Keeping Andiamo's Tender Safe During Extended Operations At Night
Protecting a superyacht tender or chase boat is about far more than knowing where it is. During towing and operations, understanding the tender's condition can be just as important as its position.
Tracking systems like Yacht Trace provide real-time awareness of tenders without adding complexity to bridge operations. (Photo: Yacht Trace)
Captain Jonathan Chell of M/Y Andiamo has been using the Yacht Trace tender monitoring system during operations.
Following a continuous 900-nautical-mile passage, Captain Chell said:
"Throughout the voyage the system proved reliable, intuitive and unobtrusive, providing real-time awareness of our tender without adding complexity to bridge operations.
The two-way monitoring system continuously reports tow status, battery condition, bilge activity and the tender's position relative to the mothership, using its own dedicated communications network rather than relying solely on cellular coverage or AIS. This provides confidence that any developing issue would be identified immediately, even in remote operating areas.
From a practical standpoint, the installation was straightforward, the interface is simple to use, and after the initial setup the system quietly does its job in the background. Having completed a 900nm passage with it in operation, we are very happy with its performance and see it as another valuable layer of safety when towing, particularly during longer passages and night operations. It has given us greater confidence in our towing procedures and is a system we are pleased to have onboard."
Developed by Dr Dan Rogers, who holds a PhD in Control Systems, Yacht Trace uses independent GPS receivers on both the mothership and tender, linked by a proprietary two-way RF communications network. Rather than simply displaying a tender's position, the system continuously calculates the live separation between the two vessels, providing immediate alerts if the tow distance changes unexpectedly or the tow line parts.
The system also continuously monitors bilge activity and battery condition. Water entering a tender can significantly increase its weight, creating additional drag and shock loading on the tow line. In many cases, this increased load is a contributing factor in tow rope failure. By identifying unexpected bilge pump activity or rising water at an early stage, the crew can investigate and take corrective action before excessive loads develop or the tender is damaged.
Unlike AIS or conventional trackers, which generally report where the tender is after an incident has occurred, Yacht Trace is designed to provide pre-emptive monitoring, giving crews early warning while there is still an opportunity to intervene, to not risk losing the tender and having charters disrupted or face unnecessary financial burdens.