Hurricane season is upon us

As we are now entering into an intense period of storms, please ensure your vessel and crew are safe and protected.

Keep in mind that other people's inaction to protect their vessels (improperly secured to the berth) can damage your vessel that is safely secured.

Also, remember that after any major event, there are predators out there that will take advantage of the situation. Protect yourself and your assets.

Update to site

Here are some news items you may find interesting.

Germans freed by pirates (Somalia) - http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20080714105425ibinews.html

Tourists attacked in Guatemala - http://ph.news.yahoo.com/ap/20080811/twl-guatemala-us-tourist-killed-ef375f8.html

Armed robbery of Superyacht - http://www.noonsite.com/Members/sue/R2008-08-27-1/view. http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20080727115013ibinews.html

From Feraljundi - a great source for what is happening in the security sector - http://feraljundi.com/2008/08/27/maritime-security-the-wfp-may-use-private-naval-companies-for-somalia-operations/

There are several other items on my radar screen, dealing with boat thefts here in Florida. Protect what you have, let Maritime Vital Asset Protection give you a hand doing it.

Seen the news lately

There is good news and bad, it seems.

The German yachtsmen who were being held by some Somali pirates were released after 41 days. The bad news is that there are reports from Yemen that another yacht is feared taken by pirates.

One other piece of bad news - a retired couple was attacked in Guatemala - exact circumstances are still coming out.

Please prepare yourself for cruising. There is no need for paranoia, just more situational awareness and a few precautions and some of these incidents can be averted.

Drop Maritime Vital Asset Protection, LLC a line if you need assistance or training to help prepare you for your travels.

Raymarine Life Tag Wireless MOB System!

Raymarine Life Tag Wireless MOB System!

from GIIRA YACHTS - India's First Yacht Blog by Giira

Its always fun to go cruising down the river or cutting through the waves of the ocean with your family or friends on a nice Sunday evening. But there is always concern for safety for your little ones.


There was a time when you had to keep a watch on your kids all the time while you are out cruising. But when you are on a 150+ luxury mega yacht its very difficult to keep an eye on them. thats when Raymarine Life Tag Wireless MOB ( man over board) System comes in good use. Its a small light device which can be attached to child’s life jacket, or stuffed into a child’s pocket..


The Life Tag operates on the same wavelength as a master unit that is mounted in the center of the boat, so if the life tag or the life tag attached on the child gets drifted more than 30 feet from the center of the boat a loud beep alarm will be activated.

So if your yacht is docked at marina you will never fear your child wondering away from the boat or by any chance if your child falls off the boat while cruising the alarm will go on and the captain will immediately stop the boat and retrieve him/ her.


Its a great feature considering its rate. Costing just above 600$ for this unit, it is less than most larger, crewed charter yachts spend on champagne for the week. No doubt this product is going to do great in the market and i see it being used a lot on the chartered yachts that welcome family with young children. This product is simply amazing for its prise and size and is a must buy for all yacht owners!

Comment: A perfect addition to the lifesaving tools and skills to protect you and your loved ones.

TWIC Update

On a personal note, I received my Transportation Worker Identification Card (TWIC) - about 2 1/2 weeks after applying.

When I applied, the office told me it would take 4-6 weeks.

I ma pleasantly surprised at the speed this took. In a good way.

Coda Octopus - Underwater Inspection System in 4 Dimensions

I had the pleasure of receiving a demonstration of the CODA UIS (Underwater Inspection System) in St. Petersburg, Florida this week. It is 4 dimensional as it works to provide information on the Height, Width, and Depth (3D) with the fourth dimension, Time, added in.

Basically, it provides a graphic display of the sea floor (or hull, or pilings under the pier) visually in real time - as you are traveling the length of the pier face, it is giving you the visual output at the same time - great for spotting anomalies that you will want to investigate further (such as suspicious objects, divers, etc.).

It can be a mobile platform (outfitted to a small craft) or a static position - the employment method is really limited to the imagination of the user.

For more information, please go to http://www.codaoctopus.com/. Let me know what you think.