8 Best GPS Tracker For Boats in 2023-Tested Review

 

The advanced GPS trackers are beneficial in knowing the real-time locations of your loved ones and belongings and assist in their security. They are often used to track your vehicles on the road. However, there are boat trackers available in the market that assist in tracking offshore too. You can use advanced GPS tracker for boats to track the precise locations of boats, yachts, jet skis, or any other watercraft.

Whether you own a boat for personal use or occupation, a GPS tracker will come in handy all time. They allow you to monitor your boat when you are not on board and assist in various safety measures. Water transport is way more challenging than land. You can face much unknown trouble while traveling by water. Issues like engine breakdown, thunderstorms, and losing paths, are common while you travel by water.

Using a GPS tracker for boats while passing through a waterway can be lifesaving in many situations. It lets you send the accurate locations when you can’t escape the water in emergencies. If you wish to get yourself a boat tracker, you need to learn what it can offer.

Best Boat trackers for boats

*The list below does not represent ranking.

What should you look for in Boat Trackers?

Tracking something on land and tracking something on the water are poles apart. The first thing that comes to mind when talking about any device or tech for a boat is waterproof. Likewise, several other features must be unique to a boat GPS tracker. So, here’s a list of features that are must-haves when it comes to an ideal GPS boat tracker:

Real-Time Location Tracking

One of the major concerns about traveling on water is getting help in case of an emergency. When you own boats, knowing their whereabouts and conditions is one of the major concerns. Using a GPS tracker on your boat will allow you to know their real-time location anytime you want. Knowing the accurate location of your watercraft will let you make the appropriate decisions. You might want to send your family boating without you.

Be it your kids for boating, teens for surfing, or the elderly for fishing, in any of these cases, you can stay carefree when you know exactly where they are. Boat trackers allow you to check whether they are choosing safe spots for boating or not. After their boating, you can always guide your loved ones about the areas they need to be cautious about and be aware of next time.

Waterproof Device

The whole point of buying a boat tracker is to use it on and off in the water areas. The boat GPS tracker should be a water-resistant device so that you can use it in any part of your vessel without worrying about it getting damaged. Many advanced trackers have the option of magnetic mounting. It won’t be an issue for a waterproof tracker if you mount it even under your watercraft. A waterproof GPS tracker is also helpful for people involved in water sports, rescue services, and deepwater divers.

Smart Alerting System

A boat tracker must send you notifications on many different activities. It should come with a smart alerting system assisting you in many different ways. The best GPS trackers with alerts include:

• SOS Button: To send alerts to your contacts or emergency services in case of emergencies
• Geofence Alert: To set virtual boundaries and get alerts if your boat enters or exit that preset area
• Alert On Shock/Collision: To alert you when your watercraft meets an accident
• Movement Alert: To alert you when your anchored boat or is moving (could be due to storm or theft) in your absence 

Customized Alert Messages

Many boat trackers provide you with the feature to preload the message, which can be sent to the predefined contacts with a single button. This feature comes in handy for sending unobtrusive signals, notifications, or emergency alarms to someone. It is always better to send a coherent message rather than just using the SOS alarm feature.

Two-Way Communication

Some boat trackers provide you with the feature of two-way communication. You can use this feature to send a direct message to a contact and receive a reply from them. It is one of the best features as it makes your tracker equivalent to a cell phone. The two-way communication could be either by message or by calling. 

User-Friendly Mapping

It is one of the main factors in choosing your boat tracker. You need to check how your chosen tracker displays your positions. While some trackers don’t have a mapping portal and integrate with mapping apps, other trackers have their own mapping portal with a brilliant user interface. You get to see all the details of signs and locations on their maps.

Why do you need a boat tracker?

A boat tracker is precisely used to track the locations of boats and other watercraft. However, you can use it as a multipurpose device in your daily routine. A boat tracker can be helpful in many ways. Here are some of the best advantages of using a boat tracker:

Safety

If you are using a boat for transportation, safety should be the primary step for yourself and your family. A boat GPS tracker provides you with accurate location and alerts. You can monitor where your family members travel through a boat and guide them for necessary safety measures accordingly. It is the best device that can even work underwater. 

Routes

With a boat tracker, you can keep track of the routes where you or your family travels. This way you can analyze the better and safer routes that are appropriate for your boat as well. Moreover, you can save fuel when you have good knowledge about the paths.

Save time and money

Choosing appropriate tools can help in saving your time and money. A boat GPS tracker can prove to be a cost-effective device as it has multifaceted functions at an affordable price. You can use the tracker to find your paths, and it may reduce the expenditure in your day-to-day task or business.

Help in emergencies

As the alert system in boat trackers has improved with time, it is a godsend to you in case of emergencies. With your boat tracker, you can easily contact your dear ones or any emergency service through the SOS alert or two-way communication features.

Durability

Although a boat tracker has no direct effect on the life of your boat, yet it helps you to keep your boat safer and damage-free. With the help of a boat tracker, you know when and where you should travel. You get a good idea of the conditions of the routes and prevent your vessels from getting damaged.

Help in spying

You can use a boat tracker to keep an eye on someone suspicious. If you think anyone is befooling you and you want to know their real intentions, you can use the tracker to spy on them. For instance, if someone is using your boat for smuggling illegal goods, the tracker may help you find it out with their locations and suspicious actions.

FAQs

Where should I install a boat tracker?

Mostly, the boat trackers are portable devices. You can keep them anywhere they fit. It could be a pocket, bag, toolbox, etc. If the tracker is a fixed type, you can attach it to your watercraft with the help of a magnetic mount case.

What is the location update interval for a boat tracker?

A boat tracker may provide you the updates in (5,10,30, and 60)-minutes intervals. It depends on what brand you are choosing.

What is the weight of a boat tracker?

Generally, a boat tracker weighs between 3 to 5 ounces.