8 Hours From Theft to Recovery

Nav-Tracker Tracks Stolen Boat In The Bahamas
HydraSport Recovered 8 Hours Later
FT. LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA (USA) - A 33-foot HydraSport equipped with the Nav-Tracker 1.0 wireless boat location and GPS tracking system from Paradox Marine, stolen from Treasure Cay in the Bahamas in the early morning hours last Wednesday (July 14), was located by the system and recovered in Bimini by authorities about eight hours later.
“There is no question that without Nav-Tracker, my boat would have never been found,” said Jose Mas, the owner. “I had just installed the system two weeks before and I was amazed at being able to track the boat and follow the thieves. In addition to the technology, the customer service provided by Paradox Marine in tracking my boat real time from theft to recovery was amazing. Everyone at Treasure Cay in the Bahamas was talking about an owner tracking the boat as it was stolen. Hopefully, more boat owners will install the Nav-Tracker to help deter boat thieves,” he added.
Paradox Marine’s Nav-Tracker 2.0 with an infrared beam sensor and a siren was responsible for protecting a second boat the same night - some 15 miles away from Treasure Cay, in the Marsh Harbor area. The owner received an ‘in alarm’ message from their boat as the thieves were trying to steal it. After the siren went off, the would-be thieves took off.
Last year, Paradox Marine received a service medal from the U.S. Coast Guard in recognition of the role Nav-Tracker 2.0 played in the recovery of a Contender stolen in the Bahamas in September, 2008. As many as 27,000 boats are stolen annually and the odds of recovery are only about 1 in 10, according to the International Association of Marine Investigators.

When a Nav-Tracker 2.0 transmitter is mounted discreetly on a boat and armed, a wireless ‘fence’ with a 500-meter range can be created. If a boat is moved outside of this fence, Nav-Tracker 2.0 uses Inmarsat based GPS satellite technology to monitor a boat’s location and notify up to four people by email and/or text message every 15 minutes with the latitude/longitude, speed, heading and distance to closest city.
The message transmitted from Nav-Tracker on board the HydraSport when it was stolen would have been similar to this:

Message From Nav-Tracker
User: Paradox Marine
Asset: M/Y Island Time
Fleet: ETI
Date/Time: 2006-07-25 15:06:28 (EDT)
Event: Geo-fence breached;
Location: 26.05767,-80.1303.3 (0.75 mi NE of Hollywood, FL 33019)
Speed/heading: 9.2 Knots, 144 deg
Google Earth Map: [KML]

Some insurance companies now offer premium discounts or require GPS tracking devices to be installed on certain types of boats, including high performance boats and boats with triple high-horsepower outboards.

Convert Your Text to Maritime Signal Flags and Semaphore

Click HERE to do it!

Why Do They Say That?

We have become accustomed to saying things around boats and often do it without knowing why? I will set down a couple of examples and encourage you to add some of your own.

Port and Starboard- Before the aft centered rudder was invented all boats had the steering gear on the right side of the vessel. This was called the "Steer Board" side and through the years the word became corrupted to "Starboard". The other side was the side you wanted to land the boat on when coming into port so you wouldn't break the steering board, so it was called the "Port" side.

Posh - A term we use when talking about very fancy things (eg: Posh Accommodations), was created during the early days of cruising. The best views were reserved for the highest paying customers  and they were Port when going  Out and Starboard when coming Home. POSH = port out, starboard home!

Prevent Fuel Theft with this Simple Device

This product wins my beauty in simplicity award. With fuel prices soaring to highs never before experienced by most of us, crimes of fuel theft are on the rise. Our boats and RV’s are often easy targets for this type of crime. My own vessel carries 600 gallons of diesel which would be a substantial loss of money if I was to be siphoned by a quiet theft in the night.

In researching products to prevent this, my mind was on electronic devices that could be attached to vessel security systems. I laughed out loud when I found such a simple solution that could be easily used by anyone with a boat, RV, car or any other fuel holding vehicle. (Product is under $37.00 US)

Here is the information about the product on the Ahoy Captain website: www.ahoycaptain.com Ahoy captain is an online retail seller of this product.

Vetus Fuel Safe Anti Siphon "Spider"

Protect your fuel supply and gain peace of mind.
It is a sad fact of life that fuel prices have risen to such a level that siphoning the fuel from your boat is now an attractive proposition for thieves. With many boats holding hundreds of gallons of fuel, this is a lucrative activity.

