The new RYA SafeTrx app lets you plot your course via your iOS or Android device
The RYA has launched a new app that could help to reduce the amount of time it takes the coastguard to track down a missing boat.
RYA SafeTrx, which is compatible with Android and iOS devices, allows users to plot and then upload their passage plan and estimated time of arrival.
If the ETA is exceeded without the trip being completed, then the designated emergency contacts are automatically notified.
Using the data sent by the SafeTrx app during a voyage, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency will be able to pinpoint lost and stricken boats more quickly.
Keith Oliver, head of maritime operations at the MCA, explained why this information is so valuable:
“During a search and rescue incident, the UK coastguard collects vital information about the people and vessels involved.
“When did they set off? Where were they going? When were they due back? What was their last known location?
“These are all vital pieces of the puzzle and the coastguard welcomes any system that can contribute to the information gathering effort. RYA SafeTrx will help provide this information, meaning that valuable time is not lost.”
This technology has been in use in Ireland and Australia for some time, and now the RYA’s adoption allows members to take advantage of the service in UK territorial waters for free.
Non-members can download the app free of charge, and data logging credits are available in bundles of ten for £1.49 or 20 for £2.49.
The app can also deliver performance analytics for those keen to plot their average speed or total distance travelled.
Stuart Carruthers, cruising manager at the RYA, hailed the app as a potentially huge benefit to small vessel owners:
“Although RYA SafeTrx is not intended as a replacement for regular approved safety devices (VHF, APIB, AIS, etc.) it will be beneficial to the one million users of small powerboats, RIBs, PWCs and for dinghy cruisers for whom existing tracking technology is not always practical.
“Until now a simple, cost-effective system of tracking and alerting has not been available for these boat users. When we learned about this app and its enormous safety benefits we knew that we had to bring it to the UK”.
RYA SafeTrx is available to download now from the iTunes app store, while Android users can find the app on the Google Play Store.
Click on the video below to get a quick introduction to SafeTrx:
