From the press release: DeLorme, the innovation leader in personal satellite tracking, messaging and navigation technology, today announced that it is contributing an inReach two-way personal satellite communicator and airtime to support Beneteau Powerboats’ Greatest Loop Expedition.
The DeLorme inReach product, which won the National Marine Manufacturers Association Innovation Award at the 2012 Miami International Boat Show, is the first consumer-affordable personal satellite communication device offering two-way Follow-Me/Find-Me tracking and locating, text messaging and SOS alerting anywhere on the face of the Earth through the Iridium satellite network.
For the Greatest Loop Expedition, a new Beneteau Swift Trawler 34, crewed by teams of Beneteau dealers and journalists from major U.S. boating magazines, will circumnavigate Eastern North America. The voyage will launch from Annapolis, Md. today and will include inland rivers and canals, the Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway, returning to Annapolis in September.
“The inReach device will provide an important margin of safety for the crew with its built-in SOS button that sends an instant distress alert to the GEOS international search-and-rescue center in case of an emergency,” said Laurent Fabre, vice president of sales and marketing for Beneteau’s Powerboats Division. “The inReach’s GPS tracking facility will also enable families, friends and other interested parties to view the vessel’s latest position and progress on a map display on our dedicated website www.thegreatestloop.com.”
“In addition to SOS and GPS tracking, the inReach service will permit the crew to send and receive text messages through a wireless Bluetooth connection and mobile app that runs on smartphones and tablets,” said Patrick Shay, DeLorme vice president and general manager for Connected Solutions. “This effectively converts the smartphone into a global two-way satellite texting device for use when outside cellular coverage. The free mobile app also allows DeLorme terrain maps and NOAA nautical charts to be downloaded to the mobile device for improved situational awareness and backup GPS navigation in an emergency.”
