SignalK Plugin Setup

Connect your vessel to HelmWatch in under 5 minutes. The SignalK plugin streams sensor data from your boat to the cloud for real-time monitoring, alerts, and AI assistance.

Requirements

SignalK Server	v2.0.0 or later
Node.js	v18 or later (included with SignalK)
Internet	WiFi or LTE connection from the vessel
HelmWatch Account	Free trial or active subscription

Installation steps

Install the plugin

Open your SignalK server admin interface (usually at http://your-boat:3000). Go to Appstore, search for "helmwatch", and click Install.

Create a vessel on HelmWatch

Sign in to your HelmWatch account and create a new vessel. You will receive an API key — copy it, you will need it in the next step.

Configure the plugin

In SignalK, go to Server → Plugin Config → HelmWatch. Paste your API key and set the cloud endpoint URL.

{
  "apiKey": "hw_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
  "endpoint": "https://api.helmwatch.ai/v1/ingest",
  "interval": 30,
  "paths": [
    "navigation.position",
    "navigation.speedOverGround",
    "navigation.courseOverGroundTrue",
    "electrical.batteries.*",
    "environment.inside.temperature",
    "environment.wind.*",
    "tanks.*"
  ]
}

Verify the connection

Enable the plugin and check the HelmWatch dashboard. You should see sensor data appearing within 30 seconds. The plugin status indicator in SignalK will show a green checkmark when connected.

Supported SignalK paths

HelmWatch can ingest any SignalK path. These are the most commonly configured paths:

Navigation

navigation.positionnavigation.speedOverGroundnavigation.courseOverGroundTruenavigation.headingTruenavigation.anchor.*

Electrical

electrical.batteries.house.voltageelectrical.batteries.house.currentelectrical.batteries.starter.voltageelectrical.solar.*

Environment

environment.inside.temperatureenvironment.outside.temperatureenvironment.wind.speedApparentenvironment.wind.angleApparentenvironment.outside.pressure

Tanks & Bilge

tanks.fuel.*tanks.freshWater.*tanks.blackWater.*bilge.*

Engine

propulsion.*.revolutionspropulsion.*.temperaturepropulsion.*.oilPressurepropulsion.*.exhaustTemperature

Frequently asked questions

How often does data get sent?

The default interval is 30 seconds, which balances data freshness with bandwidth usage. You can configure this from 10 seconds to 5 minutes depending on your connectivity.

How much bandwidth does it use?

A typical payload is 1-3 KB per transmission. At 30-second intervals with 10 sensors, that is roughly 3-6 MB per day. Well within typical marine LTE or satellite plans.

What happens when I lose internet?

The plugin queues data locally and sends it when connectivity returns. Your SignalK server continues logging data regardless of cloud connectivity.

Can I choose which sensors to send?

Yes. The paths configuration lets you specify exactly which SignalK paths to transmit. You can use wildcards (e.g., electrical.batteries.*) or specific paths.

Does it work with NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000?

Yes, through SignalK. SignalK acts as the translation layer — it converts NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000 data into a standard format that HelmWatch ingests.

Is the data encrypted?

Yes. All data is transmitted over HTTPS (TLS 1.2+). The API key authenticates your vessel. Data at rest is encrypted on HelmWatch servers.