ELECTRONICS What’s Next?

If there’s one thing that’s certain and consistent in this world, it’s that change is inevitable. And nowhere on a boat is that more true than in helm electronics, where the competition is stiff and fast-growing processor speed is the (less) limiting (than ever) factor to having the helm you would be proud to call your own, wowing your inner computer geek with a smooth flow of information and lots of pretty colors.

But there’s more to this than just the latest and greatest, of course. Smart boaters don’t buy the next setup just because it’s available. A helm that’s properly set up in the first place will evolve easily rather than allow the power, user interface, and, yes, expense outstrip the realistic needs of a boater. A helm is only as good as the user’s comfort level, and no one probably understands that better than Tony Fleming, founder of Fleming Yachts and