Ensuring the security of your boat, whether in your home marina or in a familiar coastal anchorage, usually involves nothing more than clamping a padlock on the companionway, checking the dock lines and leaving the rest to fate. Naturally, we can expect marina security and shore patrol to offer some peace of mind within the confines of the marina and in coastal anchorages. But when we venture farther from home, taking proactive steps to safeguard our vessels becomes essential.
“Vessel security” means a lot of things to a lot of skippers, encompassing everything from automatic bilge pumps to graphic depth sounders and surveillance cameras. A number of security systems actually cover all of these wide-ranging facets of security — and more. Imagine an integrated security system encompassing radar, bilge level, motion sensors, and detectors for engine performance and cabin environment, all brought together into an integrated set of graphic displays on a single screen. Several marine electronics manufacturers have engineered ways to make our lives safer and eminently more comfortable while aboard our vessels, whether we are lounging around in the marina, enjoying a weekend at our favorite local anchorage or underway on a transoceanic crossing.
One system certain to make our boats safer is the Siren Marine Pro 3, which offers a comprehensive set of security sensors regarded as one of the most versatile and reliable system on the market. The Siren Connected Boat App brings together battery monitoring, GPS position, bilge pump activity, water levels, shore power status, engine performance, temperature and more.
The Siren Marine Pro 3 also may be configured to control lights, air conditioning, refrigeration and many other onboard electrical systems, all of which are integrated through a NMEA 2000 backbone. At a cost of $600 plus fees varying by the customer’s preferred time period, the purchase and operating cost of the Siren Marine MTC main device is certainly within the range of most cruisers.
One of the most advanced yet wallet-friendly security systems available for both boats and automobiles is the SPOT Trace tracking device, which instantly informs you of significant vessel movement via text or email. Unlike some other security devices, the SPOT communicates via satellite from virtually any point on the world’s oceans.
You can set the SPOT device to track your vessel’s GPS coordinates at intervals of 2½, 5, 10, 30 or 60 minutes. Available at West Marine and Bass Pro Shops, the SPOT unit sells for a mere $130 with plans available for as little as $11.95 per month with an activation fee of $29.95.
Another well-known security system is the Aqualarm, offering far more than a central monitoring unit connectable to an array of devices. A wide complement of sensors for bilge water flow, engine coolant temperature, excessive exhaust temperature, fire, smoke, unauthorized boarding, battery charge and other inputs provide you a level of security that is hard to match.
A truly novel device is Aqualarm’s pressure-sensing control mat, which can detect intruders silently while they are entering the companionway. The basic version communicates strictly with the control center. The stand-alone version, at a cost of $450, notifies you by cell phone connection, alerting you the very moment someone sets foot on the device.
The core of Aqualarm’s security network is a wireless control system comprised of a central unit, wireless motion sensor, two wireless hatch/porthole sensors, and capability of communicating with a total of up to 24 sensors. At $299 for the control system, plus whichever extra sensors you may wish to select, along with an affordable annual membership fee, the Aqualarm is within the price range of most boat owners but a drop in the bucket when compared to the cost of maintaining a high-end yacht.
Global Ocean Security Systems, known better as “GOST,” offers an array of highly sophisticated onboard security networks for the most demanding yacht owners. The core of the GOST Apparition, designed for the high-end yacht, is a CPU, which is controlled by a remote touch screen monitor.
The GOST system allows you to set up a “geo-fence,” a GPS area you define through GPS coordinates, in order to monitor your vessel’s location and movement within an area you define. This system records event histories and critical events so you and other crew members can analyze the vessel’s condition and behavior anywhere on the globe.
You can link the GOST Apparition to a total of 192 sensors, including 32 external and internal doors and hatches, and you can check on each individually with any one of the 16 touch screens distributed through your vessel. Wow. The motion detector on my 30-foot sloop Saltaire is the level in my rum glass.
A more affordable vessel security system is the T-H Marine Boat Alarm System, which offers a simpler approach to vessel security. A shock sensor detects intruders and alerts you of activity from up to 3000 yards, or roughly 1.7 miles. The remote control features alerts with sound, light and movement detectors, which could indicate an intruder or simply a shift in position resulting from a change in wind direction, both of which are critically important pieces of information.
If your vessel is stored safely in a marina, you can depend on the security team to watch over your vessel. But if you’re anchored near a seedy seaport town with all manner of nefarious characters lurking about at night, chances are your elbows are resting on a bar a few hundred yards from your home on the water. If this scenario applies, your vessel is still close enough for you to monitor the T-H alarm system.
The T-H system sells for $270 and offers plans covering mechanical and electrical failure ranging from $25 for one year, to $44 for two years and $65 for three years.
Other security systems abound, some of them with monthly costs, others without such fees and offering only rudimentary sensors and alarms, but even a simple device is better than no protection at all, particularly in foreign ports. Find the security device or array best fitting your budget, vessel and lifestyle, or leave the job to the companionway padlock — and luck.
