I Tried to Fix a Fuse on My Boat and Accidentally Invented a Marine AI Empire

I need to begin with a confession: this blog was never intended to become what it has now. Truly, honestly, I envisioned atmyboat.com as a fun, breezy account of my experiences learning to sail my 1994 Monterey. I imagined writing about sunsets, minor improvements, and the occasional "oops, I forgot to untie the stern line again" moment.

You know, wholesome nautical chaos. Instead, I somehow ended up creating a marine AI operating system, inventing a method to control AI hallucinations, writing an economics paper, and developing a system that gives my boat super vision through a bow camera and AIS integration. My journey into this new realm began on Lake Erie when I accidentally caused a fuse problem while trying to replace an ancient cigarette lighter that wasn't on a fuse.

This led me to turn to AI for help, starting with ChatGPT, Claude, and then Claude Code. As I debugged the AI's hallucinations, I invented the AAO-Methodology, wrote an economics paper, submitted it to SSRN, and spent a significant amount on API calls. My boat, the original focus of my blog, was left to sit there, expecting a fuse.

But I had strayed too far from the original plan. I created signalk-forward-watch, a system that turns my bow camera into AIS markers to detect floating objects, added a weather radar, and built d3kOS, a full marine operating system with voice control, an AI first mate, and more features than a 1994 boat should have. I didn't anticipate becoming an AI researcher, but here I am, preparing to release version 1, update the website, finish the mobile app, integrate with ActiveCaptain, and get my boat ready for the upcoming season.

This hobby quickly turned into an accidental full-time marine tech startup. The original purpose of this blog—easy reading, lighthearted stories, and the ongoing saga of me vs. my boat's electrical system—remains, but first, I must release the software, update the site, and prepare my boat for the season. Stay tuned. The season is approaching, and something is bound to go wrong in a humorous and educational manner.

I'll write about it here, assuming I don't end up in Lake Erie again, clutching a paper manual like it's a sacred text.