Automotive-Style Marine Infotainment

Crest and Balise Bring CarPlay Navigation to Pontoon Boats

Automotive-style marine infotainment is bringing familiar connected-car functionality to recreational boating through a partnership between Crest, Balise and Savvy Navvy. Beginning with select 2027 pontoon models, boaters can use Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to access Savvy Navvy directly from compatible helm displays. The integration provides nautical charts, smart routing, GPS tracking, weather forecasts and tidal information while allowing users to plan trips on their phones before seamlessly continuing navigation onboard.

For boat manufacturers, adopting familiar automotive interfaces can reduce the learning curve associated with specialized marine electronics and make connected features more accessible to recreational users. The partnership also gives Crest and Balise a technology-focused differentiator within the competitive pontoon market. For marine software providers, integration with factory-installed displays creates opportunities to expand subscriptions, strengthen manufacturer partnerships and make app-based navigation a standard part of the boat ownership experience.

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