YYachts' digitised management of large yachts, Y on Watch encompasses maintenance and logbooks, plus remote control and monitoring of all systems

Michael Schmidt has been a visionary in the marine industry for decades, starting with his 1980s Admiral’s Cup successes, the brokerage network that still bears his name, as founder of the Hanse boatbuilding yard, and now with his current venture, YYachts under which brand Y on Watch has now been launched.

YYachts builds a range of 70ft-90ft performance cruisers aimed at keen sailors who want to combine efficiency and comfort with a level of simplicity not normally found at this level.

These yachts are now offered with a comprehensive remote control, monitoring and maintenance management facility operated via a smartphone or smartwatch. The Y on Watch can also monitor and control all onboard systems via interfaces with both the yacht’s CZone and NMEA2000 data networks. In addition the system is connected to the company’s AI for data analysis.

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Even the simplest of today’s yachts are complex machines that have diverse service and maintenance requirements, many of which are all too easy to overlook. This system integrates with each vessel’s service and maintenance schedules and serves as a vital link between owner, shipyard and specialist technicians, ensuring procedures are scheduled and completed on time.

Once maintenance work has been completed, the system is updated with a detailed list of the tasks carried out – so it also serves as the yacht’s maintenance record.

A digital log book, activated automatically when the vessel leaves port, records data such as position, speed, distance travelled and more.
The system also has functionality already available elsewhere but not yet commonly fitted to new yachts. Owners can, for instance, remotely turn on the refrigeration and air conditioning before arriving on board. At the same time, if sensors detect a change outside predetermined parameters the system will trigger an alarm. This could be as simple as shore power being disconnected, or as important as the boat moving outside a geo-fenced area or activation of the bilge water alarm. These are all documented in real time, with push notifications, statistics and other data to keep owners up to date.

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