What Customers Are Saying About the AISWatchMate...

I've put a few miles under the keel, and the WatchMate has always done what it was supposed to, it sits in the corner of the navigation area and makes a noise when a ship comes too close. Big deal, it works.

BUT, now I'm at 07.58S / 74.57E, 14 days out from the Sunda Strait on a 4000 mile singlehanded passage to Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania. I've come across the track that all the big boys take between the bottom of Africa and Singapore, and have had up to 14 ships within my 6 mile guard zone for the last day or so. The WatchMate got me through the worst of it without any stress, and I thought I had seen the last of them, so had gone below for a rest. Then along came 'LIBRA MEXICO', 261 Meters long and traveling at 19 Knots, the WatchMate knew this one was different, and gave me an alarm even before the 6 mile zone, I guess on Time to CPA. It was obvious that this one needed to be watched closely, as the CPA was varying between .04 and .01 miles either side of me, way too close. I watched until "LIBRA MEXICO" was two miles off, when the WatchMate screen changed to "COLLISION WARNING". That's when I knew it was time to talk to this monster and work out a plan, and very professionally the ship's officer queried my status, power or sail, and advised me he would turn to starboard and give me one mile clearance. All very nice.

I have no way of knowing how this would have all worked out if I had not been given that initial warning and come on deck for a look. Maybe the 'LIBRA MEXICO" would have missed me, or maybe they would have eventually seen me on radar, but then again, maybe not. All I know is that in my mind the WatchMate paid for itself in that one short twenty minute encounter.

It's a nice bit of gear to have, and if it was made mandatory for offshore yachts I would not complain.

Lindsay Walkley, "Avolare", Indian Ocean

The WatchMate is the most cost-effective marine safety advance in decades. Given a choice between AIS and RADAR, I'd pick the WatchMate, at a fraction of the cost.

Cap'n Gary "Fatty" Goodlander, Editor Cruising World Magazine

On starting up WatchMate for the first time has been a real revelation.

All the data I need to keep Skoiern IV my family, crew and I much safer is well organised and at hand.

A new world of experence has opened up for sailing.

Once, I was only a few boat lengths from being rundown on my 2 am watch.

The night was clear but there where about 20 ships anchored outside the harbour. As we were making our way south down the coast. On board were my son and daughter in-law fast asleep recovering from a few days of heavy weather fast coastal sailing... little did they know being fast asleep the close call we where experiencing..

The ship just missed us coming out of Newcastle harbour in NSW. it was so close as it passed my bow I could not read the name. Now that's too close when you can't read the name as the lettering and the side of the ship was...just passing my bow.

Now with your WatchMate, shipping and a maze of crowded harbour lights one can pick out who is steaming and what ship is not. To ones tired eyes moving masses of steel now have names and direction and clarity.

Clearly for me WatchMate is a real boon, and to anyone who wanted to stay well away from shipping. I can tell it has been designed by a sailor.

Normally I'm a private person, for reasons of safety you can use this letter on your website that's how highly I think of your achievement, really amazing piece of gear.

And many thanks for your great service and support advice.

John Majewski, "Skoiern IV", Australia

Thanks again for your great support! I hope we'll get an "eyeball" when next we sail down to New Zealand. I'll be very happy to sing the praises of both the WatchMate as a product and your service which was above and beyond the call.

The WatchMate is absolutely magical! It routinely provides 20 minutes or more warning of potentially close situations offshore. With the Watchmate we can make small course corrections to get comfortable CPAs while the target is still well beyond RADAR range. The WatchMate provides target names and call signs which makes calling them on the radio easy. Even for targets that are no threat it is fun to know who they are and where they are going. For years we've watched traffic on the horizon and wondered who they were and where they were going. With the WatchMate we know.

Tom Webb and Maryann Barnett, "Linda", La Paz, Mexico