DBMIBS 2025: Digital Yacht’s NjordLINK developer friendly boat monitoring solution
Digital Yacht’s streak of specialized and interesting NMEA 2000 products continues with NjordLINK. NjordLINK is a $139 gateway that connects to a boat WiFi network and shares data from the NMEA 2000 network with Digital Yacht’s Njord cloud. But, NjordLINK and the Njord cloud aren’t just a one way repository of data. Digital Yacht plans an entire ecosystem of cloud apps that can alert the boat owner and send data back to the boat.
The basics of NjordLINK’s cloud system sound a lot like many other boat monitoring products. You buy a piece of hardware and install it on your boat. That hardware then sends data to a centralized cloud server and you can view the data from anywhere. But, there are a few pretty major departures from many boat monitors. First, NjordLINK itself doesn’t have sensors or circuits to monitor sensors. Instead, it connects to the NMEA 2000 network and reads what’s on the network. Second, although Digital Yacht’s app provides a familiar boat monitoring interface, that’s just the beginning of what you can do with NjordLINK.
With two-way communications between NjordLINK and the Njord Cloud plus an extensible approach that welcomes app developers, NjordLINK provides a platform on which a huge amount of functionality can be developed. The Njord Cloud is powered by Viam’s cloud technology. Viam’s secure cloud offers easy access to data, extensive data manipulation tools, and AI.
NjordLINK hardware does not have a cellular radio so you must provide internet access via WiFi. The hardware serves as a conduit between the boat’s NMEA 2000 network and the Njord Cloud. All communications are fully encrypted and bi-directional so cloud apps can control NMEA 2000 components like digital switching or raise an alert on the network. NjordLINK draws power from the NMEA 2000 network so installation consists of connecting it to a NMEA 2000 drop port.
NjordLINK’s reliance on NMEA 2000 may make some sensor data a little more challenging. For example, getting data about bilge pump runs onto a NMEA 2000 network requires some sort of run-indicator-module like those from Maretron and Yacht Devices. But, a lot of data including position, depth, and potentially weather are very likely to be found on the NMEA 2000 network and Digital Yacht’s approach avoids duplicating those sensors.
In another big departure from traditional boat monitoring systems, NjordLINK offers basic data for free. Additionally, access to electrical, engine, and tank data is available for $0.99 per data type per month. Full access to a rolling 12-months of boat data is $9.99 a month. Lastly, Digital Yacht promises the NjordLINK AnchorSAFE app will perform advanced calculations to ensure your anchored boat remains where you left it. They say it will warn of impending issues based on any anomalies detected by the app’s advanced calculations.
App choices aren’t limited to just those Digital Yacht publishes. The Njord Cloud is fully accessible to developers and Digital Yacht offers example applications in both Python and TypeScript. Developer access publicly available by submitting a developer request.
NjordLINK has just started shipping so application choices are a little limited currently limited. But, it will be interesting to see what the development community produces. In the meantime, especially for boats with well built-out NMEA 2000 networks, NjordLINK offers an excellent value and easy way to remotely view what’s happening on your boat.
As a DIY tinkerer, I don’t see any value in NjordLINK, but rather prefer the flexibility, expanded development options and data control, available community and DIY developed devices that a system like OpenPlotter/SignalK provides. And just as or for some more important, is that the cost is virtually nothing compare to commercial products and a paid subscriptions. That said, DIY is not for everyone, and I personally have pointed many boaters to a simpler plug and play solution. But this is not the case, it a middle ground for developers. Maybe it has value for professionals who provide regular paid service for those who view there services as a typical boating expense.
I initially was thinking the same thing when reading this, but I also have to acknowledge how many hours that I’ve sunk into playing around with Pis and SignalK, most of which has been just for the heck of it or to collect data for an article.
I have always appreciated Digital Yacht for cost effective solutions to digital boat problems, many of which compete against very expensive ecosystems from other companies. I feel like this product will have its market—especially for folks on a budget that want to tinker with their boat, but don’t want to go full Linux level of tinkering.
Also, once you add the cost of a Pi, a Can hat of some sort, an SSD, case, etc etc, the cost of the device + 1 year of cloud isn’t much more. Monthly fees are always rough for IoT unless it continues to grow, so hopefully the good folks at Digital Yacht don’t disappoint =).
