B&G Zeus3S 12 12" Multi-Function Sailing Display

The Zeus3S 12 is B&G's mid-sized sailing chartplotter, sitting between the 9-inch and 16-inch models in the Zeus3S range. The 12-inch SolarMAX HD IPS touchscreen is the headline. SolarMAX is what makes the panel readable in direct sun even through polarized sunglasses, which on a deck under tropical sun matters more than it sounds. The IPS panel holds color from off-angle viewing positions, so the picture stays consistent whether you're reading the screen from the helm chair or from the cockpit. The hybrid control set combines touchscreen, a rotary dial, and a keypad. Touchscreen handles waypoint placement and pan-zoom. The rotary dial handles range and gain adjustments without taking your eyes off the chart. The keypad keeps working when the touchscreen is wet or you're wearing gloves. That input combination is what most operators end up using year-round for offshore and racing applications.

The sailing-specific feature set is what separates the Zeus3S from a general-purpose chartplotter. SailSteer consolidates wind data, speed through water, heading, and the next waypoint into a single tactical screen that you can read at a glance during a beat. Laylines plot the optimal tack angles for your boat in real time, factoring in wind shifts and current set, so you can lay the upwind mark without overstanding. RacePanel is the start-line tactical screen with line bias, distance-to-line countdown, and fleet position tracking for clean starts. SailingTime calculates ETA to the next waypoint accounting for tacks rather than assuming you can sail straight there. PredictWind integration pulls professional weather forecasting onto the chart with grib overlays for route planning. None of these features are afterthoughts. They're what the Zeus3S was designed around.

Network integration runs through the B&G ecosystem. NMEA 2000 handles the standard sailing instruments: wind (masthead and apparent), depth, speed through water, heading, autopilot, AIS, and VHF radios. The B&G H5000 high-performance instrument processor adds advanced computed values, polar tables, and target boat speed for serious offshore racing applications. ForwardScan sonar is supported through the Marine Network for cruisers who want forward-looking depth in shallow-water approach. The HALO open-array and HALO20+ pulse-compression dome radars pair through the network when you want to add radar later. Built-in Wi-Fi pulls weather data and chart updates from the cloud and pairs with the B&G companion app on a smartphone or tablet for waypoint sync, route planning, and screen mirroring.

The 12-inch screen size is the sweet spot for boats with limited helm or nav-station space where a 16-inch panel doesn't fit cleanly. On a 35-to-50-foot cruising boat, the 12-inch Zeus3S typically goes in the nav station as the primary planning display, with a smaller 9-inch unit at the helm. For racing applications, the 12-inch unit at the helm gives the navigator the screen size needed for tactical decisions during a regatta. The touchscreen plus rotary dial combination works well from either position. The chart engine and software feature set are identical across the Zeus3S range. The only difference between the 9-inch, 12-inch, and 16-inch models is the screen size and bezel dimensions.

One install consideration. The Zeus3S 12 accepts 12V or 24V DC input, so standard sailboat house bank voltages are both supported without a converter. The chartplotter mounts flush or on a bail mount with the included hardware. Cable runs through the boat (NMEA 2000 network, antenna inputs, Wi-Fi if needed) are part of the install. For boats with an existing Zeus3 (without the S) installation, the Zeus3S typically drops into the same cabinet cutout with the same wiring, making the upgrade straightforward. Tell us your boat make and model when you order and we'll confirm install compatibility plus recommend any additional instrument network components you may need.