Could GPS Tracking Outsmart Pirates?
Everyone has heard about the Somali pirates and their kidnap cases. One recent case in the news is that of retired British couple Rachel and Paul Chandler, aged 55 and 58, who were kidnapped by Somali pirates when they were heading towards the Indian Ocean in their yacht, the Lynn Rival.
The news hit headlines when the pirates demanded an exorbitant ransom: $7 million. The incident acted as an eye-opener for those people who pursue sailing as their passion.
The pirates stripped the couple’s ship of everything of value and removed the couple to a secret location. It took a week for the British Navy to locate the 38-foot-long yacht.
Had the yacht been equipped with a GPS vehicle tracking device, would it have been easier for concerned authorities to trace?
GPS Tracking Used for Boat Theft Recovery
Across the globe the interest in recreational boating is growing. The results are that boating is generating good revenue in sales and tourism. But along with the increase in popularity, cases of boat thefts are also rising at an alarming rate. Some recent statistics: From the period 2006 to 2008, 19,854 watercraft theft cases were reported in the U.S. That’s a huge blow to the economy. Row boats, pontoon boats, sail boats, speed boats, power boats and canoes are some categories of boats which are stolen in great number.
The number of hijacked boats is increasing also. In the Indian Ocean off Somalia, despite a presence of policing war ships and aircraft, a pirate presence is growing. They attack anything from small fishing vessels to huge cargo ships. The Somali government estimated nearly 200 people, who were crew aboard eight ships, are currently hostages of pirates.
The sudden increase in the cases of the thefts has compelled boat owners to safeguard their properties by installing GPS tracking devices in these valuable assets. If they cannot prevent them from being stolen, GPS tracking at least will aid authorities in recovering the stolen merchandise.
GPS Devices Acting as Savior
Companies use GPS tracking devices to quickly find watercraft when they are moved from dock without owner’s knowledge. GPS tracking is considered a perfect system for tracking marine equipment because it not only will “watch” a boat when it is moored, GPS tracking will follow a boat when it is in motion. With a tracking system, boats are easily traceable, usually within the range of a few feet from their actual locations. The sea is an open canvas; there are no roads, so a boat can go almost anywhere. Live GPS tracking will tell authorities the location of a boat in latitude and longitude, what direction the boat is moving, how fast it is moving (in knots), or how long it has been anchored in a particular location.
Live GPS tracking would have been useful to the authorities searching for Rachel and Paul Chandler and their yacht. Instead, they had to wait for the pirates to contact them.
GPS tracking is a cost-effective method to recover stolen assets or properties. Luxury boats cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and they are a pleasure one can ill-afford to lose. GPS vehicle tracking solutions are by far the best solution for recovery of stolen boats. A tracking system works best when the receiver has a clear shot at the sky, so watercraft are an excellent tracking subject. A GPS tracking system should have little problem finding and locking on satellite signals.
LandAirSea’s top-selling real-time vehicle tracking solution, the Victoria GPS Tracking System, can give authorities a quick and accurate assessment of a boat’s current location. It can reduce the recovery time of a stolen boat from months or weeks to days or hours.
Some of the other benefits of GPS tracking of boats are:
· Cutting time and costs of delivering materials by finding the best route.
· Restricting unauthorized use of watercraft.
· Keeping records of distance, time and place on the water, for billing and tax purposes of rental boats.
· Emergency recovery at times of distress.
· Accurate arrival/departure times of commuter boats like water taxis and ferries.
Emergence of a Concept: Geo-Fencing
Many boat rental companies are using the GPS tracking feature geo-fencing to keep their fleets secure, within predefined boundaries. In geo-fencing the boat owner sets up a geographical boundary or a virtual line, over which the boat cannot cross. If and when it does occur, the boat owner gets an email or text alert, which includes date, time and location.
If the British couple, the Chandlers had used a GPS vehicle tracking system on their yacht, and engaged a geo-fence around the east coast of Africa where the pirates are known to wreak havoc, they might not have been taken hostage. Their GPS tracking system would have warned them that they were entering the dangerous territory.
A Lesson to be Learned
The next time you are setting off into the ocean or sea to fulfill your sailing-passion, do not forget to protect your boat with a GPS tracking device. Join the many who are actively using GPS vehicle tracking devices to prevent the thefts of their sail boats, speed boats and yachts. A tracking system can be used for commercial purposes as well as personal purposes. GPS tracking systems protect watercraft as an investment, but they also might safeguard the lives of the people operating them.
Tags: Boat, Geo-fencing, GPS Tracking, hijacked, Pirates, Somali
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