New security and info for your boat...... via your phone

if you just wanted a camera on board to keep an eye out I would use a waze camara. works on any wife system. so if the marina or the house has a wifi signal you are good to go and they are cheap. You could also use a newer game cam. many of them in the 1-200 price range are now cell phone connected. When it takes a picture it can call you ans text a message and photo or even video to you. Or you can choose to call it once a day. lots of cheap options today.
 
Any security and safety device is certainly appropriate. The Siren system is very good and comprehensive--even has a Satellite plan for only $300 a year (that is cheap for that service--as is the $180 a year for the 3G cellular plan.).

I think it is marketed toward the larger boats, kept in the water. It seems like we hear of a boat being stolen almost every week in FL. The sensors certainly help (Siren has motion, IR, snap, pressure etc, as well as GPS). Unfortunately many of the boats are recovered in a few days completely stripped, or the thieves have both cell signal and GPS signal blockers--and away the boat goes to Mexico etc.....

The basic unit is relatively in-expensive in the $500 range, but it is easy to add up the "accessory" sensors to over $1000 quickly.
 
If you just want data on your boat and not security, take a look at Floathub (www.floathub.com). $149 one time fee if you have wifi at the dock. It provides battery voltage, charging voltage, pump cycles, temp., pressure, position, speed, and course data. If you want more data history, more alerts, or a cellular plan, there is a monthly fee starting at $9.95 per month, but if you are ok with just one day history and one email alert condition, there is no monthly fee. It also records trip data and will upload it when you get back in wifi range. I have the system on a museum boat that I manage so I can take a look at what is going on anywhere I have an internet connection. In fact, we saw the aft bilge pump cycles going way up so we knew we had a leak and did an quick haul yesterday to fix it. Without the system, we would have never known until it was a big problem.
 
...it likely won't help when someone is stealing a boat, but a cheap tip from police can help with items on your boat....LABEL them.

I have bought millions of dollars of computer and lab equipment for my university lab and field studies over 30+ years there. Security in Seattle and U Washington was always lax. The UW even installed door locks that could be easily twisted open with a pipe wrench to make it easier for fireman to enter...but also easier for a thief to break in.

In all those years, only things not labeled were taken. I had brand new, expensive items left, and old, relatively worthless unlabeled items taken. New, labeled computers left, old, unlabeled ones taken. Security cables didn't help...they were simply cut.

The police department lent me a carbide marker. I now have several, and with the last breakin and everything labeled, nothing at all was taken.
 
So many good security options out there... great info... appreciate the responses.
Damn good folks on this forum.

The boat is ordered... aaaahhhhhhh.... my mom always used to call me a little "BRAT":-) I guess she was right.
 
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