If you are a gadget geek like me – and let's face it, you probably are – re-equipping your boat with new electronics as something akin to party time.

So the prospect of bringing a computer aboard can be exciting, a gateway to enhanced navigation, communication and entertainment capabilities that would have cost thousands of dollars just a few years ago. It can also be intimidating, with a bevy of choices to make and no clear path to follow for solutions.

ARGONAUT COMPUTERSArgonaut's Avalon mini computer. Many marine machines are petite, built for a boat's small spaces. 

Yet buying a computer for your boat need not be any more difficult than buying one for your home or business. It merely requires a modest investment of time and perhaps a less modest investment of money.

The first choice you are apt to face is whether to buy a "marinized" computer or a standard, landlubber unit from one of the big manufacturers like Dell, HP or Gateway. Both have advantages and are worthy of investigation. 

OFF THE SHELF

If you have a stately pilothouse trawler and you take weekend cruises on quiet waters, you might be able to get away with a laptop or desktop from a big–box store. The primary advantage is cost: they can be dramatically cheaper than a purpose–built marine computer. There's also a familiarity factor – most of us have done this before and know the drill.

But that choice is not without risk. What happens to your electronic charting system if your nephew knocks the machine off the chart table, or you drop it yourself while traveling between house and boat? Another constraint on a standard laptop is the screen. Most are not designed for use in bright sunlight, and may require a special shade.

But there is no debating that the cost of standard computers is lower – and one could argue that it may be efficient to simply replace a laptop every few years, taking advantage of the latest technology, rather than spending substantially more for a dedicated marine system.

MARINIZATION DEFINED

So what do you get with a "marinized" PC? The truth is that there are no universal specification standards for marinization, and so the term means different things to different companies.

AMBIENTNAVAmbientNav marine displays and computer installed on a Grady-White 360. Modern marine computers are capable of doing heavy duty navigation work.

But there are some things you can expect. Most marine computer manufacturers use some form of solid connection – usually solder or glue – to secure wiring and components. Circuit boards are often coated with silicone or some other non–conducting material to protect them from corrosion, which is probably the biggest contributor to early death among marine electronics. And hard drives and optical drives are usually shock–mounted to combat everything from the normal vibrations of the engines to the shock of landing in the trough of a large wave.

Many units are also far smaller than their land-based counterparts, and have connections placed strategically with a marine installation in mind. 

Most marinized computers also run on 12–volt DC power, with power supplies that can adjust to the varying DC voltage that is common on boats. Some of these computers can be powered by either DC or AC systems. Many are also designed to handle the extreme thermal environment of a boat cabin, using fans, passive cooling tubes or heat–sink components to draw heat away from the processor and circuit boards.

There are many vendors of marinized PCs. Some companies, such as VEI Systems and Big Bay Technologies, grew up providing high–end systems to the megayacht industry, with some commercial and military business too. Others came from the community of passagemaking sailors, and were focused on inexpensive, low–power units that could do yeoman's duty at a nav station without draining the batteries. Some of these latter suppliers use basic processors and chipsets intended for mobile computing because of their inherently lower power requirements (and lower heat generation), while others swear by full–powered Pentium chips to handle the requirements of a fully networked system.

What you need will largely depend on what you intend to do. If you're going to install your system on a sailboat with a limited electrical budget and a snug nav station with limited air flow, a mobile chipset might be a good idea. If you have the juice and the space for cooling, go with a full–blown Pentium Core Duo or higher.

Similarly important is the video processing capability. Today's vector charts are rich with detail, layers and colors and most experts agree that you need to have at least 128MB of available video memory in order to ensure the machine will re–draw the screen reasonably quick. As with most things in the computer world, more memory would be even better. Ask your vendor specifically about this and let them know the type of navigation software you plan to use. (If you need help choosing, read Mad Mariner's multi–part series on electronic charting software.)

The same more–is–better philosophy goes for RAM. Simply stated, buy as much as you can afford. Nothing on any PC runs worse with more memory – it all runs far better. Modern standards call for a minimum of 1 gigabyte of RAM. Big charts and multiple programs will benefit from 2 gigabytes of RAM.

