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How OpenCPN and SignalK Replaced Our Expensive Navigation Software

Holly and Ray

102,051 views

2026 UPDATE: Wiring diagrams, detailed system information, and other technical resources are now available on our website for Crew and VIP members. Join here: https://svsabado.com/#/portal/signup

We have recently ditched our expensive navigation software in favor of Signal K and OpenCPN, free alternatives. When planning passages, we can now plot the best course for the weather and current, transfer that course to multiple devices aboard Sabado, overlay radar, and customize our anchor watch alarm. Using Grafana and influxDB, we have also designed a page displayed on our nav desk monitor screen (and on mobile devices while away) that tracks our energy and water levels, refrigeration temperatures, propane and fuel tank levels, and more! The color-coded data and speech-enabled alarms have taken the mystery out of our boat: we can check everything on one screen, and there are no unidentified beeps!

An added bonus to this new system is that it is all free and open-source software, including the Linux operating system.
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20 Comments

@HollyandRay Creator 2 months ago Pinned

2026 UPDATE: We've since integrated this whole setup with Home Assistant and added full system monitoring , wiring diagrams and detailed specs are in our Document Library for Crew and VIP members: https://svsabado.com

And if you're trying to do something like this on your own boat and want a hand, we do one-on-one consulting for exactly this kind of thing (nav integration, SignalK, monitoring, lithium conversions). Details here: https://svsabado.com/consulting

Happy to answer questions below too. 👇

@thats-no-moon 2 years ago

GREAT setup, I would love to see a couple of in-depth videos on this.

@SailingNahoa 2 years ago

Thanks for sharing! Super cool to see alternatives to the proprietary closed ecosystems.

@Gr8LakeHouse 8 months ago

What a great system. I don't even have a boat, but I really like designing automation as a hobby, and I live on a Lake Michigan beach, so just recently I started checking out the boat scene. Now after seeing that a control system doesn't need to cost tens of thousands, I want a 45' cat! Lol Thanks for sharing your setup.

@gordonrjones 2 years ago

Nice to see someone using linux...😀

@CaptainJohn1972 2 years ago

One more addition to request a deep dive. I have one B&G at the helmstation and another at the nav station. Be happy to rip out the navstation one and replace with your setup. Thank you for showing us the possibility!!

@ekingrealtor 2 years ago

RAY! you so smart. We just use the red sky at night, sailors delight and just go with that.

@MAV3NX 9 months ago

The regression analysis on equipment onboard is such a great preventive maintenance aspect of such a system. Better to find out a component needs maintenance while in port vs. 800-1200km out!

@angelomazzone7939 2 years ago

Wow clearly a great system. Great information and as always learned a few things. The best system of all however is you. You make it all come together and even though there are always challenges they are dealt with quickly and efficiently. Thanks for sharing your adventures.

@Aitiustus0 1 year ago

I'm very new to sailing. At present I only have a sailing dinghy though I'm planning on getting a pocket cabin cruiser. I've also been a Linux user for 3 years. You have no idea (or maybe you do) how happy it makes me to seeing Linux used this way. You're so awesome!

@listenupbruh 1 year ago

As a tech guy at heart, I love seeing this setup! The level of integration and thought 👏

@peterhagen7258 2 years ago

I've had OpenCPN on my last 3 laptops. I use a Serial/USB connected GPS antenna (Several brands Under $100, including Garmin) which is smaller than a mouse. I used it as a backup/secondary chart plotter for several deliveries (US Coastal) .Since I can add more interfaces to the laptop, I can store the charts and tracks on a separate disk, thumbdrive, etc. (or NA-based disk) I can have all the data backed up and even use any other PC on-board. It also lets me do voyage planning anywhere I can have my laptop. You could also add a 2nd monitor and mount it remotely as a duplicate of the main screen to have the display in 2 places. P.S. all of the U.S. charts are free to download and the process to DL or update is pretty painless, but the post-DL process can take a little while (it's not instant) You can runi it on multiple platforms and transfer waypoints, routes or recorded tracks back & forth.

@sparkyisfast5086 2 years ago

Great video! I’m a few years out but you really need to do a series on this setup!

@jadow1975 2 years ago (edited)

Text to speach, that's a great idea, I've been looking all over the internet, but I wouldn't have thought of that. Thank you very much..
👍

@TrimaranSpiritXL 2 years ago

Brilliant video thanks for sharing! love the OSS setup it’s hard to beat it and it’s clear that it’s the direction everything is heading towards. Hard for software companies to compete with a passionate OS community that knows what’s needed within the UI and UX. B&G and Simrad will soon be hardware only manufacturers making sensors that plug into these types of setups.
We saw you guys in Vista Mar Panama I think?