William the Fisherman’s New Frewza F17 - Custom Marine Electronics & Systems Fit-Out
There is nothing quite like taking a brand-new vessel from a completely blank canvas to a high-performance offshore machine. Laying out an electrical system from scratch, knowing every wire, busbar, fused circuit, and display is engineered to work together flawlessly, is what we live for!
When William the Fisherman from Wild North Addiction dropped his new Frewza F17 hull into our workshop at Tamaki Marine Park, he gave us an ambitious goal: build a turnkey, high-performance electronics package tailored for solo and short-handed fishing in the rugged waters off the Three Kings Islands.
Working side-by-side with our sister company, Auckland Outboard Workshop, who handled the mounting, rigging, and commissioning of William’s new Honda BF 100 engine—our team at HMB Marine Electrical designed, wired, and integrated a complete top-tier electrical and navigation suite. Having both marine sparkies and outboard technicians collaborating under one roof made all the difference, ensuring every electronic component and mechanical system worked in complete harmony from day one.
Garmin Autopilot Integration
High on William’s wish list was a Garmin Autopilot. To make it happen, we first needed to upgrade the boat’s steering to a heavy-duty hydraulic steering system, allowing the autopilot to integrate seamlessly and give him effortless, total control when fishing short-handed. The Garmin Autopilot has completely transformed William’s on-water experience, with him calling it an “absolute game-changer.” Because the system locks in and holds an accurate course whilst underway, William has the freedom to safely step away from the helm, deploy lures, set lines, and manage the deck on his own.
Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra 2 125sv Navigation Suite
With a blank dash to work with, our marine electricians custom-designed a sleek, ergonomic helm layout centered around top-tier Garmin technology:
Flush-Mounted 12” Display: The sunlight-readable Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra 2 125sv serves as the ultimate command center. Its split-screen capability lets William view high-definition charts, radar, and sonar feeds side-by-side.
Ultra High-Definition Sonar: Paired with an advanced UHD transducer system, the setup delivers photo-like clarity of structure and bottom contours, making target fish easy to spot.
Preloaded Navionics Mapping: Detailed coastal charts allow William to pinpoint exact drop-offs, reefs, and deep-water contours, saving valuable time when hunting down new fishing grounds.
Lighting, Beats & A Bit of Bling
A serious offshore vessel demands robust 12V power distribution. We wired up a comprehensive, heavy-duty 12V system utilizing premium components from Narva and Fusion:
Narva Premium Lighting Package: Custom-wired for safe early morning launches and overnight missions. This includes full navigation lights, an ultra-bright bow spotlight, cockpit and under-gunnel illumination, dedicated bait tank lighting, and transom underwater lights (which look great and double as a bait-fish magnet!).
Fusion Entertainment System: As we all know, you can’t head offshore without some serious tunes! So the Fusion MS-RA210 unit was installed, powering 6.5” cockpit speakers and a 10” subwoofer, complete with built-in speaker LED lights for a bit of ‘nightclubbing’ on those long dark trips.
Helm USB Outlets: Marine-grade USB sockets keep phones and cameras fully charged.
Why Having Marine Electricians & Outboard Techs Under One Roof Is a Win
What makes a complex fit-out like this succeed isn't just the quality of the gear, it’s how seamlessly every component works together.
Because HMB Marine Electrical and Auckland Outboard Workshop operate side-by-side at Tamaki Marine Park, there’s no miscommunication between mechanical and electrical teams. Our sparkies and outboard mechanics plan the battery distribution, hydraulic pumps, charging circuits (VSRs), and engine integration together from day one. The result? A cleaner layout, maximum charging efficiency, zero interference on your fishfinder, and a single point of contact for the whole job.
See the Build in Action!
William’s Frewza F17 is officially a custom offshore weapon. Just days after leaving our workshop, he put the setup to the test and landed a monster 35kg kingfish on his very first trip!
Watch the full fit-out and fishing mission on his YouTube channel: Wild North Addiction
Ready to Upgrade Your Boat?
Whether you have a brand-new hull waiting for a complete fit-out or want to upgrade your current boat with an autopilot, new electronics , lithium power or batteries, or custom lighting, our team is always ready to help.