KVH has developed a new system, eTrac, allowing crew to send out an emergency message containing realt-time position data. Other systems are availaible, but this complies with all new standards like SOLAS and has low lifetime cost.
"Sadly, the danger of hijacking by international terrorists or boarding by pirates is not limited to large commercial ships," explained Ian Palmer, KVH's vice president of satellite sales. "The ability to alert shore-based authorities instantly to any danger is critical to the safety of crews, passengers, harbors, and people on shore. With its global satellite communications capability, multiple 'panic buttons' and integrated GPS, the KVH eTrac SSAS is well-suited for this task."
Article in The Boating News detailing the effort to stuff an Island Packet 485 with electronics. It's high-end from a main-stream perspective, and the company that carries out the work offers some learnings.
"One aspect to keep in mind is the use of the inverter with the new systems on the market today. The sensitivity of displays in some computers and LCD TVs have created the need for a pure sine wave unit Household items such as microwaves don't seem to have these same problems but a pure sine wave inverter will be more reliable for a computer-based navigation system."
An alarm system that can be hooked up to your outdoor soundsystem might provide a very good solution when problems arise, be it thieves or water.
"Billed as �The only marine alarm system that won�t be ignored,� the VoiceAlarm not only sounds a siren or air horn if a problem is sensed, but it also broadcasts a message in your own (recorded) voice. And it�s loud. With a 240-watt onboard speaker system, your voice can be heard from up to a mile away! Here�s a sample message from the VoiceAlarm Web site: �Warning! Warning! The vessel Laid Back at mooring buoy number 23 in the Salinas Yacht Club Harbor has experienced a high water alarm. Please contact the dockmaster at the Salinas Yacht Club at 727-555-1234 and John Smith at 727-555-1234, immediately!�
Since boats are increasingly stuffed with electronics (instrumental, entertainment, camera's etc), it might make sense to network your boat. And if you do so, consider to create a wireless network since not many boats are built with network drops in every room, let alone on deck.... Another compelling reason is that more and more marina's provide internet access via a Wi-Fi access point, and some companies even offer it up to 30 miles at sea. Business Week runs a 'basics' article on when and how to setup a wireless network. Of course boats have specific requirements, this is a topic I will cover later on.
"Why should I even consider a wireless network for my home? The first question is really why you would want any sort of network. The most common reason is to allow more than one computer to share a broadband Internet connection. Increasingly, though, the home network is moving beyond PCs to include consumer-electronics devices (for example, to obtain electronic TV program guides), game consoles (for online multiplayer gaming), and home-security and heating-and-cooling systems (for control and monitoring)."
A new wireless standard called ZigBee might especially catch on in the maritime sector. It will enable, a.o., navigational instruments to ccommunicatie wirelessly (with a PC) and has very low power requirements. Furthermore, it will make it very easy to use devices like a PDA or even a cellphone as a wireless monitor. There are similar proprietary things available, but I think a standard based approach will win in the end.
"What you need is a tiny, cheap, low-power wireless device that's only job is to send or receive a few bits of data now and then. That's why ZigBee was created. Designed for home, building, and industrial automation, ZigBee, like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, is a catchy buzzword for an ungainly sounding wireless standard -- in this case, IEEE 802.15.4.
ZigBee, which operates at 2.4-GHz, is two-way so it'll be able to log your house's electric, water, gas usage, and send it to your computer for analysis. (That way, you'll have documented evidence next time you yell at your kids for leaving the lights on.) Because ZigBee has a range of only about 30 feet, and sends data in infrequent bursts, batteries could last for a couple of years without having to replace them. Light switch and thermostat manufacturers have joined the ZigBee alliance, along with the usual suspects, such as Philips, Motorola, Intel, and Hewlett-Packard."
Although it has a slow uptake, the NMEA 2000 standard is gaining ground (subscription required). However, it will not be the only networking technology used on yachts, since especially entertainment functionality will require a different performance.
"The NMEA standards committee did look at basing the successor to the 0183 standard on Ethernet, which can easily transmit data in the 10-megabit-per-second range compared to CANbus' relatively sedate 250 kilobits per second. But the committee decided against it since Ethernet-based systems have higher electrical power needs than a CANbus system. 'CAN is a type of Ethernet, but it doesn't have the power requirements,' Anderson said. 'We have a strong eye to cost (when choosing a system). And we didn't want to drive up the cost, especially for small boats.' Because of its limited bandwidth, an NMEA 2000 network can't be used to move around video, radar or electronic chart images. However, that is where proprietary high-speed systems like Furuno's Ethernet-based NavNet and Raymarine's HSB network can be used in conjunction with NMEA 2000 to handle data-heavy applications."
