In the last decade, more boaters have changed the way they spend time on the water. They don’t head out for a week or even a weekend anymore. They boat one afternoon at a time, preferring to return to the docks when the sun sets. This change in boating habits has caused a surge in the demand for day boats. And yet, even though these owners are on the water for shorter periods, they still hope to bring the comforts of home—and the comforts of a more traditional cruising vessel—with them to the local sandbar for an afternoon.
This change in cruising habits has brought creative thinking in the way boats are equipped and powered. There’s plenty of new technology, including what is produced in the Mobile Power Solutions (MPS) division at Dometic Marine— a major supplier of everything from climate control and refrigeration to steering systems. Essentially, Mobile Power Solutions encompass the generation and management of power and a range of products that run on electricity and function efficiently on boats without generators.
“We’re focusing on day boats that don’t have a genset, as well as those that do, but the user experience could be much improved by its removal,” says Duane Pinkston, vice president and general manager of Dometic’s Mobile Power Systems. “For example, the ability to have air conditioning for a full day on the water without a genset can make a difference in the way a family enjoys boating.”
He recalls one customer from Texas who had a 32-footer with no genset. MPS-compliant air conditioning and refrigeration allowed his family to be comfortable during a hot day on the water. “The owner told us about his daughter, and how she was able to go down into the cabin and remain cool and hydrated while doing her phone thing,” says Pinkston. “He was just happy to be able to get his daughter out on the boat.”
Mobile Power Solutions are part of Dometic’s larger electrification strategy. The company is working to develop clean, sustainable solutions to replace emissions-producing internal combustion engines with lighter, more powerful, longer-lasting batteries.
MPS is tethered to Dometic’s Marine Gateway, an internet-based telematics system that can monitor and control onboard devices through a multifunction display or smart phone app. To develop and grow MPS, Dometic made several strategic acquisitions over the last few years—Enerdrive, NDS, Balmar, Go Power and Zamp Solar, among them. “These are aimed squarely at the mobile power solutions space for the RV and marine markets,” says Pinkston. Enerdrive and NDS make lithium batteries, chargers and inverters while Balmar is a longtime maker of alternators. Go Power and Zamp Power are suppliers of mobile solar panels and systems. Their collective engineering and manufacturing power is now part of the Dometic Marine family.
Dometic has an advantage when it comes to understanding the power demands of onboard devices that require lots of electricity because it manufactures those systems. Any device that changes the temperature or climate in a space consumes lots of juice. “As the provider of many of the key loads on a boat, including steering and air conditioning, Dometic is uniquely positioned to create a complete power system that elevates the user experience with increased comfort, usability and safety,” says Pinkston.
At the heart of MPS are lithium-ion batteries and a charging system that keeps them properly juiced. While these products can function without a generator, that’s not always the end game. “The primary goal is to make the user-experience more comfortable,” says Pinkston. That being said, if a generator or genset can be eliminated, there are benefits for the boat manufacturer. For instance, MPS simplifies rigging because the generator and fuel delivery system are eliminated. So is the exhaust when a boat is at anchor.
MPS products are best suited for boats sized from 28 feet to the mid-40-foot range. “It all comes down to the energy consumed on the boat,” says Pinkston. “What are the loads and what are the boat owner’s expectations? We want to give owners the power they need to run everything from AC to trolling motors and ice boxes.”
In smaller boats, accessories can occasionally be exposed to spray. For that reason, the batteries for MPS are IP67 rated, which means they can be installed in areas that are compliant with American Boat & Yacht Council standards for “wet” locations. A battery with this rating can be submerged briefly without being damaged. “We want products to just work and if you think about a typical inverter-charger-based system, if it’s not weather-proof for a smaller boat, that can become an issue,” says Pinkston. “We’re looking to ruggedize the systems in new ways.”
Dometic designs MPS products to use less power. The Voyager line of air conditioners, for example, has variable speed compressors. These units can dial back the speed once a desired temperature is reached in a given part of the boat. “Because we have an understanding of the power requirements on a boat, we can help boaters manage electric power use without constant intervention,” says Pinkston. “That’s one less thing for the owner to worry about.”
MPS products can be controlled on a multifunction display or via a smartphone app.
“We’re looking at all the Dometic products and having them communicate,” adds Pinkston. “We can do it automatically or we can give the boat operator the option to manage it.”
MPS was designed from the start to be a “smart” system. For instance, if the charge on a battery is starting to get down below 30 percent, it can take over recharging. “MPS protects the batteries, can operate automatically or will ask the operator for input.” The user can also get alerts about battery power for cabin temperature and other parameters.
Of course, there are systems better suited for a conventional genset, especially on larger yachts. But some boaters may want to couple MPS products with a generator and Dometic’s secondary high-power alternators, in a hybrid program. Boat owners can then enjoy a meal and a good night’s sleep without the noise and smell from the genset.
To support the expansion of the MPS product line, Dometic expanded its facility in Huntsville, Alabama, to accommodate what Pinkston calls the Engineering Center of Excellence for MPS. “We’ve hired more engineers,” he says. “Throughout Dometic, we’re becoming more of a software company.”
Dometic is upgrading its test labs at the Engineering Center of Excellence for MPS and developing a design center for components. “We’ll be developing a system test lab where we can emulate an actual boat. We call it ‘boat on a board,’ and with all the boat, load and MPS data, we can test and improve systems to provide more peace of mind to our customers.”
Pinkston says there’s an evolution taking place. Boaters and builders alike are becoming more confident in lithium-powered systems and recognize the potential to feel even more comfortable on the water. This commitment to technological development could hasten an important sea change for the industry.
February 2025
