No Ecosystem Lock-in
Works with B&G, Raymarine, Simrad, and any other NMEA2000 standard instrument network. No Garmin chartplotter required.
Free Garmin Connect IQ App
Boat Telemetry
On Your Wrist
SailorData is a Garmin Connect IQ data field that bridges your NMEA2000 marine network — B&G, Raymarine, Simrad — directly to your Garmin smartwatch via a compact Bluetooth BLE bridge.
What you get
SailorData App Features
A dedicated Garmin Connect IQ data field built by a sailor, for sailors.
Tactical Bezel Display
The outer bezel visually indicates True Wind Angle (TWA) with a dark blue arrow, Apparent Wind Angle (AWA) with a light blue arrow, Bearing with an orange dot, and Rudder Angle with a gray bow. Choose between clean 3-field or 4-field screen layouts to suit your preferred display density.
Wind Shift Zones
Green and red arc markers on the bezel instantly highlight the best and worst wind direction zones for optimising tacks and gybes at a glance. Easily monitor your Cross Track Error with an toggleable visual indicator.
Full Data Suite
Display COG, SOG, STW, TWS, AWS, TWA, AWA, TWD, BRG, DTW, TTW, XTE, VMG, VMC, HDG, Rudder Angle and Depth. Three individual configurable number fields plus the dynamic visual bezel.
Easy Configuration
Adjust displayed fields, units, wind targets, and BLE bridge settings via the Garmin Connect IQ app or directly on compatible watch models. Configure and assign two distinct profiles tailored to different sailing or activity types.
OTA Bridge Updates
Update your BLE bridge firmware wirelessly over Wi-Fi. The bridge creates its own hotspot during update mode — no cables required.
In Action & Hardware
See the System in Action
Experience how the compact hardware bridge and smartwatch integration blend seamlessly on board.
3-Fields
4-Fields Cross
4-Fields Grid
Compatible Devices
SailorData on Your Watch
SailorData is compatible with a wide range of modern Garmin watches. Browse some of them below.
Hardware Required
The SailorData Bridge
The bridge translates your boat's NMEA2000 data and broadcasts it to your watch over Bluetooth. Choose your path.
DIY
Build It Yourself
For the electronics-minded sailor. Purchase an ESP32-S3 CAN-Bus board with NMEA2000 connector and flash the free firmware yourself.
Firmware
Free
- Requires ESP32-S3 CAN-Bus board
- Free firmware binary provided below
- Custom enclosure 3D model provided below
- If you want to support the project, consider buying me a coffee
Plug & Play
Pre-Assembled Unit
Fully assembled, tested, and housed in a fit for purpose enclosure. Plug directly into your NMEA2000 backbone and it works immediately.
Price
€190 + shipping
- Plug-and-play — works straight from the box
- Powered directly from the NMEA2000 network bus
- Standard NMEA2000 connector
Got Questions?
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know to get up and running with SailorData.
Garmin Watch & Data Field
SailorData supports a wide range of modern Garmin models including: fēnix series (including 6S Pro, 6S Sapphire, 6S Pro Dual Power, 7 series), epix (Gen 2) series, quatix series (including quatix 6X, quatix 6X Solar, quatix 6X Dual Power, quatix 7, 7 Pro, 7 Sapphire, 7X Solar, 8, 8 Pro), D2 Air X10, D2 Mach 1, D2 Mach 2 Pro, Approach S70 (42mm & 47mm), Approach S50, MARQ Aviator (Gen 2), MARQ Athlete (Gen 2) Carbon Edition, Forerunner 265, 265s, 570 (42 & 47mm), 945, 965, 970, tactix 7 series and tactix 8 AMOLED.
Phase 1 — Install the Data Field: Open the Garmin Connect IQ Store app on your smartphone. Search for "SailorData". Tap Download (you may need to accept permissions). Open the main Garmin Connect app and sync your watch to transfer the data field.
Phase 2 — Enable on your watch: Press the Start/Stop button to open the Activities list. Select the activity you want to customise (e.g. Sailing) but don't start the timer. Press and hold the Up/Menu button and select Settings → Data Screens → Add New. Select the 1-field layout box, scroll to Connect IQ, and choose SailorData. Press Back repeatedly to save.
