How Secure Is Your Boat?

Whether you're talking about security and monitoring systems for homes, cars, or boats, new tech has made today's options more numerous, easier to install and use, and far more comprehensive. Advances in communications actually gets a lot of the credit.

Thanks to improving cellular, Wi-Fi, and satellite technologies driven by the "Internet of Things," it's now become easy to stay connected with virtually anything from virtually anywhere on Earth. The number of connected devices has doubled since 2015 (breaking the 30 billion mark this year, according to Statista). Boat and boating accessory manufacturers alike have picked up on the possibilities this tech provides when it comes to security.

"Delivering situational awareness of problems aboard, scaring would-be thieves off the boat, securely broadcasting the vessels' exact coordinates globally, and livestreaming video has always been what drives us," says Brian Kane, chief technology officer of Global Ocean Security Technologies (GOST). "And technology and communication advances in connectivity have made it much easier today than when we launched our first video solution for a customer's Blackberry in 2007." So what are the latest and greatest options? We can break down the choices into three main categories: security systems, remote monitoring systems, and remote monitor and control systems.

Security Systems

Straightforward old-tech security systems remain an option today, starting with those $100 sirens that sound off when an intruder triggers a contact. But today you can expand that basic building block to a $10,000-plus system incorporating dozens of sensors and multiple visual, tactile, and audible alarms and/or video cameras. As you migrate into the more advanced systems, these naturally incorporate remote monitoring and/or control functions as well. On the simple, low-budget end of the scale, however, the most basic security systems differ little from those we've been familiar with over the years.

With most of these systems, contact sensors, pressure sensors, or keyed ignitions trigger an audible alarm that's intended to scare off an intruder. Base versions may be downright cheap, and installation takes little more than screwing down a siren or pressing a sensor's sticky-back tape in place. But these systems have the same weaknesses they've always had: snipping a wire is usually all it takes to defeat them, they may have batteries that need regular replacement, and if there's no one around to hear the alarm, it doesn't matter much anyway.

The one way in which some slightly advanced but still fairly low-tech systems have developed is by incorporating wireless sensors. Still, removal from the vessel or clipping the wire on a siren or base station remains an Achilles heel. Besides, with a slightly higher investment, your security system could instead have remote-monitoring capabilities.

Remote Monitoring

Basic remote monitoring systems amount to GPS tracking devices, usually with a "geofence" function that lets you determine an area the boat should always stay within. If the boat breaks through this virtual fence, you get an alert via email or text and can then keep tabs on the boat's location and movement on a digital chart or map. Some systems have additional safety features such as the ability to press a "panic button" and transmit your GPS location to the authorities in an emergency.

While these simple tracking systems are relatively inexpensive (the hardware may go for as little as $100), they do require monthly service plans to pay for connectivity via either cell or satellite services. On a yearly basis, this service may be more expensive than the hardware itself. Most services, however, offer limited monthly plans that can cost as little as $15 and can be turned off once boating season is over. Another downside to some options in this category is how they're powered: Some merely run off AA batteries. Let them sit unused over the winter or forget about them, and you have all the usual battery replacement issues. Other systems tap into the boat's power source and have an internal backup in case the boat's juice runs dry. This does make for a slightly more involved installation, but as a general rule of thumb, these systems offer much better reliability over the long term.

Some of these systems can get quite impressive with the ability to handle well over 100 different inputs, include HD video recording and livestreaming capabilities, and communications via Wi-Fi, cellular, or satellite. Some can even choose which way to communicate depending on what connectivity option is most available and/or least expensive at any given time.

New Boats, New Security Tech

Like they say on TV: "But wait, there's more!" Some of the newest boats hitting the water today have remote monitoring and control already integrated into their very large boat-brains, as well as pieces and parts that are already self-aware to some degree. If your transmission starts running hot or a compressor develops a slow leak, you don't have to hope you notice before it develops into a significant problem. Your boat notices all by itself and can alert you and/or your service center or dealership.

This level of security, monitoring, and remote control can't be accomplished with aftermarket installation, short of a rather massive refit that includes everything from engines to electronics. But having a connected boat brings all of these abilities to an entirely new level. You no longer need a separate security system because your boat knows where it should be and when it should be entered. You no longer need a dedicated monitoring system because your boat knows how many times the bilge pumps have cycled over the last 24 hours and whether there's any water in the bilge or not. And you no longer need a separate remote-control system because your boat knows when you want to turn on or off the lights and AC the moment you start tapping on your cellphone screen.

This may sound a bit futuristic, and it's true that the majority of the production boats being sold right now don't have such capabilities, but some already do. The future is here today, and you can take advantage of it the next time you step aboard your boat — or from the comfort of your living room couch.