"One company that has embraced NMEA 2000 is Teleflex Morse, which offers a fully compatible NMEA network called MagicBus, along with a variety of instruments and controls. "We started five or six years ago and looked at where the next-generation boat would go," said Teleflex�s Kern. "We were struck by the idea of an open architecture standard. As we progressed, we became more and more convinced it was the right solution. We feel this architecture has the best chance of being around down the road."
NMEA 2000 is a standard that "contains the requirements of a serial data communications network to inter-connect marine electronic equipment on vessels. It is multi-master and self configuring, and there is no central network controller. Equipment designed to this standard will have the ability to share data, including commands and status with other compatible equipment over a single channel." Within the home entertainment industry there are similar initiatives and it's always a chicken-end-egg problem when it comes to adoption.
"NMEA itself is certainly feeling good about its standard, reporting brisk sales of manuals and lively recent gatherings of interested companies. And the work of elevating 2000 from national to international status is also going well. Perhaps most important, certain little birdies are telling me that a number of important new NMEA 2000 products will hatch at the fall boat shows. Then perhaps the pioneering efforts of Teleflex and its early adopters will really pay off."
Available within months from now, RNS 5.0 promises to be the integrated solution for sailing. Very importantly, it is as open as possible towards electronics from other manufacturers.
"So what we have here is almost everything it takes for an entirely integrated bridge, and surprisingly the integration extends well beyond Raymarine's own extended family of dedicated electronics."
Home automation applied to yachting, is basically what the Yachtica Integrated System offers, although very proprietary and expensive. But surely there will be a market for this product. It would be interesting to see, however, how technologies like ZigBee and Bluetooth will come along in the maritime market, possibly combined with less expensive software to control them.
"For instance, the master of the vessel shown can not only manage the VIP lighting from anywhere aboard but can also set up scenarios like "film" whereby the dimming, air conditioning, power blinds, etc. can all be set with one-touchscreen -or remote control- button push. Then, while watching the film, he or she could be advised of genset and anchor issues, even take remote action as needed. Oh, and this omniscience can extend off the yacht via cellular."
With highly expensive equipment on board, and even on deck, securing access to your yacht is of critical importance. Several solution directions are possible, this article particularly elaborates on on-board security cameras.
"Digital video tracking is often used these days instead of deck sensors, another type of security system that has been around for several years. As the name implies, deck sensors are feelers placed in various locations underfoot that detect movement. Like digital video tracking, deck sensors are interfaced with voice systems to warn individuals to stay put until you come outside to meet them, and the sensors will trip an alarm if the warning is ignored. However, because installation of these deck sensors requires that your yacht essentially be torn up, Pullens says that CCTVs provide the same advantages more effectively."
"Sadly, the danger of hijacking by international terrorists or boarding by pirates is not limited to large commercial ships," explained Ian Palmer, KVH's vice president of satellite sales. "The ability to alert shore-based authorities instantly to any danger is critical to the safety of crews, passengers, harbors, and people on shore. With its global satellite communications capability, multiple 'panic buttons' and integrated GPS, the KVH eTrac SSAS is well-suited for this task."
"One aspect to keep in mind is the use of the inverter with the new systems on the market today. The sensitivity of displays in some computers and LCD TVs have created the need for a pure sine wave unit Household items such as microwaves don't seem to have these same problems but a pure sine wave inverter will be more reliable for a computer-based navigation system."
An 
Since boats are increasingly stuffed with electronics (instrumental, entertainment, camera's etc), it might make sense to network your boat. And if you do so, consider to create a wireless network since not many boats are built with network drops in every room, let alone on deck.... Another compelling reason is that more and more marina's 
"NMEA itself is certainly feeling good about its standard, reporting brisk sales of manuals and lively recent gatherings of interested companies. And the work of elevating 2000 from national to international status is also going well. Perhaps most important, certain little birdies are telling me that a number of important new NMEA 2000 products will hatch at the fall boat shows. Then perhaps the pioneering efforts of Teleflex and its early adopters will really pay off."
"For instance, the master of the vessel shown can not only manage the VIP lighting from anywhere aboard but can also set up scenarios like "film" whereby the dimming, air conditioning, power blinds, etc. can all be set with one-touchscreen -or remote control- button push. Then, while watching the film, he or she could be advised of genset and anchor issues, even take remote action as needed. Oh, and this omniscience can extend off the yacht via cellular."
"Digital video tracking is often used these days instead of deck sensors, another type of security system that has been around for several years. As the name implies, deck sensors are feelers placed in various locations underfoot that detect movement. Like digital video tracking, deck sensors are interfaced with voice systems to warn individuals to stay put until you come outside to meet them, and the sensors will trip an alarm if the warning is ignored. However, because installation of these deck sensors requires that your yacht essentially be torn up, Pullens says that CCTVs provide the same advantages more effectively."