what annoys me the most about NMEA is that the organization says it was
formed to arrive at some sort of standardization, and so NMEA 0183, and
now 2000. However, the bozos at Raymarine have decided to make
SeaTalk, just to muddy the waters. Want to connect a Garmin? Sure,
that's where the NMEA standard is supposed to work, but instead, we
have to buy a multiplexer so that these gadgets can network. So, based
on NMEAs own mission statement, they are a failure.

Oh please, that's ridiculous. Technology has significantly changed since
NMEA-0183 was started. What it sought to accomplish at the time was quite
ambitious. Likewise for the NMEA-2000 spec. That 0183 didn't do what
Raymarine NEEDED meant they had to implement something else, but also
supported the 0183 spec. Likewise for the 2000 spec. The hassle with the
2000 spec has been the delay in standardizing the hardware connection (now
done). But it's trivial to splice from a SeaTalk2, LowranceNet and Micro-C
connector and have it all "just work". I know, I've done it.

So if all your looking to do is whinge, well, keep at it.