- What is BoatPlay?
- BoatPlay is a boat operating system: software that runs on the boat computer and shows every system aboard in two places — the Helm display at the wheel (energy, range, chart, cameras, digital switching, weather, audio, internet) and a native BoatPlay app for iPhone and Android. Same data, same alarms, same rules on both.
- Which boats does BoatPlay work with?
- Electric, hybrid and petrol or diesel boats with NMEA 2000 or CAN. BoatPlay reads the boat's Signal K feed, runs on the boat computer over the boat's own network, and is licensed to boat builders as a white-label helm and app.
- Does BoatPlay control the engine or steering?
- No. BoatPlay is an information and convenience layer. Propulsion, steering and cutoff never depend on it: the app cannot start, stop or limit propulsion, and every critical circuit keeps its physical control. Over-current protection lives in the switching hardware itself.
- Does BoatPlay work without an internet connection?
- Yes. The Helm runs from the boat computer over the boat's WiFi with its pages offline-cached, so it works with the network off. Away from the boat, the app checks in over the boat's encrypted cloud link, and the Helm is offline-first with over-the-air updates.
- Is there a BoatPlay app for iPhone and Android?
- Yes — a native app for both, with push alerts and Face ID or fingerprint before any switching or anti-theft action. The App Store and Google Play listings are coming; register on the home page and we will tell you the day they go live. The app requires a BoatPlay-equipped boat.
- How do I get BoatPlay Helm?
- Register on the home page — no cost, no obligation. We reply personally within two business days with the Helm package for your desktop or tablet, your boat's credentials and a walkthrough of demo mode. The live demo is the real Helm running a simulated day.
- Can I navigate with the charts in BoatPlay?
- No. Charts in BoatPlay are derived from official and community chart data, are not official nautical charts, and are not for navigation. Always navigate with official nautical charts.
- Which pages does the Helm have?
- Ten: Instruments, Chart, Energy, Cameras, Weather, Audio, Switching, Internet, Browser and Settings — each one tap away on a fixed, no-scroll layout with glove-sized targets and three display modes for day, dusk and night.
- What are mission modes?
- One tap puts the whole boat into Fish, Cruise, Dock, Anchor or Away, with a Night layer over Fish or Cruise. A mode is a recipe applied once — circuits pre-armed, alarm profiles swapped, the display set — and your own adjustments afterwards survive. A recipe can never touch propulsion, never switch the bilge pump off and never mutes an alarm.