I bought one of these about 6 months ago when it was reasonably discounted. Easy to install and thought I’d use it as an anchor watch device as that used to be free in the app. Well shortly after that, the anchor watch capability cost increased to $10/month which, imho, is way too much. The device is still installed on my boat but now the NjordLINK app crashes while trying to access my boat’s data. It’s all seems pretty useless.
Hi Evan,
Paul here from Digital Yacht.
You were a very early adopter and things have moved pretty quickly in the last 6 months. I am confident that we can get your unit and mobile app updated, to cure the crashing you have seen and allow you to start using the system as it is intended.
The $10/month was not just for the Anchor Watch, but also to allow you to store all of your NMEA 2000 data on the cloud for 12 months and get access to other apps as they are released.
Please raise a ticket on our support system at https://support.digitalyacht.co.uk/submit-ticket/ and I will personally get you up and running ASAP.
Best regards
PAUL
I’m interested in this device but couldn’t find on their website if alerts can be setup. It doesn’t do me any good to be able to realtime watch my n2k data if the device can’t alert me to abnormal conditions (ie. Too high/low voltage, temperature, excessive bilge pump activity). I downloaded the app but there is no way to demo the app without an account. This product has real potential but only if the app is properly able to alert me. Anyone know what the current status of the App is?
Hi William,
You have raised some interesting points here. Digital Yacht have long been an advocate of standard NMEA 2000 alerts and we introduced our NavAlert product 4 years ago which allowed a user to set a local alarm for any parameter on the NMEA 2000 bus. It just makes sense with all the extended monitoring and systems on board a vessel to have a simple alarm or alert just as you would do in an automobile or domestic situation of a problem issue. The NMEA organisation have made this a priority and based certification going forward on devices supporting alerts.
Of course, it takes a while for the industry to adopt a new standard and implement across new product lines – let alone rewrite software for older systems. However, DY do embrace the alerting standard as becoming a key industry enabler going forward.
Remote monitoring has also become a crowded place. Many users just want a simple “show where my boat is” type application whereas others want to be able to control and monitor, as well as historically analyse all boat data. Clearly one size doesn’t fit all. More importantly, not every boat has a solid internet connection or 24 x 7 connectivity even with marina wifi, 4G/5G or Starlink
We partnered with VIAM last year as their IOT platform is super sophisticated and cutting-edge – with AI and easy developer integration. What we also realised is that the boat should have an edge platform on board. By this, I mean, the ability to process data locally and then forward to the cloud as well as to be able to process data sent back onto the vessel.
To this end we recently expanded our cloud server range with the NjordLINK Plus solution which we’ve now rolled out to developers keen to experiment with the platform and build apps. The hardware is finished and the cloud and apps are starting. There’s many already building alerting based on standard PGNs and we’re keen to extend this for 2026. NjordLink Plus adds much more local processing power for new and exciting functionality, plus it has store and forward data capability and the ability to run local web applications on board the boat.
We’re very happy to receive ideas from Panbo enthusiasts, end users or developers. Exciting times…
Best regards
PAUL SUMPNER
Paul, from your reply can I assume that you are some how affiliated with Digital Yacht? If so why doesn’t DY make the app available for view pre-purchase with demo data? The hardware without understanding the available software is sort of meaningless. When do you expect NjordLINK Plus to be available?
I’ll let Paul field your other questions, but yes, Paul is the CTO of Digital Yacht.
-Ben S.
Hi William,
Yes, as Ben mentioned I am CTO at Digital Yacht.
Currently, our NjordLink App is being transitioned to work with our new NjordLink+ hardware, so I would not suggest that you try and download it now, but wait until Q1/2026 when we should have all of the parts in place.
The goal is that a boat owner will be able to fit a NjordLink+, configure a set of Alert conditions that they want to be made aware of and then receive push notifications on their app when one of the conditions occurs.
Once notified, they will be able to view the data in realtime on their mobile app or using their online Viam account.
So please be patient but be sure that the functionality you want is very close now.
Best regards
PAUL
Paul, ok good to hear. Will wait until 1Q26 to see the new app/features.