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Spectra Connect watermaker setup

Connect BoatKit to a supported Spectra Connect controller, verify the live controller state, and configure a fresh-water tank safeguard before using Tools > Watermaker for normal operation.

A Connected status means BoatKit can communicate with the controller. It does not mean the watermaker is commissioned or ready to run.

warning

Starting from BoatKit is a remote start at the watermaker. It can damage the equipment or vessel if storage chemicals remain in the system, valves or seacocks are in the wrong position, feed water is unavailable, or product-water or discharge routing is unsafe.

Follow the current Spectra manual for your exact model and firmware. Complete Spectra's commissioning, flushing, product-water, seacock, pressure, and maintenance procedures independently of BoatKit. Do not run the watermaker unattended.

Supported controllers​

BoatKit does not currently publish a model and firmware compatibility matrix. Treat a controller as usable only after:

  • BoatKit reports it as connected.
  • The displayed model and status identify the expected controller.
  • BoatKit recognizes the live Spectra Connect pages and the exact control labels required for an action.

Use Spectra's official manual and download search to find the current instructions for your exact model and firmware. A network connection by itself does not establish compatibility or operating readiness.

Before you start​

You need:

  • Administrator access to BoatKit.
  • A Spectra Connect controller reachable from BoatKit over the vessel's local network.
  • The controller's local hostname, IPv4 or IPv6 address, or an explicit WebSocket URL.
  • A correctly installed and calibrated fresh-water tank-level source in BoatKit if you want fill-to-percent automation or the high-level stop safeguard.
  • An operator at the watermaker with immediate access to its local or physical controls for the supervised test.

BoatKit does not automatically discover the controller during this setup. Obtain its local address from the vessel's network configuration or the controller's documentation. Keep the controller on a trusted local network and do not expose it to the public internet.

Connect the controller​

  1. Open Settings > Integrations.

  2. Add Spectra Connect, or open the existing Spectra Connect integration.

  3. Turn on Spectra Connect enabled.

  4. Enter and save the controller's local address in Spectra Connect address.

    BoatKit accepts a local hostname, IPv4 or IPv6 address, or an explicit ws:// or wss:// URL. A bare hostname or address uses an unencrypted WebSocket connection on port 9000.

  5. Wait for STATUS to show Connected.

  6. Check MODEL and the reported status. Then open Tools > Watermaker and confirm that the model, connection state, controller page, and mirrored controller information correspond to the expected watermaker.

  7. Before pressing any control, compare BoatKit with the controller's own screen. The current state and the control labels relevant to the intended action must agree.

BoatKit refuses supported actions when it cannot safely recognize the controller page or expected control label. Do not work around that protection by exposing the controller to another network or repeatedly sending commands.

Select the fresh-water tank​

BoatKit uses the selected tank reading for fill-to-percent runs and the high-level stop safeguard.

  1. Return to the Spectra Connect integration under Settings > Integrations.
  2. Under Fresh Water Tank, select the physical tank that receives product water from this watermaker.
  3. Confirm that the selection shows an active percentage rather than inactive.
  4. Verify the tank identity at the vessel and confirm that the reading moves in the correct direction as the tank fills.
  5. Verify the sensor's calibration using the approved procedure for that tank sensor or monitoring system. Check the displayed percentage immediately before the supervised test; do not rely on an old or implausible reading.

If only one fresh-water tank is available and no selection has been saved, BoatKit can use that tank automatically. You should still confirm its identity, active state, direction, calibration, and current reading before relying on automation.

If Fresh Water Tank is not shown, BoatKit does not currently have a fresh-water tank source available to this integration. Configure and verify the tank-level equipment before attempting tank-based automation.

Set and test the stop safeguard​

The Always stop watermaker above setting applies to any run BoatKit observes, not only a fill-to-percent run. New Spectra Connect integrations default to 95%, but that value is not guaranteed to be safe for every tank or installation.

  1. Set Always stop watermaker above to a conservative vessel-specific level below the point at which the tank could overfill. Allow margin for calibration uncertainty and delayed or unavailable readings.
  2. Do not enter 0 to disable the safeguard. Zero is an active 0% threshold. While the selected tank reading is active, it prevents BoatKit from starting a run.
  3. Complete the model-specific Spectra readiness checks before testing.
  4. With an operator at the controller, begin a controlled run that should reach the configured threshold without approaching a full tank or another unsafe condition.
  5. Watch both Tools > Watermaker and the controller. Confirm that BoatKit requests a stop at the threshold and that the controller actually stops production.
  6. If the stop is not confirmed, use the controller's local or physical controls immediately. Record the BoatKit status and error before retrying.

This test verifies BoatKit's integration safeguard. It does not replace Spectra commissioning or the controller's own protections.