Method 1 — Via Connect IQ Store app: Open the Connect IQ app → My Device → My Data Fields → SailorData → Settings. Adjust display, wind target, and NMEA2000 BLE bridge settings. Tap Save, then sync your watch in the Garmin Connect app.
Method 2 — On-watch settings menu: Go to the activity profile, press Up/Menu → Settings → Connect IQ Settings → SailorData. Note: Wind target and BLE bridge settings cannot be changed here, but you can check the firmware version of the bridge.
The three configurable number fields can show: COG (Course Over Ground), SOG (Speed Over Ground), STW (Speed Through Water), TWS (True Wind Speed), AWS (Apparent Wind Speed), TWA (True Wind Angle), AWA (Apparent Wind Angle), TWD (True Wind Direction), BRG (Bearing to waypoint), DTW (Distance To Waypoint), TTW (Time To Waypoint), XTE (Cross Track Error), VMG (Velocity Made Good), VMC (Velocity Made Good to Course), HDG (Heading), Depth, and Rudder Angle.
In addition, the dynamic visual bezel displays TWA (dark blue arrow), AWA (light blue arrow), BRG (orange dot), Rudder Angle (gray bow) and toggleable visual XTE indicator plus green and red tactical wind shift zone markers.
Profiles allow you to save different data screen layouts (such as "3-field / 4-field", "XTE Indicator on/off", or "selection of data fields") and switch between them easily.
To configure them, open the Connect IQ settings on your phone or watch, configure the display parameters under "Profile 1" or "Profile 2".
Then select the active profile in the ConnectIQ settings on your watch for the selcted Activity. You can assign the SailorData data field to munltiple Activities. Each Activity can have one of the two profiles assigned, so that you always have the right layout for your Activity.
A visual badge on the display shows you which profile is selected. The badge disapears as soon as you start the timer of the Activity.
There are two ways to switch between display layouts:
1. You can use the Lap button on your watch to cycle through available display layouts during an activity. This requires that you enable the feature in the Connect IQ app settings.
2. Alternatively, in the Connect IQ settings on your watch, you can quickly switch between two different display layouts for the same activity by using the profile switching functionality.
You can enable Offline Demo mode through the Connect IQ app settings on your phone. In the SailorData settings, toggle "Enable Offline Demo Mode" to true and save. Your watch will run a local simulation of speed, depth, and wind data without requiring a connection to the hardware bridge.
The SailorData Garmin application supports a wide range of real-time marine telemetry fields. To display these values on your wrist, your vessel's NMEA2000 network must have the corresponding physical sensors installed to broadcast the data to the bridge.
| Data Field / Metric | Speed Sensor (Paddlewheel) |
Wind Transducer (Masthead Unit) |
Depth Sounder |
Compass (Heading) |
GPS Chartplotter |
Rudder Sensor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STW (Speed Through Water) | ✔️ | — | — | — | — | — |
| AWA & AWS (Apparent Wind) | — | ✔️ | — | — | — | — |
| TWA & TWS & TWD (True Wind)¹ | ✔️ | ✔️ | — | (✔️) | — | — |
| Depth | — | — | ✔️ | — | — | — |
| HDG (Heading) | — | — | — | ✔️ | — | — |
| SOG & COG (GPS Metrics) | — | — | — | — | ✔️ | — |
| VMG & VMC (Velocity Made Good)² | ✔️ | ✔️ | — | — | ✔️ | — |
| BRG & DTW & TTW & XTE (Waypoint navigation) | — | — | — | — | ✔️ | — |
| Rudder Angle | — | — | — | — | — | ✔️ |
¹ True Wind (TWA/TWS) calculation is a vector calculation that requires both a Speed Through Water (STW) paddlewheel sensor and a Wind Sensor. If STW is unavailable, it falls back to using GPS Speed Over Ground (SOG), though this will not account for tidal currents. The Heading (Compass) sensor is only required for the True Wind Direction (TWD) calculation in addition to the other sensors required for True Wind calculations.
² VMG and VMC calculations depend on active waypoint navigation and route details received from your GPS / Chartplotter.
