Update AyeAye® technical progress & new beta test team introduction

Ordering the parts for the Beta AyeAye®s has been quite a task because, due to the current crisis, parts are sometimes scarce or very pricey. Sometimes a part is no longer produced and we have to look for an alternative. But we can breathe a sigh of relief because the entire order list has been ticked off. In some cases, we were therefore even able to implement some upgrades already, like a faster processor, for example. So maybe luck in disguise after all!

For this comparably small batch of products, we still do the assembly ourselves in our new technical workplace which is currently under construction at METIP. It is important to do the assembly as much as possible in a controlled environment, for instance to avoid EMP damaging parts (electrostatic charge). This new workplace is also located in Den Helder and in front of the door is a possibility to moor our own test ship or even the ships of our beta testers for technical maintenance or installation work. We are of course extremely happy about that.

Then there is news about the casing of the AyeAye®, at least as far as the beta is concerned. The current AyeAye® is made of aluminium. For the beta test batch we are currently producing, we are using a dedicated 3D printer in the meantime, which will make some beautiful cases for us out of bioplastic. For the quantities we are currently producing, this gives us a bit more flexibility. Moreover, the delivery time of the current aluminium variant is at least 12 weeks. We absolutely did not want to wait for this any longer and decided to take matters into our own hands.

Incidentally, this also gives us an immediate opportunity to experiment with reusing waste plastic for example, a sustainable direction we want to explore anyway. So the case will have a different look than you are used to from us now, but we promise to make something beautiful out of it. We will do our best to provide the beta testers with the much-promised AyeAye® as soon as possible!

We are incredibly happy with the number of brave sailors who have signed up for our beta test, so we would like to regularly introduce you to the people who are helping us make AyeAye® even better, so we can get to market as soon as possible. The next beta team that will soon sail under the AyeAye® flag consists of Marjolaine and Sander from the sailing ship Maris:

“We are Marjolaine and Sander and we have been living on Maris, a 48ft Northcaper, for two years now. We discovered while sailing what we like about living on a sailboat and that is, above all, taking our time to have a good look around everywhere. At first, we thought we would go on a long holiday for two years, but we like it so much that we are now underway with no end date.

Marjolaine works as a psychologist from the boat to fill the ship’s treasury and I do all the maintenance and repairs myself to make sure the pennies don’t run out too quickly either. We are now in Lisbon and will spend the winter in the Algarve. Next year we want to go to Madeira and the Azores, but our schedule sometimes changes so it could be something completely different.

We are very happy to have been selected as beta testers for AyeAye®. Sometimes things break on a boat and then they are replaced but it is often a bit of a balancing act between wanting the latest technology but still having it work together with the older stuff on board.

I hope AyeAye® will become the central point where everything comes together in an orderly fashion. We are also very curious about the autopilot function of the AyeAye®, the autopilot is used a lot here on board and with AyeAye® added we will soon have two. We would then like to use mainly the AyeAye® and the other as a backup. I can already see myself lying on deck in the sun and sending a small course correction to the system.

Then there is the anchor guard which we are very curious about. There are plenty of apps for the phone but in our steel boat, the phone has no GPS reception in our sleeping cabin. To be able to check whether the boat is still in a good position anywhere, in the bedroom or from the terrace in the village seems like a great luxury.

Furthermore, I think it will be great fun to see what else we can use the AyeAye® for with the programmable relays. Who knows what I will soon be able to do via an app, instead of lifting a mattress and turning a lever. We’d love to keep you posted in the future about our adventures and in what ways AyeAye® has made our lives easier.”