Tracking & MOB Systems to Live By

It’s no coincidence that “The Iliad” was set on a boat: It’s the one place where we are totally subject to nature’s whims. For anyone who has ever gone to sea in bad weather, there is always a sense of relief when you tie off and once again set foot on solid ground.

Today, with more sophisticated rescue systems, it’s a less terrifying prospect. We have GPS navigation and hourly weather reports. We have sturdy boats, backup tenders and life-rafts. And, in the event of an emergency, we have the tracking technology to facilitate rescue operations that would never have been feasible even one generation ago.

It all started with the arrival of GPS, says Jeremy Harrison, president and managing director of McMurdo Group. “[GPS] was a huge leap in technology,” he says, “because all of a sudden you were able to work out not only your position, but also the position of where you wanted to go or where you needed to go and then plot a course immediately between the two.”

GPS arrived as a tool for the search-and-rescue (SAR) industry in the early 2000s, and the technology has been getting faster and more effective ever since. It’s some of the most important equipment on board, and there are some important facts to be aware of; one day it might just save your life.

 

See more at: http://www.onboardonline.com/features/tracking-and-mob-systems-to-live-by/#sthash.9wBb69Ew.dpuf