Most marine PCs are still shipped with Windows XP because of its maturity and stability and the fact that drivers for most peripherals are readily available. The switch to Microsoft Vista in marine computers may take another year or more while vendors finish writing drivers and users get more comfortable with the system. If you do get a unit with Vista, make sure the software you want to use has been updated to run on Vista.

VEI SYSTEMSVEI Systems installed this full computer system with displays on a large sportfishing boat.  Monitors that can be seen in daylight are one of the most expensive components of an onboard system.

MARINENAV, COMARK

So, who to buy from? There is an abundance of companies offering marine PCs, and the number is growing. For example, MarineNav, of Canada, is a relative newcomer but their founder, Kevan Merson, is a serious sailor who demands reliability and capability. His company, on Prince Edward Island, builds small PCs with lots of front connectors. Vice President of production, Jean Guy LeClerc, uses his own company's equipment, which is always a good sign.

LeClerc has the company's Nautilus Extreme installed at the nav station of his Hunter 40.5, with all his sailing instruments and real–time weather services connected. The MarineNav systems can accommodate up to 1.5 terabytes of hard disk storage, which is nice if you, like LeClerc, keep your kids' movies and music on the PC as well. MarineNav also makes a unique line of monitors that are gorgeous, wood–framed mirrors when unpowered but transform into full–featured, high–definition displays when needed. These make handy extra display stations in salons and staterooms. MarineNav PCs start at $1,395 for a very basic setup, including 60 gigs of storage, 512 megabytes of RAM and a 1.5 gigahertz processor.

Another possibility would be Comark Corporation's unique PCs, which use flash drives for basic storage – conventional hard disks are optional. Comark President Steve Schott says recreational boaters often use Comark PCs as complements to dedicated chartplotters. Comark's higher–end DuraMobile PC is a special, fanless unit that uses a finned aluminum heatsink to dissipate heat. The result is a quieter, less power–hungry and slightly more reliable unit (fans can fail). Comark says that their PCs will run even Nobeltec's top–of–the–line Admiral navigation software with just an 8GB flash drive, although one may want to store charts on a hard disk instead of running them from discs.

MOTION COMPUTINGMotion's larger LE1700 tablet computer is suitable for onboard use, at a base price of $1,699.

For a high–end approach, Big Bay Technologies offers a dual PC Book system in which one of the units operates as a silent "mirror" in the background, ready to takeover instantly in case the first unit fails. That setup costs about $3,000. You could add a 19–inch monitor for the pilothouse and a 17–inch waterproof monitor for the flybridge for about $3,000. The two displays cost $1,495 each (the smaller one is waterproof, hence the same price as the 19–inch).

MONITORS AND SUPPORT

Indeed, monitors are among the most costly items required for an onboard computer rig, whether you buy a marinized unit or something off the shelf. But help is on the way.

To–date, these monitors have been prohibitively expensive, on the order of $3,000 or more for a screen big enough to be useable. That is finally changing, as both technology and market demand combine to inspire new designs and lower prices. Argonaut, for example, one of the bigger marine PC companies, is now offering a 15–inch, waterproof, sunlight–readable display for less than $1,000. That may seem like a lot, considering you can buy a 32–inch widescreen monitor for your home with that kind of money. But it is a breakthrough in marine monitor pricing and bodes very well for the future.

Most marine computers have numerous USB, Firewire, LAN, modem and VGA connectors, as well as multiple video outputs. Be sure the computer you buy has what you need. You should also look into the tech support offered by your manufacturer ahead of time. You may even want to call the tech support number and see how long it takes to get a knowledgeable helper on the line. If it takes an hour, you know what you are dealing with. You don't want to discover that tech support is by email–only if you're offshore somewhere with only a satphone for communication. Similarly, make sure you understand the warranty, whether it includes all system components and what the repair and return policies are.

Some of the bigger, longer established vendors like VEI Systems have earned their business with a stellar support reputation. They are unlikely to be the cheapest solution available, but if reliability and support are important, consider buying from them. They also have the most experience with fully–integrated systems where engine data, navigation, communications and systems monitoring are involved. That is hard–earned experience and it may be worth paying for.