2027 Boat Screens Bring CarPlay and Android Auto

Boats are getting a phone-like screen, and the timing is 2027. Crest Marine and Balise Pontoons say their next models will support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Both brands sit under MasterCraft Boat Holdings. That puts a familiar phone interface into a very different setting.

Each boat will use a 7-inch display made for marine use. The screen can show the phone projection system next to boat-focused tools. That means a boater may see navigation apps, weather tools, and other on-water info in one place. The idea is not just to add a gadget. It is to bring phone-style tools into the boat's own control space.

The companies are also teaming with Savvy Navvy, a marine navigation app. The plan is to bring nautical charts, smart routing, GPS tracking, live weather, and tide data onto the same screen. That could make trip planning easier because more useful details may be close at hand. It also asks a useful question: should a boat screen show everything, or only what matters most right now?

For anyone using a boat, the key issue is focus. A single screen can be handy, but too much data could distract. What should stay visible while the boat is moving, and what should be saved for when it is stopped?