Yacht Protector
$1,295; www.yachtprotector.com
● Yacht Protector focuses on four main concerns that boaters have—bilge levels, battery levels and shore power status, intruder alerts, and boat location and movement—and transmits the data from an easy-to-install sensor system to a mobile device or Web site.
● Installation is simple thanks to wireless, battery-powered sensors that mount with 3M adhesive strips—there’s no drilling or wire splicing required, according to Yacht Protector. Do-it-yourselfers may take on the project, but others may prefer help or advice from an electronics installer to place sensors where they will work best.
● The core unit connects to the boat’s 12- or 24-volt system, has an internal backup battery that will work for two weeks, and can support up to 16 sensors. An integrated GPS monitors the boat’s position and provides data for the geofence feature.
● The starter kit comes with four color-coded, sealed, plastic-armored sensor units, each with its own internal battery: blue for the bilge, with a preconnected, wired bilge-water sensor; brown for “presence,” meaning it detects movements of someone aboard; green is for battery levels; and red is for shore power.
● An app for iOS and Android devices and a Web site allow for mobile monitoring. The device will ping up to four users through the app when a sensor is tripped, according to the manufacturer, and a monitoring service can also call if the alert is not rectified.
● The system has a two-year warranty and the manufacturer says insurance companies will give boaters a discount for using it.
Benefit Analysis: Yacht Protector puts a powerful vessel-monitoring system into a simple, accessible package.
This article originally appeared in the October 2016 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
