70 | Technology solutions for any size vessel Bay Electronics offers a full package including sales, support, and installation, for any kind of boat, whether it’s a trailer boat, launch, super yacht or container ship. Bay Marine Electronics T T Virginia Wright “A lot of the systems are appbased now, so for example, you can monitor your boat from your phone and know it’s not sinking.” CONTRACTING When Michael Wohnsiedler bought specialist business Bay Marine Electronics and moved to Tauranga from Gisborne with his family in 2018, he already had a strong working relationship with them. Michael has been in the electrical and mechanical side of the marine industry for over 25 years, having begun with a DC Electrical apprenticeship in the port-based town of Gisborne. The apprenticeship involved working with electronic devices and systems, whether in cars, machinery, or forestry equipment, and they also did a lot of work in the commercial marine industry. Michael has been enjoying using his skills in that industry ever since. Having to stay across the new technology that emerges every couple of years keeps things interesting, he says. “You’ve got to evolve with it to keep up with what it is, what it does, how it works, how to fix it, and how it best suits different people and situations.” Michael has turned what had previously been a business largely based on sales, with some in-house servicing, into a business that offers more of a full package including sales, support, and installation, for any kind of boat, whether it’s a trailer boat, launch, super yacht or container ship. They work on electronics, entertainment systems, communication systems, internet connectivity, external monitoring of the boat and so on. “The size of the boat doesn’t really matter. They’ve all got systems we can assist with and provide complete solutions for. A lot of the systems are app-based now, so for example, you can monitor your boat from your phone and know it’s not sinking,” he says. Bay Marine Electronics is based between two marinas in Tauranga and only minutes from the container port, which makes it easy to meet with owners on board to scope out a job and discuss the best way to achieve what they need. Michael’s team of five technicians often combine the depth of their individual experience when it comes to finding the right solution for a job, understanding that the demands placed on vessels undertaking an ocean crossing, hundreds of kilometres from land, will be different from those on a boat puttering around the Bay of Plenty. The advent of Starlink and the likes over the last few years, offering internet connectivity, has transformed that part of the market. VSat systems used to have an entry-level price tag of around $30,000 for a monthly connection plan, meaning only a select few (super yachts, commercial ships etc.) could afford it. “Now you’re spending more like $300, so it’s much more within the reach of your recreational boat owners, for example,” says Michael. The team’s expertise means they have established relationships with suppliers of satellite technology, such as Global Marine Technology, and last year worked with them to install a satellite internet connection system for Riviera Boats on the Gold Coast. Bay Marine Electronics keeps up with the latest offerings from key brands such as Garmin, Furuno, Simrad and Marine Electronics. They are also the only certified installers of AIRMAR Technology transducers in New Zealand, having travelled overseas specifically to do the training. Having a certified installer automatically gives an additional warranty benefit and offering that service is part and parcel of Bay Marine Electronics’ determination to be at the top when it comes to sales, service and installation in their specialist sector of the marine industry. GETCONNECTED 09 553 7424 | www.gmts.io •Project Management •Hire an ITO/ETO for a day •IT & Cyber Security Audits •AV, IT, Cellular & Satellite Systems •Starlink, OneWeb & VSAT Experts •Refits and Newbuild
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