garmin digital switching and integrations come in. This technology can give you the smart-home experience ­on a boat. You can reduce your reliance on traditional switches, circuit breakers and fuses by integrating digital controls and monitoring into your boat. In other words, you can view and operate all your onboard electrical functions right from your chartplotter screen or compatible smartphone — all while keeping your helm crisp and clean.

Garmin offers three solutions based on where you are in your boat-ownership journey, whether that’s updating the boat you already own and love or are purchasing a new one.

Garmin Boat Switch™

If you are looking to design a modern boating experience, without the complexity of customer configurations or graphics, you’ll want a Garmin Boat Switch. It’s a simple solution that comes preconfigured to add digital switching to operate onboard electrical functions.

Boat Switch comes with a preconfigured module, harness and pre-labeled connectors with 18” flying leads for easy setup by your  professional installer. It replaces your fuse box and physical switches, and it communicates via the NMEA 2000^® network to control up to 20 circuits from the screen on your GPSMAP^® or ECHOMAP^® chartplotter.

When you’ve assigned customizable switch names to on-off toggle switches, such as nav lights and bilge pumps, you’ll be able to control switch behaviors directly on your touchscreen. Adjust your interior lights with press-and-hold dimmers and control horns through momentary switches. You also get built-in tank sender detection and calibration for up to 4 tanks, such as fuel, freshwater, graywater, blackwater or livewell. Boat Switch includes a built-in livewell timer that automatically cycles your pump to keep water fresh for your catch while reducing continuous runtime to help extend pump life. Plus, monitor analog voltage on your house and start battery, as well as bilge pump operations. And, of course, you have the option to still use physical switches for backup. It’s your boat — now even smarter.

Garmin EmpirBus™ Systems

Building a new boat offers the greatest opportunities to create the most connected and smart-boat experience on the water with digital Garmin EmpirBus systems, which include digital integration, controls, monitoring, automation and custom graphics. You can work with your manufacturer to make sure your new boat functions exactly how you want it to, with next-level setups that include sensor alerts and system monitoring. Plus, customized automated modes help set the onboard mood or enhance boater peace of mind with easy-to-control security systems when cruising, fishing, relaxing and docking.

If you have a fishing boat, you may need automated controls of livewells and outrigger control. On cruisers and sailboats, you can add more automations akin to smart-home functionality — including grouping lights and monitoring system data. You can even tailor your light settings to automatically change based on time of day.

In each case, you’re gaining a boatload of control over your vessel. From your MFD, you can control a full array of exterior lights, cabin temperature, pumps and more. Control a full array of interior features as well as entertainment, security, mechanical and electrical systems. You can even extend control beyond the helm by using the ActiveCaptain^® app on a compatible mobile device within Wi-Fi^® range of your MFD, or add a conveniently placed keypad in the salon for quick access. Plus, you can add physical buttons to your most critical features, so you have redundancy for peace of mind. And if you need multiple screens or system access points on your boat, think about networking in the TD 50 touchscreen display as a companion instrument for access around your vessel — not just at the helm.

Have a third-party input device such as a steering wheel with input keys? No problem. The EmpirBus Connect 50 allows for third-party inputs to be programmed as remote input devices for chartplotters. It can be programmed to a variety of functions, including favorite keys, function-specific keys, media controls and complete display navigation — all seamlessly integrated within your Garmin system and compatible OneHelm™ ecosystem.

OnDeck™ Hub

Controlling your boat from anywhere just got easier. With the Garmin OnDeck Hub, you’ll have access to your boat’s data right on your mobile device. Whether you’re on board or somewhere on shore, receive text alerts¹ and updates about the status of your boat through the free ActiveCaptain app and an active subscription to an OnDeck plan.

When you’ve downloaded the ActiveCaptain app, enable alarm notifications for real-time monitoring of your boat. See boat battery, bilge activity, shore power, temperature changes and more right from your smartphone. Plus, take control of switches on board with the OnDeck hub and ActiveCaptain app. Users can manage up to 5 relay switches and critical onboard systems, such as battery chargers, ice makers and more.  

To track the movement and security of your boat, the built-in internal GPS sensor is updated every 15 or 30 minutes. If your boat has moved outside of the geofenced area, you will receive text alerts. 

Whether you’re designing a new boat for your future adventures, or you’re adding capability to your existing vessel, Garmin has solutions that will help you get the most enjoyment from your boat-ownership experience — and it’s all just a few touches away.

Learn more about Garmin marine products, and see how to make the most of your time on the water.

_{¹An active subscription plan is required. Both OnDeck Hub and user’s compatible smartphone or tablet must have connectivity via Wi-Fi or 3G/4G (or above) network. See cellular coverage area for OnDeck. NMEA is a registered trademark of the National Marine Electronics Association.}

_{NMEA is a registered trademark of the National Marine Electronics Association.}