Boat Fix announced that it launched a new rental fleet and charter-boat management service. Fleet Manager Pro works through an on-board telematics device with GPS and a built-in SIM card that transmits cellular data through 4G networks. The device can transmit worldwide to any cell tower from up to 20 miles offshore.
If cell service is unavailable, the device can store up to 10,000 GPS locations every 60 seconds. That data is uploaded once the vessel is back in cell range. Fleet Manager Pro stores all tracking data for seven years.
“Our devices collect a huge amount of data, and with our sophisticated monitoring software, there is nothing that the rental or charter operator does not know about every boat in the fleet,” Boat Fix head of operations Kevin Walsh said in a statement. “[This includes] how often the boat is used, where it went, how fast it went, how many days it sat idle, engine hours and more.”
Fleet Manager Pro requires the Boat Fix telematics device, which costs $139, and a strobe for $39. The strobe alerts users when they have gone outside of geofences set up by the rental or charter outfit. Boat Fix charges $139 a year for the SIM card data, business support and reports.
“In one season alone, we had multiple damaged lower units and replaced many props from boats grounding in places the member was advised to avoid because of underwater hazards,” said Lake St. Clair Freedom Boat Club owner Jared Irwin in the statement. “Boat Fix on every boat is a now a no-brainer, especially with the geofence strobe alarm that averts the problem automatically in real time.”
