TowPro assists superyacht captains and crew with best practice tow plans and installation guides – available on Stand 07.609A at METS
PRESS RELEASE
TowPro assists superyacht captains and crew with best practice tow plans and installation guides – available on Stand 07.609A at METS
The issues around towing tenders or chase boats behind superyachts has become increasingly complex. With many more superyachts now being required to tow craft, recent high-value losses have resulted in insurers imposing increased premiums, deductibles and towing restrictions into a vessel’s insurance policy.
TowPro was developed after a year-long consultation period with the marine industry, superyacht captains, crew and insurers to develop a product which would help reduce the risk associated with towing. In conjunction with marine and insurance industry experts, TowPro has now developed a suite of useful documents including Tender Tow Plan Assessment Report and Tender Tow Plan Best Practice Guidelines to assist captains and crew risk assess and plan towing activities. These documents are available from their stand at METS (Stand 07.609A in the Superyacht Pavilion) and can be downloaded here.
In addition, the company has produced a TowPro Installation Planning Guide, helping captains identify the key areas which should be monitored when towing their own specific vessel, such as bilge location and interconnection, bilge pump and level switch operation, and the availability of mandatory COLREG and emergency lights. Easy to install, TowPro does not require the fitting of any additional antennae on the superyacht, and uses industry standard NMEA connections to the yacht and tender. The system can be installed either by the ship’s crew or during refit or maintenance.
Being launched at METS and nominated for a DAME Award, TowPro is the world’s first advanced tow protection system, and is currently the only product approved by insurers for superyachts towing tenders and chase boats.
TowPro is described as ‘eyes in the boat’, and uses innovative data monitoring technology to increase the awareness of crew on watch by providing comprehensive safety data about what is actually happening in the towed vessel. TowPro will automatically trigger audible and visuals alerts if any safety indicators exceed pre-set thresholds, providing the crew with immediate early warning of any potential issues.
Vincent Geake, Managing Director of TSM Systems says, “We know that increasingly superyachts include towing of larger tenders and chaseboats as part of their day-to-day operations, whether it’s to satisfy the comfort and convenience of the guests, or to provide greater operational flexibility. Combined with the insurance industry having to impose tighter restrictions, such as towing at night or in less favourable weather conditions, this has resulted in a level of confusion and uncertainty about towing, such as whether using AIS is legal or not, and some captains may find themselves facing increased deductibles or even being uninsured.”
TowPro retails at Euro 6,500 and the company is offering a special 20% DAME discount for orders taken before the end of November.
TowPro’s suite of documents can also be downloaded here: https://www.tsm-systems.com/protection
About TSM Systems:
TSM Systems is an engineering-led business, developing products for the marine and superyacht industries to help captains manage operations, safety and security.
Combining technical and systems expertise with real-world superyacht engineering experience, TSM products address and solve important problems, and are quick to install and simple to use.
TSM products are built on their proven “Next generation tracker” technology platform, developed through strategic partnerships with advanced technology companies and manufacturers around the world:
- TSM DataTraq units operate across the new VDES marine VHF spectrum for ship-to-ship, ship-to-shore and ship-to-satellite, with the flexibility and reliability to provide privacy, increased range, high speed data and faster tracking speeds
- TowPro is TSM’s launch product from this platform, and will be followed with a secure tracker for chase-boats, tenders and jetskis – enabling captains to stay in contact but providing privacy for users who do not wish to be publicly visible
More press information and images available https://www.tsm-systems.com/: or from Alice Driscoll, alice@consultingpartners.co.uk; +44 (0) 7971 019377
