GPS gadgets keep getting better: Blackline Harpoon is a must have for boaters

If there ever was two things that go great together, it is peanut butter and chocolate. If ever there were two things that go great together, it would be the aforementioned peanut butter and chocolate and then GPS and cell connection. The pair are a regular Batman and Robin of the gadget world. Now, they want to save your watercraft.

Maybe you remember this dude? He owned a motorcycle that apparently, everyone wanted and it kept getting stolen. So, the dude went out and purchased a GPS snitch so the next time it was stolen, the cops tracked it down. And then the next time it was stolen yet again, the cops tracked it down. All thanks to GPS and a cell connection.

It is a little known fact that most boats are guarded pretty lightly. Usually a cheap padlock is all that stand between a thief and thousands of dollars of electronics not to mention the value of the boat itself. So, the GPS snitch folks decided to bring their tech to yachtsmen (and presumably yachtswomen) everywhere.

Starting Q1 of ’09 (just missing the holiday season), the $349 GPS and cell connection dubbed Harpoon by manufacturer Blackline will offer you the same kind of recover-ability as they did for the motorcycle guy. But, with this product, they offer a whole bunch more that is of keen interest to any boater.

For starters, owners can set a perimeter for the boat. Should the boat pass outside the perimeter, notifications go out and Blackline, the manufacturer works with the authorities to recover the boat. Cleverly, a key fob (you’d logically keep with you) deactivates the perimeter and allows you to forget about the system until you need it. Genius. Leave with your key fob and your system automatically activates.

The next big feature is the GPS has a web portal that will enable your boats position to be seen by those you grant access to. No more having 8 phone calls to make when you reach a port. No more wondering if yachting friends made their passage safely, just look them up and their GPS position lets you know where the boat is instantly. My boat stays in the strong tidal pull at the mouth of a river. I frequently worry about the mooring holding, especially as bad weather rolls in. With the Harpoon, I can simply snoop on the boat via GPS and have my fears allayed or realized. But either way, information is king.

Another huge feature is battery life. Since the GPS unit is hooked up to the boats battery bank, it reports your battery level online. If your battery gets low, you can even set it up to text you with a warning. Talk about handy! Battery life is a big deal for boats and this feature makes the price of admission fully divisible by two in my book (half for GPS, half for this feature).

Blackline looks to be pretty straight forward: no contracts or hidden fees according to the press release. The unit sells for $349 with a $19.99 monthly charge for service or $199.99 for the year. Not a bad price to pay to have that sinking feeling removed from your stomach.

Product page [BlackLine GPS]