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1st Mate Marine Safety and Security
Tuesday, September 01, 2020
1st Mate Marine Safety and Security System, introduced in June 2020 for Mercury SmartCraft® engines, delivers boating safety with convenience by pairing boaters’ mobile devices with wearable fobs to provide confidence through overboard alerts, distress messaging and theft-deterrence. 1st Mate is the boating industry’s first engine-integrated intelligent hub and wearable device that integrates with marine propulsion systems to provide safety alerts and information, including:
- Man Overboard monitoring
- Distress Message capability
- Theft Deterrent functionality
*The 1st Mate mobile app is available now in the Apple Store for iOS devices, with a version for Android devices coming soon.
Here’s a High-level View of How 1st Mate Works
The 1st Mate wearable wristband fobs or carabiners for the captain and up to seven passengers sync with the 1st Mate app and hub.
If any person or pet with a fob falls overboard, 1st Mate sounds an audible alarm and sends to all users a visual notification that includes the date, time and GPS coordinates of the overboard incident. Also, the Man Overboard event screen in the mobile app will show the GPS location where the person or pet fell overboard, instructions on how to restart the engines, and a dynamic heading of the vessel to assist with returning to the location where the person or pet went overboard.
Additionally, if the Captain (the driver wearing the captain fob) falls overboard, 1st Mate:
- Immediately stops the engine(s)
- Initiates the Distress Messaging procedure (see Distress Message below)
Distress Message
If a boat captain (driver wearing the captain’s fob) falls overboard, 1st Mate can send a distress message to the emergency contacts designated on the captain's mobile app. The distress message includes location, heading, date and time of the “man overboard” event.
Theft Deterrent System (TDS)
Theft Deterrent System locks the boat’s engine(s) to prevent unauthorized use. When the captain is ready to get back behind the wheel, the engine(s) can be easily unlocked via the proximity of the captain’s wearable or by using the 1st Mate mobile app.
Disable in Neutral Mercury
SmartCraft® engine users have the option to “Disable in Neutral,” which prevents Man Overboard actions and alarms from occurring when the engine(s) is in neutral and the signal from a fob is lost. This feature is helpful when a captain or passenger leaves the boat at a dock to get supplies but doesn’t want to turn off the engine.
Additional Information Regarding 1st Mate:
*Contact your Mercury Authorized Dealer for additional information regarding 1st Mate™ Marine Safety and Security System.
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