Article by Capt. Steve Katz
What does a Cat say?
If you have Caterpillar engines and a “gplink” system, your boat can “talk” to you by sending you alerts and updates by text or email in addition to communicating with the trained staff at the gplink call center 24-hours a day and around the world. The GSM/satellite based tracking, monitoring and notification system was specifically designed for Cat engines and has recently been adapted to work with other modern engines. Beyond the all-important monitoring of diagnostics and engine operating parameters the system does much more.
The gplink system includes hardware that connects to the engine computer system, wireless remote sensors for vessel monitoring and wireless data link through GSM or Iridium satellite networks. The gplink has three basic functions; monitor and track, secure and protect and diagnose and repair.
Monitor and track
With its independent GPS system and iridium satellite/GSM cellular communications system, the gplink constantly tracks and records the vessels position, speed and heading in near real time. This data is recorded and available on the gplink website and on a Smartphone with the gplink app. Gplink’s Geo-Fence feature allows the vessel operator to set up a precise boundary within which the boat should be operating or docked. Any unauthorized movement outside that boundary will prompt an immediate notification from gplink to the vessel operator. The tracking tools allow for live views of your assets, historic route plotting and advanced geofencing capabilities with all the convenience of the familiar Google Maps interface.
Secure and protect
Gplink is designed to remotely monitor and notify you of any alarm conditions that may occur with your electrical power or other critical safety systems, such as, fire, AC power, DC power and bilge levels.
Alert notifications are sent automatically, according to your delivery preferences, via SMS text message and/or email, as well as alerting the gplink concierge. Gplink can also interface with existing security systems to instantly notify you of tripped alarms.
Diagnose and repair.
Gplink’s monitoring of a vessel’s critical engine parameters is supported by trained Caterpillar Technical experts in the gplink call center. Gplink remotely monitors the most critical parameters of your engines or generators. With these remote capabilities, gplink experts can remotely access any fault codes or operating conditions, review a vessel’s alarm status, troubleshoot any engine conditions and potentially eliminate a service technician’s preliminary visit to a vessel. Gplink monitors all critical engine vitals and sends notifications when an alarm status is activated. This includes fluid levels and temperatures, check engine codes, electrical and exhaust status, fuel burn rate and much more. Beyond showing you near real-time data, gplink also archives all data, which can be referenced at any time. On-demand reports can be compiled by date range, shift, alarms, DM codes, geofences, engine logs and position to easily identify wasteful habits. You’ll also receive monthly updates on any alarms received during the month, a complete engine diagnostic report and any other important updates. While originally designed for Caterpillar engines, the gplink Remote Monitoring system can now be installed to any vessel whose engines have J1939 or J1587 available, which includes most major engine manufacturers.
Beyond the technical features of the platform, there are a plethora of benefits to installing a gplink system on your boat. In addition to 24/7 monitoring by the gplink concierge, authorized members of the engine dealer network can access the system to diagnose any issues with your engines or generators quickly and efficiently. Gplink concierges’ will help you schedule repairs at the closest Caterpillar dealer or your preferred Caterpillar dealer and give the dealer your engine data, allowing the dealer to be prepared with parts and labor to remedy the situation.
Insurance Discounts
Besides the exclusive ACE gplink Insurance endorsement for recreational vessels, most gplink customers have been able to negotiate discounts with their current insurers – discounts large enough to easily cover the costs of installation. The ACE gplink Insurance Program is an exclusive offer to owners of boats that are powered by Caterpillar engines and equipped with an active gplink monitoring system and service. This new program offers premium savings as well as coverage enhancements, including an expanded towing benefit that reimburses owners for the costs of transporting an insured vessel to an approved Caterpillar repair facility in the event of a covered breakdown. This offers peace of mind to boat owners who can have confidence their vessel will be serviced by a Caterpillar-trained specialist.
Gplink is authorized for use in over 30 countries across five continents with several more in the approval process, including Turkey and Trinidad, which are set to come online in the near future.
One of gplinks customers, Adam LaRosa explains the savings of the gplink system, “Not only in the form of money, but in time and stress as well.” He tells of a time when he received an SMS alert for loss of shore power while the boat was at a marina, giving him time to contact a captain to get to the boat and run the generators overnight to save the bait and food on board. “Not only did it save me hundreds of dollars in bait and food, but it also saved the cabin from the smell of stale and rotting food and saved the time it would have taken to clean up the mess,” recalls LaRosa.
Another gplink customer, David Smith of the “Knotty Girl”, a 74-foot Ocean Alexander motoryacht, received a low engine coolant alert on his trip towards Fernandina Beach, Florida. Fearing the worst before knowing the issue, he set pace towards the nearest shoreline. Within a matter of minutes, David was contacted by a representative at GPLink and had a service call scheduled with Blanchard CAT as soon as he arrived in Charleston, SC. Smith recounted the experience in a post, ”Bill and the Blanchard team came to the boat in Charleston and did a great job replacing the sensor. They were very professional and prompt. Thank you for your responsiveness and how effectively you were able to contact and arrange service. When you are in the open ocean with alarms ringing it can be lonely, but you were there for us.”
While there are other types of vessel monitoring systems in the marketplace, no other system integrates with the Caterpillar engines and is monitored by Caterpillar experts. Installation costs vary and monitoring subscriptions start at $1,500/year.
Captain Steve Katz is the owner of Steve’s Marine Service and holds NMEA, AMEI and NMEA2000 certificates along with ABYC Master Technician certification and factory training from many manufacturers.
