Man Overboard Tracking Device Survey

[patchoe]

Hello all,
I am an MBA Student at Babson College and I'm currently starting my last class prior to graduation. As part of this class, we are required to conceive of a product or service idea, characterize its market potential, and develop a preliminary business plan around it. Naturally, I chose to explore an idea that centered on sailing. I would be extremely grateful if you would take a moment to take the below survey. It shouldn't take more than 5 minutes. Your help is greatly appreciated!

CrewTender Survey
SurveyMonkey - Survey Preview

Thanks again!
Pat Choe

[night0wl]

Got errors when taking your survey:

This is not a valid survey link.

Please contact the author of the survey and have them resend you the correct link to this survey.


That being said, there are a few products out there that do some/most of what you're offering.

First, there's the Raymarine's LifeTag MOB base station/bracelet system:
Raymarine Marine Electronics - LifeTag
These run about $800 street price with 4 crew bracelts. They will sound an alert and alarm if a crew member goes more than a certain distance from the base station (assuming a distance overboard). If its on the Raymarine network along with your Raymarine chartplotter, it will also key in your Man Overboard waypoint (MOB). The weakness of this product is that its only an "alert" mechanism. Other than laying a breadcrumb trail back to where a person potentially sounded the MOB alarm (either automatic or triggered), it wont help you FIND the crew that went overboard.

While I cant find it online right now, there used to be a PLB/base station combination that operated on the last generation EPIRB frequency that allowed someone with a base station/search and rescue kit to "track" where a person with a 243 Mhz PLB was in the water. I haven't seen such a package with this generations EPIRB/PLB devices. I guess the thought is just punch the device and wait for the Coasties to get you. Cold comfort for ocean crossers among us, as that will likely be a body recovery exercise rather than a rescue.

So I guess the full package of what you'd be offering would be a combination MOB pendent (ala raymarine) with the trackdown capability of teh Search and Rescue base station along with a last gen PLB. Seems like a lot to wear, I'd be interested in your offering if it can do that all in one and is viable for search off the boat one falls off of (ie, interfaces with an autopilot to turn the boat to track to where the distress beacon is coming from)

[patchoe]

Hi Nightowl,
Thanks for catching the error with the link. I thought I verified it before posting but I guess it slipped through. Please find the proper link below:

Nimbus Nautical Systems Market Survey

Thanks also for your research into the lifetag system. I tried to keep my post and survey "crisp and pithy" (as a professor of ours likes to say) but in doing so I glossed over a lot.

You are right on the money on the added tracking benefit (beyond just a waypoint) of this system. We're considering using an AIS type system to aid in tracking. In addition, we're not interested in combining or replacing an epirb system. This would allow the skipper to decide in firing off an elephant gun was necessary in order to help in the SAR process. Another added benefit is that we're looking for the tracking device (worn by the individual) to be relatively small and innocuous in order to insure that people will wear them.

I hope this sheds a bit more light on our entire idealistic offering. Again, thanks for your feedback and please do not hesitate to provide any insight or thoughts. We're interested to hear it all.

Nimbus Nautical Systems Market Survey

Thanks,
Patrick

[night0wl]

Originally Posted by patchoe

Hi Nightowl,
Thanks for catching the error with the link. I thought I verified it before posting but I guess it slipped through. Please find the proper link below:

Nimbus Nautical Systems Market Survey

Thanks also for your research into the lifetag system. I tried to keep my post and survey "crisp and pithy" (as a professor of ours likes to say) but in doing so I glossed over a lot.

You are right on the money on the added tracking benefit (beyond just a waypoint) of this system. We're considering using an AIS type system to aid in tracking. In addition, we're not interested in combining or replacing an epirb system. This would allow the skipper to decide in firing off an elephant gun was necessary in order to help in the SAR process. Another added benefit is that we're looking for the tracking device (worn by the individual) to be relatively small and innocuous in order to insure that people will wear them.

I hope this sheds a bit more light on our entire idealistic offering. Again, thanks for your feedback and please do not hesitate to provide any insight or thoughts. We're interested to hear it all.

Nimbus Nautical Systems Market Survey

Thanks,
Patrick

What you've described is *IDEAL*...the trackdown on the open oceans is important for husband and wife team doing a passage, or a small crew situation. Heck, if you can get it to speak to the autopilot and "seek" a MOB signal, singlehandlers would love it too (never mind those pesky sail trim issues).

Some limitations on AIS. AIS transmitters are tied to a vessel. I dont know how it works to have more than 1 registered per vessel...dont know if thats a no-no. Also, what about the intricacies of Class A vs B (I'm confused on these myself. I hear that Class B is for recreational and is transmit).

Also - AIS works on VHF frequencies I believe. That is stricly a line of sight mechanism, and the frequencies operated (Channel 87/88 I believe - which are 161.975 and 162.025 Mhz respectively) These are much lower strength frequencies than EPIRB/SAR frequences (which were 243Mhz last gen and now 406 Mhz)....seems to be that there would be a distance issue with using AIS as the trackdown frequency...I'd love to know what the effective distance of trackdown for your product would be...especially important for those power boaters that cruise at 20+ knots...less important for us sailors going at 6-9 knots.

[patchoe]

Hi Nightowl,
We're really glad to hear that the product concept resonates with you.
And thanks for the in depth thoughts on AIS, we were unfamiliar with the intricacies behind the signal.
You've give us a lot of information to think about particularly on how we want to position this concept.

Thanks for your help we really appreciate it!

Patrick

[tommays]

When were out in open water its 100% harnessed to the boat and don't even leave the cabin with handing somebody on deck the tether to clip in

In most recent race if anybody gone over there would have been pretty much no way to get them back on board alive due to water temp and sea state

[patchoe]

Thanks for your input Tommays.
Is a tether during a race a mandatory requirement by the race rules? Or is something like that left to each individual team?

I may not have emphasized this in my earlier post but one of the added benefits of having the small innocuous bracelet/watch is that you have a great deal more freedom than you would with a tether or life jacket.

Acknowledging nightOwl's technical challenges above, one of the benefits of AIS would be that any other boats in the surrounding area that may be closer to the man in the water could be notified and reduce the time to rescue. Some food for thought for my team and myself at least.

Thanks agian for your input!

Patrick