What We Learnt At The Boat Show

This last weekend was ultra busy and quite inspiring. We were on display at the Hutchwilco Boat Show in Auckland, the biggest boating exhibition in the country.

Part of the mission of spending four days on my feet and talking to hundreds of boat owners was to hear what was important to them, what they worried about and what problems had happened.

Here's what we were told:

• Thefts from boats do occur - more often than you realise. Batteries, fishing gear, outboards, TV's, navigation and fish finding electronics, drink stocks. If it can be carried, it can go.

• Shore Power goes off, and on, and off - it's very unreliable. Having the power go off for a short period isn't a critical drama. The BoatSecure hourly update and alert is perfect for alerting to an outage that hasn't been cleared.

• Intruders on the boat is increasingly common. When it happens it's not just one boat that is hit, often it is 10 or more. Our ability to monitor and send alerts on door openings and movement in the cabin is welcomed.

• Some boats leak all the time. That isn't an issue provided the bilge pump is coping and the issue isn't getting worse. Keeping a regular look out via our app is a peace of mind, and the alert on continuous pump running is just what is needed.

• Batteries last increasingly longer these days, but are getting pricier. Knowing the voltage let's you check that float voltage is OK and that deep discharge ruining the batteries isn't happening.

• GPS location and anchor drift monitoring for swing moorings and island exploration is nice to have and allows you to enjoy your time exploring better.

But what do we need to do next? More coverage across New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and the rest of the world. Stay tuned.

Also, how can we work with insurers to reduce your premium. This is a high priority for us too. Make sure you mention us to your broker or insurance company.

If you are one of the people that spoke to me at the Boat Show - Thank You very much. We'll be back in touch soon and look forward to setting you up with Boat Secure. If we didn't get your contact details at the time and want to follow up to discuss how we can protect your boat please get in touch with your details here.

Thank You and I look forward to having that chat.