Tom of the Sailing Seahorse YouTube channel is currently sailing around the world on a 32-foot catamaran. In any case, it takes a lot of technology to do this safely, but as a technophile, Tom has really gone over the top in this department. As shown in a recent video, there is hardly an inch of the boat that is not decked out in some type of interesting hardware. In particular, Tom highlighted the NavDesk system of his catamaran, which provides a steady stream of data that is crucial while sailing.
This is no off-the-shelf solution. Tom rolled his own NavDesk with the help of a Raspberry Pi 5 single-board computer. The Raspberry Pi is tucked away in a waterproof case, where it runs OpenMarine. This software allows the system to receive NEMA communications signals from equipment throughout the boat. This information is collected and displayed on a repurposed laptop screen, and also a pair of old smartphones serving as dashboards.
These dashboards show important information like the true wind speed, the boat’s speed over ground, GPS coordinates, water depth, and so on in a single location. Websites like Windy and OpenCPN are continuously displayed on the laptop screen to aid in navigation. Furthermore, an RTL-SDR stick was inserted into the Raspberry Pi so that Automatic Identification System signals can be received.
One downside to using a Raspberry Pi 5 in a watertight case is that there is nowhere for the heat to escape. Since this board can run hotter than past models, Tom decided to underclock the processor a bit to limit how hot it gets. As there is processing power to spare when doing something relatively simple like running a NavDesk, that was not a problem.
The Bluetooth radio of the Raspberry Pi was utilized to connect to a wide range of IoT devices all over the boat. Some of them handled important data collection activities, while others were used for minor conveniences, like controlling lights.
You may not be sailing the world, but Tom’s work shows just how versatile a single-board computer like the Raspberry Pi 5 can be. It is well-known for its ability to support the development of any number of weekend projects that a hobbyist can come up with, but it can also do some serious work, like keeping a catamaran on course in the open ocean. Be sure to stay tuned to hear the latest on Tom’s adventures in sailing and electronics.A Raspberry Pi-powered NavDesk (📷: Sailing Seahorse)
The brains behind the operation (📷: Sailing Seahorse)
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