When you close up your boat, multiple checks are necessary: whether the anchor is holding, ventilation, electricity, bilge pumps, etc... then you disembark and leave the boat... all alone! With the advent of GPS, internet and smartphones, remote monitoring systems have emerged. Watchingman, Yacht Sentinel, Yacht Safe and Siren Marine, among others, offer geo-location and the ability to check your boat from your computer, tablet or smartphone from anywhere you have an internet connection. With an app or on a site, you have access to the various watch and alert functions that you can set according to your needs. These systems have several levels of operation. In the basic apps we find the essential functions such as: The GPS position of the boat and its course, an alert if the boat leaves the radius of its anchoring area and an alert for the level of the batteries. Then different formulas and options are possible with additional sensors that can be installed as required. The system will react and warn you, just as if a crew member had stayed on board.
Straightforward installation
These kits consist of a GPS central unit (a box of a few cm²) and sensors to distribute about the boat. The box that contains an already-integrated SIM card, plugs into the battery bank. From the moment it is activated, it can transmit the position and the course of the boat, the level of the batteries, and three or four other types of information depending on the model. It forms the interface with the sensors and sends the information to your device (phone or pc) via the phone network. To avoid any nasty surprises, an annual fee is predefined. The first year, it is included in the purchase price, then a package from €50 to €150 takes effect. The box cannot be placed under any thick metal, as this can reduce cellular reception. The very low consumption (20 to 30 mA) makes it possible to operate for months in standby mode and a few weeks if the signals are uninterrupted. The different sensors are wireless and have a battery. Depending on the system, you can put up to fifteen in the boat. It can be put on doors or hatches to detect their opening; infrared ones detect motion and thermal changes in cabins and engine compartments indicating abnormal temperature, and a sensor in the bilge can detect rising water... An alarm can be installed, connected and configured so it can alert the vicinity of the problem on board. Finally with some models, 2 or 3 connections are free to remotely activate switches on the selected equipment. Installation is quite straightforward for any competent DIY-er, but for a more advanced installation on your switch panel it would be better to call on the services of a professional.
Use and coverage
Once the installation of the central unit and sensors is complete, the next step is to connect to the site or the app on your mobile and create an account. The apps are very intuitive. In practice you can access several check windows. Some display information such as temperature, battery voltage, the presence of someone on board or the number of engine hours. Position and course tracking can be displayed on a chart or satellite view. Other windows allow you to set alerts and alarms. If the boat is at anchor and comes out of the radius you have set (between 20 and 200 m) or if the water level rises above a predefined level or if the shore power stops working, you can be notified by SMS and react accordingly by calling the harbor master's office or remotely activating an emergency bilge pump (if you have the option). In case of intrusion on board or temperature possibly indicating the risk of fire, it is possible to set off a siren that will disturb the burglar or warn anyone around of imminent danger. It's up to you to choose your settings. It is also possible to share this information with several users. The coverage based on that of the telephone network is almost worldwide. The antennas of the boxes capture at a theoretical distance of twenty miles but in some countries where the network is less dense it may be less. To overcome this, certain systems such as the Watchingman, record the positions and retransmits them as soon as they get a cellular signal again. With Sentinel Yacht, a satellite connection that allows you to maintain contact around the world is available as an option.
Advantages for users
They are ideal monitoring tools if you’ve got someone coming onto your boat, because you will be able to know when they came on board and if the door has been closed ... In the case of the option that gives access to the switch panel you’ve even got the possibility of turning on your air conditioning remotely so that the temperature is ideal when arriving on board. If you’re having your boat delivered, you can follow its track right to the dock. A GPS position is transmitted at least every ten minutes. The system becomes particularly interesting for charter professionals. Operators have developed interfaces to track several boats simultaneously.
These systems can help prevent the worst case scenario. Either by shortening intervention times, or by intervening directly with the problem remotely. Insurers, often keen on this kind of idea may sometimes offer preferential rates.
