Keeping boat theft at Bay pge 2

[Electronics Guru]

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Mercury Marine has this product as part of their anti-theft security promotion on new Mercury (inboard and outboards) Mariner engines, Quicksilver inflatables and Savage and Bermuda boats.

Another new technology, for under $100, was designed to track shipping containers as part of the war on terrorism. Philips Semiconductors' electronic identification strip called I-CODE is now protecting boats in Europe against theft and, according to Elisabeth Doerner, spokeswoman for the company, should be on its way to our shores as this issue of BoatU.S. Magazine goes to press. Meanwhile, the British have also developed a silicon chip, called Bookmark, that broadcasts a unique radio frequency which can be tracked with a simple radio receiver.
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These inexpensive technologies have two drawbacks--they only help find your boat after it has been stolen and the authorities must be near your boat to detect the signal.

There are also systems out there that may have a good chance of preventing a theft, or at least catch a thief in the act. That is the principle behind the SeaKey system from Volvo Penta. Using the satellite Global Positioning System, Volvo Penta's system goes way beyond theft prevention.

SeaKey tells you where your boat is at all times and monitors other vital functions as well. It provides many additional services including emergency signaling (SOS), monitoring your boat's bilge water and battery level and you can even ask it to make reservations at your next port of call. Think of SeaKey as the marine version of General Motors' OnStar system for automobiles. Genmar, the world's largest manufacturer of recreational boats, has included SeaKey on most of their 2004 line under its FirstMate Gold Plus program.

Many other new systems are just emerging and can be retrofitted to existing boats. The up-front costs can vary from $1,500 to $5,000, including installation. Instead of using sophisticated call centers, they direct an alert to your mobile phone or computer, thereby keeping their annual costs low. They also trigger on-board sirens or recorder warnings drawing the attention of neighboring boaters. Australia's BlueRay Marine Security System is one of the new breed that monitors your boat, reporting intruders, fire and gas detection, high bilge water and engine status. Boaters may begin to see many of these emerging technologies showing up at some of the major boat shows this coming year.

Meanwhile, it's still a mystery who took the Beneteau 57 from Charleston that was found at the Running Mon Marina near Freeport in the Bahamas. Suspicions were raised when the $600,000 Beneteau was spotted in a nearly deserted marina. If McIntosh had had one of the new anti-theft devices on board, like Bookmark or Volvo's SeaKey, the thieves might have gotten caught red-handed.

RELATED ARTICLE: TIPS FOR TIGHTER SECURITY

Check to See if Your Marina Has:

* Entry gates that require access codes

* Adequate lighting

* Video surveillance cameras

* Uniformed security guards

* Neighborhood watch program