Apple CarPlay Expands to Select Pontoon Boats with on-Water Navigation
The features can surface destinations, live ETAs and other details without opening extra apps, ZDNET says.
- Crest and Balise Pontoons, brands owned by MasterCraft Boat Holdings, announced a partnership with navigation app Savvy Navvy to bring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to select boats including the Crest Conquest and Caribbean models.
- While modern cars have long benefited from polished infotainment systems, marine navigation often relies on clunky, outdated hardware; this partnership aims to close that technological gap and make the helm experience more familiar to consumers.
- Once connected, Savvy Navvy allows boaters to access nautical charts, intelligent route planning, and live ETA sharing directly from the display. Routes planned at home automatically sync to the helm upon boarding, eliminating setup delays.
- The rollout begins with select 2027 models, with the first compatible boats launching next month. Customers purchasing eligible vessels will receive Savvy Navvy Premium, unlocking the app's complete collection of navigation tools.
- With more than three million downloads globally, Savvy Navvy has become one of the most widely used marine navigation apps. This partnership signals a broader industry shift toward modernizing the helm with smartphone-based connectivity.
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Set sail with Apple CarPlay on Crest & Balise pontoon boats
Boat owners are getting a new entertainment option as they bob on the water, as Crest Marine and Balise bring CarPlay to pontoons.Savvy Navvy on CarPlay, on a boat's infotainment system - Image Credit: Savvy NavvyApple CarPlay is intended as a way to interact with your iPhone safely through a vehicle's infotainment system. While that vehicle has been cars, vans, and trucks so far, it's about to go very off-road, and off-land too.Announced during…
CarPlay and Android Auto just found a new market – boats
For tech-minded boaters, it's a sign that mainstream infotainment platforms are starting to show up in more specialized settings. Rather than build a separate interface for the helm, Crest and Balise are borrowing systems most people already know from their cars and pairing them with dedicated marine navigation software.Read Entire Article
Android Auto is coming to boats, because why not
TL;DR Boats from the Crest and Balise brands will now come with Android Auto built in. The brands have also partnered with the Savvy Navvy app for navigation on lakes, inland waters, and oceans. Customers who purchase a 2027 Crest or Balise boat will also get access to Savvy Navvy premium for free. Android Auto can be extremely helpful while driving, and you can tweak some settings to make things even better. However, it has so far been limited…
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