The Dometic Story

At first glance, it may seem strange to see the Dometic name lined up next to marine product offerings.

When people first hear the name Dometic, it’s likely they think of a giant, multi-national manufacturer of heating and air conditioning, ventilation, sanitation systems, powered coolers, refrigerators, cooking systems, water heaters and other equipment for the RV, camping and outdoor markets.

A Little Historical Background

One of the reasons it makes perfect sense, of course, was Dometic’s December 2017 acquisition of SeaStar Solutions — a world leader with 76 years of history in marine steering, shift/throttle controls, trim tabs, jack plates and engine parts with a wide range of OEM and aftermarket sales channels. Even before this acquisition, SeaStar Solutions had crossed over into the marine electronics realm, offering autopilots, digital switching, advanced electronic shift/throttle controls capable of controlling multiple engines through a single binnacle, and a host of other high-tech systems capable of integrating through a boat’s NMEA 2000 digital backbone.

Teleflex Marine — which later became SeaStar Solutions — was a pioneer in discovering and demonstrating what NMEA2000 CANbus integration could bring to the boating industry. It goes back to the 2000 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, where Teleflex showed the industry, dealers and press the power of what was then a ‘futuristic’, digitally integrated concept boat.

Fast forward to today, and it’s easy to see how this digital revolution has changed the boating industry for the better. Today’s boats are no longer a hodgepodge of different OEM parts and components bolted onto the vessel, but rather a harmonious blend of ‘smart’ technologies that integrate in ways that would have seemed like science fiction not that many years ago.

“While we don’t manufacture radar, navigation systems or sonar technology, Dometic is becoming more and more an integral part of the marine electronics industry,” said Eric Fetchko, President of Dometic Marine. “With rapid changes in the boat-building industry and the changing expectations of tech-savvy boaters, our product offerings had to evolve to better meet the needs of the market. Many systems on today’s boats are ‘smart’ in one way or another, and integrate together for the benefit of the boater. We’ve seen this trend developing over the years, and recognised that joining NMEA would help foster our growth in this extremely important area of the boating market,” added Fetchko.

Another key reason for aligning with NMEA, added Fetchko, is the fact that NMEA-certified dealers and technicians are likely to be involved with the installation and rigging of the advanced Dometic systems being put on today’s boats. “We saw the need to support NMEA’s educational and training efforts, and become more closely involved with various stakeholders in the marine electronics industry. The products we provide are as much a part of a vessel’s integrated electronics package as any other onboard system,” said Fetchko.

The increasing number of Dometic Optimus steering and Optimus 360 Joystick systems being installed or retrofitted onto a range of multi-engine, outboard-powered boats clearly demonstrates this trend. Dometic’s Optimus technology integrates steering, shift and throttle functions to precisely move a vessel not only forward and back, but also sideways, using an intuitive joystick control. Twisting the joystick can even make the boat rotate on a dime — ideal for docking, retrieving/launching and other close-quarters maneuvers.

When combined with precision GPS positioning, this same integration of shift/throttle/steering can be used to hold fishing boats over a reef without having to drop the anchor. It can also be used in Drift Mode to help hold the vessel at a specific compass heading so anglers can deploy multiple lines more effectively.

Dometic also provides a SeaWays Autopilot that is a simple update to the Optimus 360 system using the CANtrak display. This essentially turns the electronic steering system into a fully functioning autopilot, eliminating the need for a separate, third-party autopilot. Since it can use the same heading and position sensor as the Optimus 360’s SeaStation GPS Anchor System, the boat builder and installer benefit from a simplified, streamlined system. The Optimus 360 can also be easily integrated with a third-party autopilot if that option is preferred.

