Issue #: 205
Published: January / February 2026
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Discovered at Metstrade and winner of the Dame Environmental Design Award, this module enables smart control of any electric bilge pump.
Electric bilge pumps? Something fitted to almost every multihull... Yet few owners know how they actually doing beneath the floor, how long they run for, or whether their flow rate is satisfactory. Bilge iQ, developed by Digital Yacht, provides a simple answer: it gives a clear reading of the system and, above all, anticipates potential failures.
The module is easy to install on an existing system, whether it is a conventional ON-OFF-AUTO panel with an integrated float switch or a fully manual circuit. Once fitted, Bilge iQ monitors operating cycles, records durations, and detects unusual variations. The aim is not to replace the pumps, but to provide a reliable and therefore actionable view of their activity.
Connectable via NMEA 2000, Bilge iQ allows the pump status to be displayed on your multifunction display and controlled via a standard switch. Alerts are generated according to NMEA protocols, which facilitates integration into an existing technical panel. The module is also compatible with Victron’s Cerbo GX systems, allowing bilges to be included in the overall monitoring of the multihull, either locally or remotely via the VRM platform.
A Wi-Fi interface completes the device. It provides access (from a tablet or smartphone) to detailed cycle history and actual pump consumption. At a glance, you can see if the pump is running too often, if it is straining, or if any abnormal behavior is occurring. With configurable alerts, monitoring becomes continuous, even when the multihull is at anchor or left alongside in harbor.

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