Over the years we’ve looked at alarm systems for various clients, and even installed a few. However, the results have been less than stellar, often involving so many false alarms that the systems were typically not used.

We decided to give this subject another look for Wind Horse. After all, there has been a lot of progress in other electronics areas, so why not in alarms?

We were after a couple of types of protection for the boat (and for ourselves). First, we wanted a system which would trigger if an unauthorized boarding occurred when we were away. And then, we wanted to be able to use this system when we were aboard if we were in an area in which we were concerned about an unwanted visit.

We eventually settled on a system from Marine Guard Network http://www.marineguard.net/ . We knew several folks using their gear and it seemed to offer the features we were after.

The system comes as a kit, including remote controls, the alarm horn, the central wiring box, traditional magnetic (reed switch) contactors, and a special motion-detecting deck sensor.

This is a photo of the reed switch that is included. We’ve used these for years on sliding hatches, and on occasion on deck hatches. They tend to be very reliable. On this boat we are using a reed switch on the entry door into the saloon.

The cool part of this technology can be seen in the lower right hand of the photo above. This is a hypersensitive motion detector, which we place under our aluminum deck beams in various locations. If you step on the deck anywhere near one of these sensors, it will send a signal to the control box. They have worked well, and so far we have not had a problem with false alarms.

The alarm system is connected to our aft and forward deck lights and the previously mentioned horn. When it goes off, you can hear and see that something is going on for a good mile.

Here’s something we were not sure about. These are simple push button remote controls. They do work from a distance of around 100 feet (30m), so that we can use them from the dinghy. The fact that the control box and its antenna are inside the saloon, within a metal hull, was a concern. But it does not seem to be a problem.

When we set the alarm, the lights/horn signal once, and a red LED – viewable from the swim step – turns on to remind us the alarm is set. This also lets anyone watching know that there is an alarm system on the boat, a fact we appreciate. When we turn the alarm off the lights blink twice, and then stay on for several minutes. This provides us with light to make our way up the swim step or aboard from the dock – another cool feature.

So here we are, 18 months after launching, and the system is still working. The only problem we’ve had is with one of the remotes which failed. But that is to be expected as they are not waterproof (and are inexpensive to replace). We really like the system.