SAFETY VIA GEOFENCING

SKIPPERI NZ, a boat-sharing service, has added geofencing to its Auckland fleet of Haines Hunter SF545 boats.

With geofencing, Skipperi will now be able to notify its users about shallow water and hazardous zones, speed restrictions or maximum speeds in harbour areas and protected areas for birds and sea mammals. It piggybacks on the onboard chartplotter’s GPS signal, showing a notification on the plotter screen, as well as emitting an audible warning signal.

“With an active boating community, we want to take the lead in utilising new technology to ensure smarter and safer boating,” says Skipperi New Zealand CEO, Alexander Rosenthal.

“In future we see the potential to work with environmental organisations to protect other sensitive locations, like pest-free islands and areas where sea life is endangered.”

Originally established in Finland in 2017, Skipperi launched into Auckland in June. It has a fleet of 15 Yamaha 115hp fourstroke-powered Haines Hunter SF545 boats.

Booking a boat is easy using the Skipperi app. The Skipperi fleet has all the necessary safety equipment.

Pricing starts at $279 per month for weekday usage, to $499 a month for usage across a full week. Reservation durations are 7.5 hours to 24-hour periods. When finished, simply refuel the boat ready for its next day’s adventure

Skipperi takes care of the boats’ maintenance, equipment, insurance and boat availability. The majority of Skipperi boaters are experienced skippers, however – as part of the membership – online courses are provided through the Coast Guard’s boating education platform. Practical training on the boats is also included in the subscription. www.skipperi.nz