In its range of practical accessories, VETUS has introduced a simple device to prevent a siphon hose being inserted into the deck filler and down into the tank

The VETUS "Fuel Safe" is supplied in a plastic tube, which is used to insert it quickly and easily into the fuel filler hose. There is no requirement to dismantle anything and the ingenious design ensures that it cannot subsequently be removed.

This synthetic device is suitable for both diesel and gasoline and it fits filling hoses of both 38 mm (1 ½") and 51 mm (2") internal diameter. There is no noticeable reduction in fuel flow when filling the tank.

Think about the value of the fuel in your tank or the inconvenience and danger of running out unexpectedly?

Features

* Simple installation
* No dismantling required
* Suitable for hoses with I.D. of 1-1/2'' (38mm) and 2'' (51mm).
* Made of diesel & gasoline resistant synthetic
* Dimensions: 2-3/16''x2-13/16''

www.MarineGuardSecurity.com

Fathers and Boats

I hope all you fathers have the opportunity to enjoy your family out on your boat today. Happy Fathers Day! Wishing you calm seas and fair winds.

Most Boats Sink or are Burglarized Right in the Marina

The Experts Know! LLC has been educating consumers of electronic security systems for home and business for many years. I have always taken pride in the many people that we have educated on how to choose a good security company and the proper equipment. Through educated consumers, alarm dealers began reaching out to us for consultation. Over the past few years, The Experts Know! LLC has been called on to help train dozens of existing and startup alarm companies. They needed to know how to market to and satisfy the newly and thoroughly educated consumers we took a big part in. This became our grass roots campaign to insist on pride and professionalism in what I have always considered a noble profession.

When Experts moved our base operation to the great Pacific Northwest in 2005, we began to get many phone calls from owners of boats and yachts. There are multitudes of privately owned vessels all along coastal waters that are prime targets for theft. These boats are often unattended while their owners go about the business of being able to afford them. That makes them prime targets as they are not difficult to board without being noticed. Boats of all sizes have several thousands of dollars worth of electronics and equipment onboard to help them navigate and operate safely.

In addition to being an easy target for criminals, owners have a large list of supervisory conditions to worry about. It’s astounding how many boats have sunk tied to the docks at the marinas they are kept in, because a bilge pump failed to operate as water naturally seeped into the bilge. There are also many other problems for boat owners to be concerned with such as unauthorized boarding’s, someone pulling the shore power plug out and not replacing it, freezing temperatures onboard because of heater failure, fire and unauthorized movement of the boat, to name a few.

As I began to research proper methods of protecting these vessels I was astounded at the statistics. There was an abundance of case history to warrant the need for security in this environment and the market was not making products available to answer the call. The few companies that saw the need and stepped up to offering solutions were making a big mistake. They were using the same alarm systems that are being installed in residential and commercial applications on the boats that wanted security.

As we researched the effects of modifying land based alarm systems for the marine environment, it became obvious that the harsh marine environment where most boats reside and operate is too harsh for these systems to be reliable in. There are inherent problems as basic as the corrosive salt air and vibration during operation. In addition to the obvious, there are choice issues such as mooring on a buoy instead of docking with an electrical source and reporting conditions without use of a phone line.

The list grew bigger with problems like wind and dock bumping causing violations on motion detectors that were not designed for these conditions. Access to expensive equipment without ever entering the interior and critters boarding without care of any of these issues, and it was quite obvious that there was a lot to be considered.

After much research we found only a few systems that were designed specifically to address the necessary concerns. These systems are enclosed in NMEA III water resistant control boxes with epoxy protected components and potted electronics. They use deck sensors to protect against unauthorized boarding’s, work on 12VDC power from the boats batteries and draw very few milliamps. Bilges are supervised for high water, smoke detectors and temperature sensors look for signs of fire and temperature extremes, High and low voltage monitors watch over shore power and battery conditions while the boat owner can set a Geo Fence around the boat that will detect movement outside of a virtual circle.

As for reporting these conditions to the boat owners and their assigned supervisors, the systems use cell communicators for inland water kept vessels or boats that will remain within the reach of cell towers. You can also choose a satellite communicator which protects the boat from anywhere in the world.

These systems report directly to the owner and assigned supervisors such as mechanics and dock master’s by cell phone and e-mail. The boat owner can access a web page just for their vessel and see the location, heading and speed in real time.

They can also remotely operate the complete system, turn on and off onboard appliances and lighting, and even shut down the engines if they wish. The Experts Know has created a dedicated marine division called Marine Guard Security and makes information and product available directly to the marine consumer through a link on our website.

