Owning a Smart Boat

I grew up in Florida, not Norway. But I now live in Norway. 

And I can tell you — boating in Norway, on the west coast of Norway in particular, requires, shall we say, well, more.

More awareness of the weather, because it is ever shifting. A storm can quite literally come out of nowhere, with no warning (no forecast).

More awareness of safety, because the waters around Fanafjorden, where I am based, mix the currents from the wide open ocean — the next body of water, just 10 minutes from my house at a reasonable clip, is literally the North Sea, a lady not known for her good graces.

More awareness of other boats, from cruise ships coming in and out of Bergen to the fishing vessels heading out of Austevoll daily — as well as the many other recreational boaters like myself (we love our boats here on the west coast).

And in particular: more diligence in terms of keeping the boat safe at harbour. We live right on the mouth of Fanahammeren, with no natural barriers, so our modest 21 footer can look like a hapless bobbing cork in water at times. We are down to the dock several times per week to check moorings and the condition of the boat. 

And when we travel we just bite our nails and hope for the best if hear a storm has kicked up.

But now I own a Smart Boat, thanks to the good folks at Sensar Marine who have just launched a product called Smart Boat One. It´s a sensor that you install in your boat that can detect wave movement, water levels in the boat, battery strength, if the bilge pump is indeed on and working, etc. 

And it comes with an app so I am literally connected to my boat at all times. 

You can set a geofence so if your boat mysteriously starts to leave its position then you get an alarm. 

You can receive notifications if things are starting to go wrong — the battery is going weak, too much water in the boat and ultimately if the movement of the boat is starting to become dangerously rough.

My wife has the app as well so she always knows where we are when I take the kids out for a trip. Should anything go wrong, it´s no problem to know our last position. 

A boat is a big investment, a luxury, let´s face it. I feel like Smart Boat One helps me get more out of that investment — and saves me money by saving me from damage and even theft. And most important, Smart Boat One keeps me safe on the water.

Kelly Moulton,
Smart Boat Owner