Blog | upffront.com

Image credit: Navico 

Anyone who has so much as dabbled in marine electronics will have come across the term NMEA, often colloquially expressed as “NEMA”. 

This is the acronym for the National Marine Electronics Association, a non-profit organisation based in the US who manage communication protocols and standards for marine electronics and promote compatibility across manufacturers. This blog aims to give a brief overview of the NMEA 2000 protocol and the basic features of a NMEA 2000 network.  

The Jefa direct drives are something of a hallmark in autopilot drive engineering. Every aspect has been designed from the ground up to create an efficient, powerful and long-lasting pilot drive. In this blog we explore what makes up a good autopilot system and why the details matter.  

Image credit: James Tomlinson 

With interest in doublehanded racing still on the rise and showing no signs of letting up, we wanted to know what the ingredients are for a doublehanded boat to stay safe and sail fast. To gain some insights we conducted a survey of the UK Doublehanded Offshore fleet. We asked about everything from food to sleep to equipment. These are the results. 

©nke marine electronics

For most cruising and offshore race sailboats, the autopilot is a critical piece of equipment. However, the difference between a “good” and a “not so good” sailing autopilot can be dramatic! Therefore, it is well worth understanding all the necessary components of a good system to create the autopilot package to suit your needs.

In a previous blog post, Upffront.com introduced nke and their innovative range of marine electronics; French brand nke have been developing reliable, user-friendly, safe and high performing instrument systems dedicated to navigation for the last 30 years, providing options for racers, cruisers and single-handed sailors at all levels.