MasterCraft Boat Holdings has announced that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will come to select pontoon boats, bringing smartphone-linked infotainment to on-water navigation for the first time. New models from its Crest and Balise sub-brands will launch with the feature from next month, extending phone-mirroring technology beyond cars and into a marine setting where standard road sat-nav apps are of little use.

The integration centres on Savvy Navvy, a marine navigation app that has built dedicated CarPlay and Android Auto versions offering 2D and 3D nautical charts, smart route planning, and search for marinas, harbours and anchorages. It also provides live ETA tracking, nearby boat traffic information and location sharing. Helm displays on all new Balise, Crest Conquest and Caribbean models will support the feature, with Savvy Navvy set as the default app and boat buyers also receiving Savvy Navvy Premium access; the app itself is separately available for any compatible marine display and is already downloadable on iOS and Android.