Smart Systems Throughout the Vessel

It’s not just steering and engine controls that integrate with each other and onboard marine electronics display and sensors, but also other products that used to be considered stand-alone accessories. For example, Dometic’s new Adaptive Trim Tabs (launching to the Australian market in early 2022) use smart technology to provide boaters with new levels of ride control on a range of inboard or outboard powered vessels. The CAN-based intelligent actuator at the heart of this system empowers boaters to set modes like ‘Hole Shot’ that deploy the tabs based on engine RPMs, then slowly retract them to a desired position to plane the boat. This same integration allows for auto retract when the operator selects joystick mode, shifts into reverse or turns the key off. The editors of Boating Industry magazine recognised the significance of this product with a 2020 Top Products Award.

In today’s digital world, even a jack plate can be smart. Jack plates are used to raise or lower engine height on the transom to help with hole shot and allow vessels to run in shallow water. They are particularly popular with bass boats, flats boats and bay boats. Dometic debuted its new Mega Plate at the 2021 IBEX show, bringing this same control to bigger vessels powered by the largest, heaviest outboard motors. Mega Plate’s smart linear sensors allow it to integrate with Dometic Digital Switching technology, which is compatible with many HTML5 capable MFDs. This gives boaters complete control of multiple engine height positions with the touch of a finger right from their MFD display.

New Ways to Integrate

These are some selected examples of how the changing boating industry has influenced Dometic’s product innovations — and vice-versa. New breakthroughs will be coming in the near future, particularly in the area of digital switching technology, or Dometic Marine Digital Integration (MDI). Through MDI, Dometic offers OEM boat builder partners complete electrical system design and development services with a focus on vessel control and advanced battery management using new technologies and digital switching.

Dometic MDI currently integrates with a range of vessel control components, including Optimus electric steering, jack plates, engine trim and trim tabs, air conditioning and climate control

Dometic pages available through the HTML5 User Interface on compatible MFDs enable central control of digital switching, ride adjustment, interior/exterior lights, climate control, water and waste management, and much more. Dometic MDI currently supports MFDs from top builders like Garmin, Simrad and Lowrance, with future compatibility being developed for Humminbird and Raymarine

“This game-changing technology literally puts command of an entire vessel at the owner’s fingertips,” said Fetchko. “From pre-setting ride and steering parameters to dimming or changing the colour of cabin lights to help set a relaxing mood, the boater can do it all in one place with the touch of their finger. This is the future of boating, and we’re only beginning to discover what's possible. Dometic is committed to finding new ways technology can improve boat building while enhancing the overall boating experience for consumers.”

A New Name Helps Power Innovation

The purchase of SeaStar Solutions by Dometic came with the inevitable challenge of rebranding a company and product line that was already recognized and revered by the boating industry and consumers around the world. It was a process that worked its way through over about two years. In October 2019, SeaStar Solutions was officially rebranded as Dometic Marine and integrated into the Dometic Group.

This has evolved further since, with the 2021 introduction of the Dometic Outdoor Brand, which encompasses a wide range of product categories for the RV/camping, general outdoors and marine markets. This is how its marine products will be represented to the industry and consumers in sales and marketing materials and at retailers, shows and events.

Dometic Marine was incorporated into Dometic Outdoor Brand as the portfolio falls into its brand promise — Mobile Living Made Easy. The important thing is, while the names may have changed, the products themselves have continued to improve and evolve without pause. The same state-of-the-art design and manufacturing facilities SeaStar Solutions operated in Litchfield, Illinois, Vancouver, British Columbia and Pompano Beach and Stuart, Florida are continuing to develop and build new products for the marine industry. Even the legacy Mechanical Steering and Control Division in Limerick, Pennsylvania is launching sophisticated electronic steering and throttle controls in 2022.

You would think that a company that has been purchased and re-branded several times — Teleflex to SeaStar Solutions, SeaStar Solutions to Dometic Marine, Dometic Marine to Dometic Outdoor — could have some issues with stability. Nothing could be further than the truth. During 2021, in the midst of supply chain constraints and COVID-related challenges, team members in various North American manufacturing facilities celebrated 25-, 30- and even 40-year anniversaries with the company.

If anything, the pace of innovation and new product development has increased — not unexpected when an already successful company becomes part of a large international corporation with a great pool of talent, diverse product knowledge and the funds to invest in product development.