On the Water

On the Water — July 13, 2026

$54 Billion Boating Season: What the NMMA Numbers Actually Mean for You

NMMA's 2025 total industry sales report landed the first week of July, and the headline number is $54 billion in U.S. recreational marine retail spending. The split underneath is the part worth paying attention to: pre-owned boats accounted for 79.7% of unit sales against 20.3% new, and aftermarket accessories held flat at $12.1 billion.

Translation for owners: the used-boat market is where the volume is, and people are putting real money into upgrades and refits instead of trading up to new hulls. That's a good signal if you bought used this year and are weighing what to spend on electronics — you're not the exception, you're the majority.

Tariffs Are Still the Wildcard on Electronics Pricing

Soundings Trade Only convened a virtual summit on trade, tariffs, and taxes for July 16, with NMMA policy leads and a federal tax briefing on the agenda. Aluminum tariffs in particular have been pushing landed costs up on hardware and components for two years running.

We don't have a crystal ball on where policy lands, but we're watching this one closely. If you're planning a fall install or a big electronics upgrade, it may be worth locking in pricing sooner rather than later.

Mid-Summer Maintenance: The 10-Minute Checks That Save Your August

Heat is the theme in every maintenance guide right now, and for good reason — cracked hoses, degraded seals, and overworked cooling systems are what take boats off the water in peak season, not big mechanical failures. The fix isn't complicated, it's just easy to skip.

• Check engine oil before every outing, not just at the 100-hour mark
• Inspect prop and anodes after every trip
• Keep a spare fuel filter on board and know how to swap it underway
• Rinse the hull and deck with fresh water after saltwater runs

Ten minutes at the dock beats a week at the dealer.

Furuno and Victron Just Made Power Monitoring Make Sense

Furuno's TZT2BB and full TZtouch3 lineup now integrate directly with Victron's GX Series energy controllers, putting inverter, charger, and battery status on the same display as your chart and sonar. No more switching between a phone app and the helm to check state of charge.

If you're running lithium or a hybrid setup, this is the kind of integration that changes how you actually use the boat day to day — not just a spec sheet upgrade.

Questions about any of this, or want help matching an upgrade to your setup? Visit heronmarinesupply.com or reach out directly.

On the Water — June 27, 2026

The Industry Knows Safety Matters. The Business Case Doesn't.

On June 23, the Sea Tow Foundation published "Bridging the Boating Safety Gap Between the Non-Profit and For-Profit Boating Industry" — funded by the U.S. Coast Guard's Sport Fish Restoration & Boating Trust Fund. The research included 1-on-1 interviews with executives across marine manufacturers, dealers, and accessory brands to understand how the for-profit marine industry views boating safety promotion. The stated goal: identify the barriers companies face when messaging safety to consumers, then develop ready-made, easy-to-implement tools that let any company integrate safety content into their existing marketing — without building materials from scratch.

The report surfaces four specific approaches the industry should be using. Brand ambassador campaigns — partnering with marine influencers to reach broader, more diverse audiences. Ready-made assets — programs like the Foundation's Sober Skipper Campaign give companies pre-built materials so content creation is never the barrier to entry. Organic and paid media — print, digital, and paid ad channels all have a role in getting safety messaging to boaters. And recognition — the National Boating Safety Awards highlight commercial entities that excel at safety promotion, creating a reputational incentive to invest in it. The through-line: safety messaging works better as shared industry infrastructure than as individual effort. (Source: Sea Tow Foundation / Boating Industry, June 23, 2026)

Arco Marine Zeus Omega: A Smarter Architecture for Alternator Charging

Published June 24 on Panbo, the Arco Marine Zeus Omega Alternator Control System splits alternator management into two components: an IP68-sealed Alternator Drive Module (ADM) that mounts directly on the alternator, and a Control Module (CM) that manages up to six ADMs via a proprietary CAN bus. Three quick-connect fittings mate the ADM to an Arco alternator — a significant reduction in install labor. The biggest improvement: the ADM uses a hall effect current sensor instead of a shunt, meaning no cutting into a current-carrying cable. One less connection, one less failure point.

The CM talks NMEA 2000, Victron DVCC, CZone, and RV-C. Built-in cloud connectivity lets installers configure and log parameters remotely without returning to the boat. Complete system: $889. CM alone: $599. Additional ADMs: $585 each. Panbo's Ben Stein, who has done multiple alternator installs himself, put it plainly: "I think the preferred product and approach for alternator regulators just changed." (Source: Panbo / Ben Stein, June 24, 2026)

TZ iBoat 4 Comes to Android — Built From Scratch, Not Ported

TZ iBoat 4 by TIMEZERO launched June 8 on Google Play — and unlike previous Android navigation ports that struggled with performance, this is a native Android build from the ground up. Minimum requirements: Android 11 or higher, 4GB RAM. That native foundation unlocks real-time NMEA and AIS data connectivity via compatible Wi-Fi gateways — Digital Yacht published a dedicated guide for broadcasting instrument readings, engine data, and autopilot routes to Android devices running TZ iBoat. The app also includes comprehensive tide and current forecasting, localized rain radar overlays, and full offline map support for offshore passages. The redesigned interface is organized into dedicated purpose-built screens scoped to specific tasks, rather than the cluttered all-in-one chart view most navigation apps default to.

