Price Range: $1000 - $1500

This heavy-duty, IP53-rated Bosch thermal imaging camera features a large digital color display that registers and updates temperature readings almost instantly. It is incredibly intuitive to use; simply pull the trigger to freeze the image.

Why it's Onboard

A thermal camera is not something you immediately think of as an essential yacht tool, but we have honestly found having one aboard to be absolutely invaluable. Being able to literally see the real-time temperature of various unseen systems helps us instantly identify dangerous electrical hotspots, precisely locate slow plumbing leaks, and confidently monitor engine and alternator temperatures without having to blindly reach into a hot engine bay.

• Hotspots in the electrical system

• Plumbing leaks

• Overheating components in an electronic or mechanical device

• Motor and alternator temperature monitoring

• Gaps in insulation or air-conditioning ducting

• Finding areas impacted by radiating heat from appliances like the oven

• Water temperature (hot or cold water leakage)

Real-world Verdict

We used this exact camera during the handover of our Leopard 45 to help identify hidden warranty issues so they could be lodged for rectification, including water leaks and hot joins in the electrical system. Since then we’ve used it more often than we ever expected, and not just on SV Liger - we’ve also used it to detect where water was getting into the hull of a friend’s sportsfisher, and to find the source of a fluid leak on another friend’s Yanmar engines.

As a 12V tool, the thermal camera runs off the same batteries as our Bosch torch, and so far we've not had any issues with performance.

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