Spending time on a boat should be a pleasant experience – glamping on the water, if you will. After making sure that everything is in check when it comes to safety and comfort, you can be free to upgrade your boat with accessories that offer entertainment and can make the whole experience more fulfilling.
You might think that having some of the top saltwater fishing rods aboard your vessel is entertainment enough, however you can’t be fishing all the time. Plus, you will probably take your friends and family along for the ride, and not everyone is excited about taking fish out of the water. The following accessories can provide some extra options to have fun while out at sea.
Speakers
While getting the best performing set of speakers is the obvious goal of every party organiser on land, on a boat things come with a caveat. In this case – yes, you are after the best speaker you can get, but your final choice has to be able to withstand the tough environment. Marine environments are relentless and if they can corrode stainless steel cables, you can only imagine what will rust do to your sound system.
Start your search for boat speakers with a model that has marine grade humidity resistance, is fully waterproof, and has protective films (UV, salt and fog prevention). You are not looking for one material here either. It’s not unusual for one audio set for boat to consist of several different types of materials like: polypropylene cone, UV resistant grill, stainless steel, Ferrite magnets etc. These are all great for resisting the salty and humid conditions.
In terms of performance, keep in mind that marine speaker systems are set against one of the most typical high background noise environments. You will need to strike a balance: the boat speaker should be loud enough to hear while underway, but also subdued so that the people on board can still communicate efficiently. If the speakers require 240W total power (120W RMS), cover frequency range from 55Hz to 20kHz and have 12dB/Octave cross-over, then you have decent set on your hands.
Depending on the size of your boat you might need more than one pair so make sure your marine audio speakers are stackable. This is different for each boat as is the energy expenditure profile you have for running them at any given time.
The aperture and the depth required to install your marine stereo speakers is also very important. Drilling holes in your hull and running wires is never easy on a boat, so do plan ahead and set aside ample time for installation. Boat projects always take more time than what you originally estimate.
AMFM Antennas
VHF radio communication systems are ubiquitous on boats regardless whether the boats are sail-propelled or engine-powered. The antenna for VHF usually is placed at the highest available point. However, they are not equipped for reception of AMFM, so if you want to listen to a live radio program you’ll need to install an extra-rigid fiberglass antenna.
AMFM antennas remain popular even though one can use a multitude of external memory devices stocked with music records, videos and podcasts for entertainment. Frequency bands of AMFM antennas are unparalleled and one can never have enough backups on a boat.
Camera Gear
When surrounded by the gorgeous ocean scenery, many are interested in making photos and videos. Bringing along camera gear has the added benefit of being self sufficient in terms of power banks – its batteries can be charged before you step onto the boat. And there is no lack of recording opportunities.
There is a number of popular camera accessories for taking breathtaking photos and videos. Though, every boater is not interested in taking the time to film high quality videos. Some prefer using small contraptions which require almost no input from you to document your adventure. We are talking about affordable action cameras that can be placed in the cockpit and record as long as the batteries are full.
If you aren’t sure you want to document your boat handling above water, you certainly have something to capture while underwater. Hauling out your boat just to get rid of the barnacles and the marine growth that slows you down is too expensive. So, you are bound to dive under your hull(s) to give your boat an underwater scrub. Since you should already have basic snorkeling (or diving) gear, you might well spend some extra time down there and bring back incredible footage. Provided, of course, you are anchored at a location with remarkable underwater flora and fauna.
Then, there is the ultimate boat shot for every boating enthusiast – drone footage while at sea. It used to cost a load of money and a helicopter crew to capture a decent overhead shot of your sailing adventure. In the past few years utilizing commercially available drones for getting incredible camera angles has become easily accessible. Beware though: only launch your drone when weather conditions are stable and there is no other vessel around.