re: Offshore Boat Electronics- Update Pg. 3

quote:

---

- Lithium batteries?

---

YES (one dedicated for electronics)
New Garmin Force for saltwater integrated with
Garmin (two/three units with RADAR, AIS, and autopilot)
Garmin's version of FLIR.
YES
YES
Starlink

Yeah valid concern.

I’ve been out 20 miles in a single engine bay boat with a pretty new motor and it made me nervous.

That being said with the 1000s of hours on multi engine boats I have, I’ve only ever had one motor issue, and it was electrical and they both went out anyway

If someone ever invites you an a trip and they have a Honda generator onboard plugged into onboard charger to keep batteries charged while offshore, I’ve learned you should just say no lol

Which brings me to another good thing to keep with you on boat… Noco jump start pack. If batteries are set up where you can emergency parallel probably won’t ever need it, but still nice to have just in case

Y'all have been great- and CP3- if Legendary doesn't kill me on this, I would love to talk to you and see if you would consider doing it...here's what I asked for...

Sionyx Nightwave Camera- will use ipad as monitor
Garmin 8612 XSV
Garmin GT51 MTH Transducer
Garmin GMR 24 XDH3 Radome
Engines NMEA 2000 Connections
Garmin Reactor 40 Autopilot
Minn Kota Riptide Terrova
Starlink Internet
ACR V6 EPIRB with HRU
Superior Coastal Surge Liferaft with Case on Hardtop
Front Facing LED Lightbar or Spotlight
Rear, Stbd., Port LEDs for spreaders
SeaDek Install w/ Pursuit Logo

I think, think, maybe I can get it all done for a bit over $35K. Any guesses?

quote:

---

Garmin GT51 MTH Transducer

---

If you plan on doing any deep dropping or swordfishing you’re going to want another transducer. You can keep that one for shallower stuff like tuna fishing and whatnot, but you’re going to want to add atleast a 1kW low band ducer for deeper stuff. Could maybe get by with medium band. Airmar b175L or b175M would be a good addition.

Or, scrap the GT51 and get an Airmar M265LH or B265LH (only difference between M and B in installation style. One is yellow box in bilge one is fiberglasses into a pocket in hull essentially). This is roughly same price range as the B175’s, but you get both a low (deeper readings) and a high (shallower readings) band in one unit. And an XSV Garmin screen can power it without a separate sonar module (GSD which is another $1k+). I ran a M265LH on our contender. Gives you 1kW high band and 1kW low band chirp. Probably best combo 1kW ducer you can get in the price range. Worked perfect for us for pretty much everything

quote:

---

My problem is that I’ve taken my bay boat 50 miles out a number of times- so this thing will be like having a Freeman for me. I know I need to probably temper that behavior.

---

Nothing wrong with that on a 26ft boat. I’ve done 65 on my 27ft and it’s perfectly safe.

But, I really think the 2 safest moves are to go in the middle days of fronts, so never the first or last day. Which isn’t easy I know.

But more importantly, buddy boat. It’s not that hard to post online or only go with friends. Which again, now you have double the crew to show up. It’s not always best, but I’d sure as hell rather sit dry in a 26ft boat then bobbing with a life vest and epirb.

Personally I think a 18” radar is much more useful then a night vision camera. You can use it for fishing, weather, and boat traffic both day and night. Camera is just for navigating at night.

quote:

---

l thinking to get the raft and put its case in top of the hardtop.

---

I have a 6 person viking life raft. It is heavy as shite. I would not put it on the t-top. It will make the center of gravity higher in the boat and probably encourage more tippy/rocking behavior. Also that would be total sonofabitch to get up there and/or get it down. Go see one in person before buying. They are big and very very heavy. I have a 40' center console and I put mine in a compartment where a large ice chest would normally go. I would not bring one if my boat was any smaller. It takes a ton of room and again is very heavy. Good offshore life jackets are way more important.

If I got carried away and bought a nearly 30’ express that weighs 10,000 lbs. does that change the opinion on the raft on the hard top

Because I drove 7 hours away yesterday to see something that I always “kinda, sorta thought was the coolest thing ever” and now my checkbook has one less check in it and I have a text message going with a boat surveyor.

Yup.

We normally have:
- Auto EPIRB on boat
- Life Jackets
- an ACR PLB within hands reach
- ACR RapidDitch bag with EPIRB, lights, protein bars, water, and other survival gear.
- VHFs with built in GPS for DCS SOS calling

Need deckhands?

Great thread, my fishing buddy just bought a late model 26’ TwinVee and is going through this exact list of decisions.