Yacht Devices Cloud
The Cloud Service is a free online service targeted at users of our NMEA 2000 gateways and routers. The Cloud service is supported in NMEA 2000 Wi-Fi Router YDNR-02, NMEA 2000 Wi-Fi Gateway YDWG-02, and NMEA 2000 Ethernet Gateway YDEN-02.
These devices can record to the internal memory the navigation, weather, engines, tanks and batteries data, and the state of digital switching equipment. The full list of supported data types is available here. The recorded data can be exported from device's memory into a spreadsheet (.CSV file) or to a GPS track (.GPX file) from the built-in administrative web site. In the device's settings, you can set logging interval between 15 seconds and 1 hour.
If your boat's Wi-Fi or Ethernet networks has an Internet connection, devices can be configured to automatically upload your data to the Cloud. You only need to register in the Cloud service, obtain the boat's key for your device and enter it to the settings. A step-by-step guide how to configure your device is available here.
Benefits of using the Cloud service for private boat owners:
- Share your sailings with friends and family. You can share your boat's data to registered users of the Cloud service or to anyone by a "secret" link. A few minutes after your boat's network connects to the Internet, the data will be in the Cloud and your loved ones will be able to know that everything is fine with you.
- Unlimited backup for your data. On some plotters, you need to manually enable the track recording and the length of tracks may be limited. We offer unlimited and free backup for your data. Even if your plotter dies with all the data, you can save your tracks from the Cloud and import them to a new chart plotter.
- Access to your sailing records from home. You can download your sailing or fishing tracks or view them online in full detail from anywhere, using a laptop or smartphone. Need to remember how much fuel you used or how strong the wind was? Easy!
- Monitor your boat at anchorage or in a marina. If there is no online weather station in the marina, or if you wish to see the actual tide level, the Cloud service can supply you with fresh data every two minutes.
- Bilge pump monitoring. Even if your boat has no digital switching equipment yet, you can install a product like the Run Indicator YDRI-04 to monitor analog circuits with the Cloud service.
- Save on satellite tracking device. To transmit 24 points to the Cloud, about 2 KB of the traffic is required. If you are crossing the Ocean with a SAT phone and that goes online twice per day to download emails and weather forecasts, the Cloud service will not be expensive and your position will always be available online with at least 60 nm accuracy.
Our devices depend on the NMEA 2000 power supply and requires a chart plotter data to record the GPS position. Unlike tracking devices with a SIM card, our device needs a 3rd party device which provides Internet connectivity, or they can be configured to use the access point of your cell phone or the Wi-Fi network of your home marina, etc. However, if you are renting your boats, you may be interested in the following possibilities:
- Be prepared to check-out. As soon as the boat enters the home port, you will know the batteries' state, tank levels, and where she was. You will see on the chart whether the boat visited dangerous areas or was aground, and whether there is reason to check the underwater part of the hull.
- Monitor engine health. You can check in a second if your boat had any warnings from the engines or transmissions during the voyage.
- How did it happen? Recorded data will help to investigate the incident instead of relying entirely on the words of the crew.
At the moment, we do not have special functions for regatta organizers, but nevertheless, if your boats are equipped with our devices, then you can:
- Re-play your regattas. Owners can share their boats to a regatta organizer (with the time range limited by regatta time), and organizers can re-share all boats on a single page to show all the sailing together. If this is done before the regatta, and committee's boat is equipped with a Wi-Fi access point, the race data will be uploaded at every start and finish.
- Analyze your racings. Rich data, which include wind, rudder angle, speed over ground and through water, heeling, helps analyze local weather conditions, tactic of participants and investigate protests.
In the next updates of the Cloud service, we plan to add:
- email alerts and notifications by user rules;
- speed and depth graphs to the online track viewer;
- map customization to add a start line, buoys or other special static marks;
- online reports to facilitate the management of multiple boats.
To use the Cloud service, your boat's network should have an internet connection. During the 2020 sailing season, we kept our lovely s/v Mur Mur online using an old Android phone with the standard Wi-Fi access point (mobile hotspot) turned on. Our laptops and smartphones were also able to connect to this hotspot and get access to the administrative web site of NMEA 2000 Wi-Fi Gateway and Web Gauges. It is budget solution, the signal was weak even in a mile from marina, and the data was uploaded to the Cloud only when we returned to the port.
To expand the coverage, you can install a 4G booster, which can provide you with mobile Internet even in 20 miles from shore. Wi-Fi boosters can expand the range of Wi-Fi connection from several hundred meters to several miles. And combined 4G/WiFi boosters can automatically switch between shore Wi-Fi and mobile Internet to keep you connected. To learn more about boosters, you can start with this article in Yachting World.
With the Cloud service, you can worry less about your boat and your data, and your loved ones can worry less about you. Connect!