SailorData Hardware Bridge
Installation is a simple plug-and-play process:
- Insert a T-connector into your existing NMEA2000 network backbone.
- Connect a drop cable to the open port on the T-connector.
- Plug the other end of the drop cable into the SailorData Bridge.
The bridge is powered directly by the NMEA2000 network. As soon as it is plugged in it powers on and begins broadcasting. Open an activity on your Garmin watch with the SailorData field enabled — it will connect automatically and your live vessel data will appear.
Phase 1 — Download latest firmware: Download the latest firmware binary file for the SailorData Bridge to your phone or computer.
Phase 2 — Trigger update mode: With SailorData running on your watch, open the Connect IQ app on your phone and navigate to the SailorData settings. Enable "Enable OTA update of the SailorData Bridge" and tap Save. The data field will stop updating, confirming it has entered update mode. If the data field continues to update normally, tap the Save button in the mobile app a second time.
Another way of triggering update mode is to use an app like nRF Connect: Connect to "SailorData Bridge", find the characteristic which allows to Write (8ce53270-a68f-4577-b066-0bade7159b02), write the UTF8 string "OTA" and the bridge disconnects, confirming it has entered update mode.
The third way is to open the enclosure of the bridge and press the SW2 button for 1 second while the bridge is powered on. The red LED turns on once the bridge is in update mode.
Phase 3 — Upload firmware: The bridge will restart and broadcast a temporary Wi-Fi network:
Network name: SailorData-Bridge (firmware version prior 1.0 used 'N2K-BLE-BRG-UPDATE')
Password: sailordata (firmware version prior 1.0 used 'update')
Connect your phone or computer to this network. Open a browser and go to http://sailordata.local or http://192.168.4.1. Select your firmware file and confirm the upload. Do not close the browser or power off the bridge during upload — it restarts automatically when complete.
The bridge has a LED indicator that provides status information:
- Flashing Green: Bridge is receiving NMEA2000 data from the NMEA2000 network.
- Flashing Blue: Bridge is waiting for a Watch to connect.
- Solid Blue: A Watch is connected.
- Solid Red: The Bridge is in OTA mode.
Receiving NMEA2000 data (flashing green) but no Watch is connected (flashing blue):
Receiving NMEA2000 data (flashing green) and a Watch is connected (solid blue):
As the LED's on the board are super close together, it is not always easy to distinguish between the different states.
When you open the enclosure, you will find two buttons:
- SW1: Pressing this button will restart the bridge.
- SW2: Pressing this button will put the bridge in OTA mode.
In case you don't have access to a boat with NMEA2000 data, you can use the built-in simulator of the SailorData bridge to generate test data.
Step 1: Enable Live Monitor With SailorData running on your watch, open the Connect IQ app on your phone and navigate to the SailorData settings. Enable "Enable debug web monitor on the SailorData Bridge" and tap Save.
Step 2: Connect to the Bridge The bridge will broadcast a temporary Wi-Fi network:
Network name: SailorData-Bridge
Password: sailordata
Connect your phone or computer to this network. Open a browser and go to http://sailordata.local or http://192.168.4.1. You can then use the web interface to monitor live NMEA2000 data from the NMEA2000 network and/or enable the simulator.
Step 3: Enable Simulator In the web interface, click the "Simulate NMEA2000" switch. The bridge will now generate simulated NMEA2000 data and broadcast it to your watch. It will stop processing real NMEA2000 data from the NMEA2000 network.
Step 4: Disable the web server The purpose of the web server is to provide a simple interface for temporary monitoring and controlling the bridge. Once you have completed your testing, you should disable the web server by clicking the DISABLE button to prevent interference and improve performance. The bridge will restart with the web server disabled. The bridge always starts with the web server disabled.
The bridge uses protocols and connections designed to be compatible with the NMEA2000® standard, however it is not formally certified by the National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA). "NMEA2000" is used solely to describe technical compatibility.
Because this device lacks formal NMEA2000 certification, its use within any marine network is at the user's own risk. I accept no liability for network disruptions, data errors, or damage to other connected electronics. By installing the device you acknowledge this and accept full responsibility.
Order or Get in Touch
Order a pre-assembled bridge unit, ask a technical question, or get help with your DIY build.