TZ iBoat 4 also syncs with the broader TIMEZERO ecosystem — TZ Navigator and TZ Professional PC software — making it a capable companion display for boaters already running TIMEZERO on a fixed chartplotter. Annual subscriptions run about 30% cheaper than monthly: Essential ($24.99/yr) — instrument connection, live AIS worldwide, autopilot integration. Premium ($84.99/yr) — advanced weather with high-resolution forecasts, rain radar, offline access. SportFishing ($334.99/yr) — SST, chlorophyll, currents, bathymetry. Core features — Anchor Watch, basic weather, Trip management, Smart Search — stay free on all tiers. Available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. (Source: Panbo / Ben Ellison, mytimezero.com — June 8, 2026)

To use TZ iBoat's real-time NMEA and AIS connectivity, you need a Wi-Fi gateway between your boat's instrument network and your phone or tablet. The Digital Yacht WLN10 ($212) is the plug-and-play solution — it converts your existing NMEA 0183 instrument feed to Wi-Fi, letting TZ iBoat receive live GPS, depth, wind, speed, and AIS data wirelessly on your Android or iOS device. No rewiring required. Connect it to your NMEA bus and the app finds it automatically.

Heron Mid-Season Checklist: What to Check Before July 4th Weekend

Two months in is when deferred maintenance catches up. Spring commissioning gets the attention, but late June is when battery corrosion sets in, oil hours pile up, and gear you meant to deal with in May starts to show. Check these before the holiday weekend.

• Battery terminals — corrosion is the #1 silent killer of mid-season charging systems.

• Navigation lights — test running lights, anchor light, and stern light before your next night run.

• Engine oil — check hours and level. Change if you're within 10 hours of your service interval.

• Bilge pump — activate manually and confirm the float switch triggers automatically.

• VHF radio / DSC — verify DSC registration and test the emergency channel. Your backup when everything else fails.

• Fire extinguisher — check charge gauge and service date. July 4th weekend means crowded water.

• Life jackets — count them, check the buckles, confirm one per person including guests.

• First aid kit — restock anything used since spring. Expired supplies don't help anyone.

• Engine blower (gasoline engines) — run it for at least 4 minutes before starting any gasoline inboard or sterndrive. Verify the blower is operational before every trip.

• Dock lines — inspect for chafe, UV degradation, and worn sections. A holiday weekend with heavy wakes is not the time to find out your lines are compromised.

• Anchor and rode — check chain, shackle pin, and line condition. Confirm it deploys and retrieves cleanly. Crowded anchorages on July 4th are not the place to discover a fouled windlass.

• Horn — test your sound-signaling device. It’s required by law and takes two seconds to verify. If it’s an aerosol horn, check the can is not empty.

• VHF Channel 16 — confirm your radio is scanning Ch. 16 whenever you’re underway. It’s the international distress and hailing frequency and the primary way the Coast Guard reaches you in an emergency.

• Fuel level — top off before the weekend. Marinas back up on July 4th and fuel docks get congested. Don’t be the boat calling for a tow with an empty tank.

• Sterndrive gear lube — check the level and condition at the drive unit. Milky or low gear lube signals water intrusion — a problem you want to find at the dock, not offshore.

Original Heron Marine Supply content.

On the Water: June 20, 2026

Garmin's new Signal VHF is here, and it cuts the clutter at your helm

Garmin just shipped its Signal VHF line, and the one we're stocking is the Signal 220 with a built-in AIS receiver. That built-in receiver is the part worth paying attention to. It pulls nearby vessel traffic onto a 3.5-inch color touchscreen without a separate AIS box wired into your dash. Add HD noise cancellation so the other end actually hears you over wind and engine, and you've got a cleaner, simpler helm.

If you've been running an older fixed-mount radio and piecing AIS together on the side, this is the upgrade that tidies the whole setup. It's $999.99 and in stock now.

Shop the Garmin Signal 220 VHF

New boat sales are soft. Here's what that means for you.

The NMMA's read heading into summer: new powerboat sales are down about 9% year over year, with pontoons and personal watercraft taking the hardest hit. Higher interest rates and cautious buyers are doing the work.

The flip side is the part that matters if you already own a boat. When people hold their boats longer, they upgrade what they have. Electronics, navigation, safety gear. That's where the money goes, and it's where we can help you get more out of the boat you're already running. Thinking about a chartplotter or sonar upgrade this season? Reach out and we'll match it to your make and model.

Summer's here. Run this safety check before you leave the dock.

The BoatUS Foundation put out its annual summer refresher, and the basics still save lives. Before your next trip:

• File a float plan so someone ashore knows where you're headed and when you'll be back.
• Check that you have a properly fitted life jacket for every person aboard.
• Look at expiration dates. Flares expire, and fire extinguishers need replacing 12 years after the manufacture date.
• Brief your guests before you leave, so someone besides you knows where the safety gear is.

It takes five minutes and it's the cheapest insurance on the water. If you need updated safety or navigation gear to back it up, we've got you.

The electric shift in marine isn't coming. It's here.

The Electric & Hybrid Marine World Expo just wrapped in Amsterdam with more than 150 technologies on display, from shore power and smart battery systems to AI-assisted navigation. The market behind it is growing fast and is projected to hit $8.5 billion by 2030.

Why we're watching it: this is what shapes the next few seasons of helm electronics. Smarter power management and better onboard intelligence are heading your way, and we'll make sure the gear we carry keeps pace.

That's the week. Questions on any of it, or want help speccing an upgrade for your boat? We're here.