Recreational Boating and Marina Networks

Open water offers clear line of sight, low horizon clutter, and the ability to elevate antennas on a mast - all of which favor long-range LoRa links. (Note: the water surface itself causes reflections/multipath rather than low attenuation.) As a best-case over-open-water line-of-sight figure, a modest 6 dBi antenna at 10m above waterline may reach 20-40 km to similarly-equipped vessels; typical results are often lower and depend on the antenna height at both ends, sea state, and transmit settings.

Marina-to-Vessel Communications

Mesh networking could be used for dock communications where VHF radio is too public and cellular is unreliable when boats are in covered slips or channels.

• Slip status boards - Sensor nodes on dock pedestals reporting power usage or water connections
• Fuel dock coordination - Fuel dock attendant to harbormaster messaging without shouting or VHF
• Guest notification - Message guests in slips about marina events or maintenance shutdowns
• Pump-out requests - Environmental dock coordination

Vessel-to-Vessel Applications

Cruising fleets, sailing clubs, and buddy-boat passages use mesh for fleet coordination:

• Buddy boat position sharing - Real-time GPS position of all fleet vessels on a shared map, without AIS equipment costs
• Anchorage coordination - Communicate with other vessels in an anchorage when cell service is absent
• Race committee communications - Start line to mark boats without dedicated radio infrastructure
• Float plan check-ins - Mesh position sharing can supplement a float plan only within mesh coverage, but must not be relied on as the safety mechanism: out-of-range and in-distress look identical to a shore contact, and no rescue authority monitors the mesh. Mesh has no marine SOS function. For offshore safety use a registered EPIRB/PLB or a satellite messenger with true SOS, plus VHF Ch16/DSC.

Antenna Installation on Vessels

Marine mesh antenna installation differs from land installations:

• Masthead mount - Ideal for sailboats: 15-20m height, 360-degree view. As a best-case open-water figure requiring elevation at both ends, this may reach 30-50 km; typical results are lower. Use marine-grade stainless mounts and UV-stable cable ties. Route coax inside the mast where possible.
• T-top or hard top - Powerboats typically mount antennas on T-tops at 3-4m height; best-case calm-water line-of-sight range is around 10-15 km, though real range is often less.
• Pushpit or stern rail - Lower but easy to access; use vertical polarization and ensure clear view forward and aft.
• Connector weatherproofing - Marine environment is extremely corrosive. Use only marine-rated N-type or sealed SMA connectors; apply self-amalgamating tape over all outdoor connections; inspect annually.

Integration with Existing Marine Electronics

Using the serial module's NMEA mode, Meshtastic can output its own position (and other nodes' positions) as NMEA 0183 waypoints to a chartplotter, letting the boat's navigation display show mesh nodes alongside other targets. (Note: the node uses its own GPS module for its position; it does not source position from the boat's chartplotter GPS.)