Confirm it is working​

Before normal operation, confirm all of the following:

  • The integration reports Connected and identifies the expected controller.
  • Tools > Watermaker shows live controller status rather than stale or missing information.
  • The controller page and visible labels in BoatKit agree with the controller's own screen.
  • The BOATKIT TANK name and percentage correspond to the intended physical tank.
  • AUTO-STOP ABOVE shows the threshold you selected.
  • A supervised test demonstrated that the controller actually stopped when requested.

Connection, tank data, and operating readiness are separate checks. Passing one does not establish the others.

Normal operation​

Use Tools > Watermaker for monitoring and normal control. Use Settings > Integrations only for the network address, tank source, and safeguards. To assign a friendly name or control normal selector visibility, use Settings > Equipment > Watermakers.

BoatKit exposes several kinds of controller actions:

  • Hours and Gallons use the controller's Auto Run flow. Gallons writes to the controller's U.S.-gallon quantity field, regardless of other volume units displayed elsewhere in BoatKit.
  • Tank % starts a controller Auto Run with a 12-hour limit while BoatKit watches the selected tank. It is available only when the selected fresh-water tank has an active reading below the requested target.
  • A generic Start command uses a conservative 12-hour maximum and remains manually stoppable.
  • Fresh-water flush presses the controller's visible FRESH WATER FLUSH action only when BoatKit recognizes the main page.
  • Stop uses a visible controller stop flow. It can also cancel a flush when the current controller page presents a STOP control.

For a fill-to-percent run, the Always stop watermaker above threshold wins if it is reached before a higher fill target. BoatKit also rejects a new run when an active selected tank reading is already at or above the safeguard threshold.

Always verify that a requested action produces the expected result on the controller.

Connection and controller states​

An integration can remain configured while disabled or disconnected:

  • A disabled controller remains available in integration and equipment management, but it does not appear in the normal Watermaker selector.
  • An enabled but disconnected controller remains visible in the selector so you can see its failure state. Its controls are unavailable until it reconnects.

If you configure multiple Spectra Connect integrations, the first-created integration that has not been deleted is the compatibility primary. It receives the full mirrored controller interface. Additional controllers receive the common watermaker controls and telemetry. There is currently no separate primary-controller selector.

Tank automation limitations​

Tank-based stopping depends on two live inputs: an active tank reading and a connection to the controller.

  • If the tank reading becomes inactive or unavailable, BoatKit cannot issue a tank-based stop until valid live tank state returns.
  • If the controller disconnects, BoatKit cannot issue the stop until the controller connection returns.
  • Do not assume that a running watermaker stops merely because BoatKit loses tank data or connectivity.
  • After BoatKit restarts, it restores a saved fill target only when the live controller state verifies that this is the same run. Otherwise, BoatKit discards that target rather than taking control of a different run.
  • If a stop request fails, BoatKit displays an error. Verify the actual state on the controller and use its local or physical controls when necessary.

These limitations are why tank automation must be supervised.

Operation without internet access​

The controller connection is local to the vessel and does not pass through BoatKit Cloud. Onboard monitoring and control can continue without an internet connection while BoatKit, your onboard Viewer, and the controller remain powered and reachable on the local network.

Access from away from the vessel through BoatKit Cloud still requires working cloud connectivity. A local network or controller failure also prevents BoatKit from monitoring or controlling the watermaker, even if internet access remains available.

Troubleshooting​

Start with the symptom you see and preserve the current status before retrying.

The integration does not connect​

  1. Confirm that Spectra Connect enabled is on.
  2. Recheck every character in Spectra Connect address, including any explicit scheme, port, or URL path.
  3. Confirm that BoatKit can reach the controller on the vessel's local network. Check the controller's own screen and the installation's network equipment.
  4. Read the integration STATUS and any error text.
  5. Record the address format, status, model field, error text, and controller-screen state before another attempt.

Do not begin by deleting the integration, resetting the controller, or changing its network configuration.

BoatKit connects, but controls are unavailable​

  1. Confirm that you have administrator access.
  2. Verify that the selected controller is Connected.
  3. Compare BoatKit's current page and status with the controller's own screen.
  4. Confirm that BoatKit recognizes the live page and the exact control label required for the action.
  5. Check whether the controller is already running, flushing, stopping, or displaying a state from which the requested action is unavailable.
  6. Capture the displayed page, status, and error before retrying.

Tank % is unavailable or a run is rejected​

  1. Check Fresh Water Tank and confirm that it names the correct physical tank.
  2. Confirm that the selection shows a current percentage rather than inactive.
  3. Verify the reading's direction and calibration independently.
  4. Confirm that the tank is below both the requested fill target and Always stop watermaker above.
  5. Remember that 0% is an active stop threshold, not an off setting.

The watermaker does not stop as expected​

Use the controller's local or physical stop control immediately. Then record:

  • The BoatKit controller connection and automation states.
  • The selected tank name, percentage, and active or inactive state.
  • The configured Always stop watermaker above value.
  • Any BoatKit error or stop reason.
  • The state shown on the controller's own screen.

Resolve the lost connection, invalid tank reading, or reported controller error before conducting another supervised test.