We bought name-brand Sony XS-MP1611 'marine certified' speakers for the boat in 2023. By this season the cones had completely deteriorated — a cautionary tale about what 'marine' on the box actually guarantees.
Pass
When the batteries are full and the sun is still working, we dump the surplus into the water heater — free hot showers from power that had nowhere else to go. Here is the automation that runs it.
Our anchor light switches itself on at sunset and off at sunrise — legal every night without a second thought. Here is the simple automation behind it.
We compared Paddle North's 10ft Loon's Nest to the Sunchill. Two differences stand out — a ring you can actually sit on, and screw-down mounts for drink holders and GoPros — plus a tough rub rail and an overpressure valve built to last.
Worth it
Cheap, disposable, and exactly what you want the moment someone catches a splinter. We keep Splinter Out on the boat, in the RV, and at home.
Goodkit approved
The tracking and anchor alarm we built for WhereIsOurBoat have run our own boat from the Dominican Republic to the BVI. The feature we love most: an anchor alarm you can set from your phone on shore.
A full season on our outboard, one accidental night on the seabed in 15 feet of water, and it still works perfectly. Here is our take on the Show Me Your Dinghy light.
Goodkit approved
Free marine solar sizing calculator. Daily energy need + peak sun hours + realistic loss factors → recommended panel wattage. Tuned to what we actually see on Yoto in the tropics.
Free marine battery bank sizing calculator. Plug in daily Wh consumption, days of autonomy, and chemistry — get the right bank size in Ah. The same calculator we use on Yoto.
Free marine DC fuse size calculator using ABYC E-11 standards. Sizes fuses for continuous, intermittent, motor, and inverter loads — and warns if your wire can't safely handle the fuse.
Free marine DC wire size calculator using ABYC E-11 standards. Enter current, distance, voltage, and acceptable drop — get the right AWG every time. The same calculator we use on Yoto.
Three years with the Yacht Devices YDNR-02 NMEA 2000 Wi-Fi router on our boat. Reliable, simple to configure, zero drift. The only catch: the company is opaque about its origins.
Goodkit approved
The best portable fan for a boat or RV: the Koonie rechargeable clip-on runs all night on one charge, clamps anywhere, and never touches your house bank. Two years aboard.
Goodkit approved