You can also go directly to marineguardsecurity.com to learn more about these systems that answer the call and apply the standards of excellence that an educated consumer will insist on.

What's Better Than a Happy Customer?

This is an unsolicited testimonial:
There are not enough words that can describe the service & advice that Mr. Matthew Lombardi gave to me and my family. From the moment I talked to him to start our security system design, Matthew has been truly the BEST in his field. He is a "true consumer advocate" and a professional that goes out of his way to help everyone including his clients.

He is a man of "old school" integrity and ethics. I appreciate his help and advice very much. He is very experienced, knowledgeable and his conversations & emails are very professional. As an entrepreneur, I deal with a lot of people from different fields and I find that he is one of the BEST professionals I have ever met: helpful, honest, experienced, ethical, trustworthy...

I am so glad to have met him through his website. (www.expertsknow.com) He is doing a true service to consumers like me. I wish there were people like him in other fields too! He even gave me his advice for free before I hired him. He helped me get out of a binding, unethical security contract imposed by our builder (long story!). I couldn't have secured our home without his guidance and help. I HIGHLY recommend him for all your security needs.

Thank you,
Srii S.

File a Float Plan Before You Leave the Dock!

File a float plan: Before you leave home, tell someone where you are going and what time you are expected to return. This person should be able to go to the authorities if you fail to check back in by a certain time. A sample float plan can be found at www.BoatUS.com/seaworthy/floatplan.pdf .

That's a Good One!

Bosun the Bird Dog

A guy treats himself to a hunting vacation with a high-brow outfitter. When he arrives at camp, the outfitter greets him with a tricked-out Jeep, a top-of-the-line rifle and an impeccably trained hunting dog named Bosun.

The hunt goes perfectly. The Jeep handles the terrain well, the rifle aims true and Bosun is the best bird dog this hunter has ever seen. As he settles his bill with the outfitter, he books a trip for the following year and says, “I want that same rifle, that same Jeep and Bosun.” The outfitter makes the note and our hunter departs.

The following year, the hunter arrives back at camp anxious to get started. The outfitter greets him and says, “Here’s the same rifle you used last year; I have your same Jeep gassed up and ready, and here is Ruger, he’ll be your bird dog this year. I’m afraid Bosun had a terrible accident.”

Concerned, the hunter asks, “Was he shot?”

“Oh no, nothing like that,” says the outfitter. “One of our hunters accidentally called him Skipper for a week, and now all he does is stand around and bark at everybody.”

Business Owners are Diversifying to Create Growth

My business is educating consumers on how to find a top quality electronic security companies for their home and business.  I also travel the country training well intentioned professional security companies on how to educate and market to today’s educated consumers. 

The majority of the alarm companies that I have trained over the years are new startups that need direction and also quality existing alarm dealers that have hit a plateau and are looking for direction to move past it.

I have noticed a very interesting trend in the companies that have been making contact and requesting information or training lately.  I’m seeing a large spike in companies that are not in the alarm business but have a large existing customer base. In these down times, they are looking to diversify their products so that they can re- work their existing good business to client relationships.  This makes great sense in a time where it’s a much longer than normal cycle to create a new client. This is likely because of the level of caution consumers are practicing with their expenses.  

In times of good economy people can afford to buy alarm systems and in a time of bad economy people prioritize protection for themselves and their loved ones.  This is why the multibillion dollar alarm industry is considered to be recession proof and why so many businesses are looking to add an alarm dealership to their product lines.

A perfect example of such diversification is Slomin’s on the eastern seaboard of the US. This is a large heating oil and air conditioning company that diversified it’s offerings to security systems for their existing clients. Now they are considered to be one of the top earning producers in the industry and growing every year.

The types of businesses that have been calling for training and direction are: electricians, home entertainment companies, credit card processing companies, builders and cell phone dealerships, to name a few.

Could a complete alarm dealership training consultation help your business enjoy the recession proof growth that will offset the downward trends you are experiencing? If so be sure that the consultation you seek is complete and developed to grow your company in steps, so that you don’t have to make the same mistakes that those without guidance have experienced.

Matthew is a 26 year veteran of the alarm industry. He has served as an installer, salesman, licensed alarm company owner, monitoring station designer, promotions and marketing director with one of the world’s top producing security dealers. He now works as a consumer advocate, teaching consumers how to buy alarm systems properly. As a direct result of properly training consumers, he is often called upon to consult alarm dealerships on how to market to the educated consumers that today’s alarm dealer is finding. He is committed to being unbiased www.learnalarms.com