Yachting in 2025: What technologies are already on board?

Picture this: you wake up in the cockpit. The sun is just rising over the horizon, the water is smooth, the course is clear. But there’s a catch: your boat is packed with systems that allow you to sail quieter, more economically, and more environmentally friendly. Welcome to yachting 2025! The future is already here.

Hybrids, electric motors, sails

How are things going with engines in 2025? The short answer: it's a mixed bag. Modern hybrids combine a diesel generator and a traction electric motor: you charge the batteries in the marina on the way, and at anchor you switch on "EV" mode and drift, using only kilowatts.

How does it work? When underway, the diesel engine does not push the shaft directly, but turns the generator, which charges the battery pack. When entering a port, the shaft is driven by a traction electric motor: zero emissions and minimum noise. The problem is that the cruising range in "pure" electric mode is limited by the capacity of the batteries. Therefore, many yachtsmen still use internal combustion engines: refueling is simply faster than fast charging.

Sail is a classic that doesn't need to be charged

As supporters of the traditional sail, we remind you: absolute silence can be achieved without batteries. With sails, you do not need Shore Power, and the question "where is the nearest charger?" does not arise. The wind thrust is free, and the "running" range is determined only by the weather forecast.

The sailboat can be used as a platform for ancillary innovations: lithium-ion banks powering onboard electronics; solar panels on the bimini; hydrogen generators astern. All of this reduces dependence on internal combustion engines.

It is important that the choice between a hybrid and a classic depends on your routes. If you often go to quiet protected bays or a marina in the city center, the "EV" mode gives a plus to comfort and ecology. If you go to remote places without infrastructure, sails and an internal combustion engine are still the optimal solution.

Augmented navigation and next-generation autopilots

It's a foggy night, an unfamiliar marina ahead, and visibility is near zero. Before, you had to strain all your senses, but now Raymarine ClearCruise AR displays buoys, shoals, and the course right on top of the image - like an augmented reality game, only for real.

Raymarine ClearCruise AR Interface

You no longer have to reach across the cockpit to reach the autopilot: Garmin Reactor, B&G Zeus or Simrad HALO are smartphone-friendly – change course, set a waypoint or check the slope with one swipe. Add an AIS transponder (for example, Vesper), and you will see neighboring vessels as clearly as on radar.

Bottom line: less stress, more safety. With a smart watch, a yachtsman gets the opportunity to monitor the condition of the yacht and all its systems almost from the shore. Naturally, you shouldn't rely only on the number, no one has yet cancelled the safety regulations. 

Apps and pocket planners

On the water, plans can change in a couple of minutes. Need to find a quiet bay urgently? We take out our phone, open Navily and in front of us is a database with 40,000 anchorages and marinas with reviews. We choose a point, transfer the route to the chartplotter - and again catch the rhythm of the wave.

Is the weather capricious? Windy or PredictWind give an accurate forecast all the way to offshore, if you have Starlink or Iridium. Wind direction, gusts, waves - everything under your thumb.

Here are some interesting applications:

• Navionics Boating or Savvy Navvy - maps + tracking + auto-routing.
• Anchor Watch - anchor alarm for the night.
• iNavX - NOAA offline maps.
• BoatWizard — full boat management: service, documents, insurance.

Savvy Navvy interface on Apple iPad

The Internet has finally reached the cockpit, and now the sea fits into a couple of gigabytes of traffic and one power bank.

Internet from a satellite in the middle of the ocean

Going offshore used to mean disappearing from the network. Now Starlink Maritime or Iridium GO! keep in touch where there is no GSM. Messages to loved ones, weather forecast, video call home - easy.

The cost of the bags is still steep, but much more affordable than even 10 years ago:

• Starlink - about 50 GB for €240 per month.
• Iridium GO! — a basic channel without attachments (mail, GRIB files with weather forecast) for ~160 € per month without limit.

Yacht control and remote security

The boat is moored and you've gone out to dinner. As soon as someone steps on the deck, the phone immediately signals. The same with water in the hold: the sensor detects a rise in the level, the system sends a push notification with an alarm. 

Modern onboard security systems cover more than just theft and flooding of the hold. Sensors monitor the temperature and humidity in the cabins, smoke, battery charge, and, if desired, even the fuel level in the tanks. You will learn about the problem before it develops into a repair.

Some options for yacht control using specific products as an example:

• Sentinel Marine / Yacht Sentinel — security system + tracker: hatch, roll, temperature control; alarm via SMS/app.
• Siren Marine — “smart home” scenarios: turns on the pump if the moisture sensor is triggered; provides a geo-zone if “the boat has left”.
• Garmin Boat Switch — integrated with the chartplotter: see the battery level in the NMEA network and set the pumps to automatic.
• SmartBoat One is a monoblock with a set of sensors: GPS beacon, vibration sensor, water and temperature sensor, operates from 12 V.
• Yacht Controller - remote control: in parallel with security, it provides wireless control of engines and propellers when mooring.

Yacht Sentinel module, online interface and smartphone version

All systems work via GSM/LTE or satellite. Wherever the yacht is moored, the data arrives in the application, and you decide whether to call for help the marina security, neighbors or return yourself.

AI Automation and Yachting

On modern yachts you can already find a digital “chief mate”: programs analyze the wind, change the autopilot course, optimize the sails, and help with control when entering the marina. 

If you want, you can still do it the old-fashioned way - setting the jib manually, holding the wheel in your hands. But when you need a break or are just curious about how AI works, technology will come to the rescue.

Interesting AI solutions:

• Brunswick AI Co-Captain is a next-level autopilot that adjusts the route and prevents collisions.
• Raymarine DockSense - a camera and lidar system for autonomous docking, centimeter accuracy.
• Garmin SmartMode - switches all vessel displays to one scenario: "docking", "passage", "night running".
• B&G Sailing Performance Tools - real-time wind analytics and sail trim tips.
• AutoRoute (PredictWind) — calculates the optimal ocean route using GRIB files and wave models.

Brunswick AI Co-Captain Control Panel

On the wave or at anchor, AI will never replace the pleasure of manual control, but it can greatly simplify the process.

New video on Interparus channel

A new review is coming up - and not just any review, but a new product from Fountaine Pajot called New 41! We'll look at the catamaran from all sides, touch every surface and thoroughly study all the features of the new product. Enjoy watching!❤️

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08.07.2025