It is amazing how many boats are reported stolen. There are regular posts online from distraught owners reporting that their boat has gone missing and asking people to keep a look out for it.
In the event of your boat being stolen, one way to locate your boat is to use a boat tracker. Fitting a tracker may not prevent the theft, but the tracker will most likely have sent an alert when the boat moved or started. Ongoing tracking would show the boats current location. If a boat tracker has been fitted, it might also assist in the apprehension of the offenders and the recovery of the boat.
If you are a boat owner and think “it will never happen to me”, maybe you seriously think again. Yachts, RIBs and motor boats are regularly taken without the owner’s permission or knowledge, particularly in the Mediterranean, where a lot of boats are not kept in marinas.
How much time, love and money have you invested in your boat? Consider the impact it would have on you should it be taken. Stolen boats are used for all sorts of illegal activities including people and drug smuggling. Or sometimes a simple joy ride, only to be abandoned on the beach or rocks!
There are many benefits of boat trackers
With spring in the air and the UK and European boating season about to start, many yacht and boat owners are thinking about preparing their boats and getting back on the water.
The list of jobs is seemingly endless and many owners spend more time preparing their boat than actually using it. Some jobs are quite enjoyable, but others such as applying Anti fouling, cleaning bilges and sewage holding tanks are perhaps some of the less pleasant tasks to complete before relaunching. However, one of the simplest and most valuable jobs you can do is fit a boat tracker.
For around £250 pounds and an hour’s work, any boat owner can fit a GPS boat tracker. With the simplest of power connections the boat tracker can send an instant alert if the boat has been started or moved. It will also provide the real time location of the boat. Connecting a few more wires also allows battery levels and bilges to be monitored remotely.
Other benefits of fitting a tracker might be lower insurance premiums or knowing if the marina or gardinarge company moves your boat. However, the real value is priceless in terms of the peace of mind a boat tracker will provide.
The boating season is beginning, so why not spend an hour fitting a boat tracker? It might be the best hour you’ve spent on your boat, other than that perfect sail and Gin and Tonic at a secluded anchorage.
Fleet tracking app and trackers also available.
No Comments yet!