I am building Number Five because I want to shape my own boat technology. Charts, instruments, music, sonar and controls should work together—on hardware that suits my boat and my budget. I believe a change is happening: we can develop connected hardware with the same approach that has moved software forward for years. Build something useful, use it, share what we learn and improve the next version.
01
Every useful version counts.
An app changes over years. Its name stays while its controls, technology and capabilities grow. I want to bring that approach aboard. Charts on the display, shared audio controls and visible sonar echoes are useful results. Building a better version tomorrow does not take anything away from what works today.
02
Learn through use.
I want development to stay connected to reality: real data, actual installation and the people using the technology. An inaccessible screw, an awkward startup sequence or a missing control gives us a concrete next task. Experiments and measurements help. Experience from use matters just as much and feeds back into code, design and installation.
03
Software stays changeable.
When a software fault appears, I want to understand it, fix it and distribute the improvement. Updates, remote maintenance and a route back to a working version belong in the system design. A display should be able to receive a new app, the Pi a new service and a microcontroller new firmware. Depending on the device, that can happen through the local network or a maintenance connection.
Number Five already separates services from interfaces and records source revisions, device profiles and recovery recipes. I want to build distribution and recovery for further components on that foundation. That turns an individual fix into an improvement others can use too.
04
Use infrastructure that already exists.
I do not want to invent every component myself. A commercial cellular gateway can provide the maintenance connection. Established tools can distribute software and make devices reachable. Behind that connection, the Pi, displays and acquisition modules can evolve independently. That is the division of responsibilities I want: use existing infrastructure and put our energy into the functions we want aboard.
05
You choose how to build.
Want to be able to repair it yourself while travelling? Accessible connections, replaceable modules, screw connections and a build you understand matter. Want a compact installation designed around your boat? Custom circuit boards and commissioned assembly may be the right route. Being able to build it yourself also means being able to commission someone else to manufacture and install it.
Software can be updated; a poor solder joint needs work on the assembly. That is why the workshop belongs in this idea. Your priorities for repairability, space, appearance and fabrication determine which build suits you.
06
Build openly. Make a business of it too.
I share sources, circuits, designs and experience so others can build on them. AI is a tool that expands what we can do. BBN Marine OS, AvNav, Signal K, OpenCPN and the other open foundations are part of this story. An improvement aboard one boat can feed back into the shared building kit.
That can also support services and products: assembled boards, suitable enclosures, local sourcing, installation and maintenance. People who do that well should be able to earn money from it, under the applicable open licences. I want a building kit that lets many people shape their own solutions and benefit from each other’s work.