Talking to Rob Street of TNT Watch about the size of the security market, he reckons only about 5% of boats have any kind of protection fitted. Apart from the usual brass lock on the companionway that would be short work for a claw hammer. Or even a screwdriver.

And with theft becoming more and more prevalent, this is an unusual state of affairs, especially as protection is now more sophisticated than ever. Perhaps the market itself has not engendered a great feeling of security.

Many firms have come and gone over the past few years, leaving little more than a sense of unease among owners worried about lashing out loadsamoney only to have the company fold its tent and steal away (no pun intended) into the night.

‘The market is now starting to explode,’ said Touchline’s James Blackwood. ‘A lot of the earlier systems were Chinese and the importers went bust. That’s why we linked up with an electronic firm that manufactures in the UK and produced the right quality.’

It seems all security companies offer similar services - a range of sensors and aerials with alerts sent by short message service (SMS) to one or more mobile telephones.

Tracking is the universal GPS with Google maps able to zoom in to show the boat. Not yet in real time, of course, but that will surely come at some stage.

Damian McCall, sales and marketing manager of Marine Track, the only quoted firm in the business and probably the largest, says the company doesn't expect many developments in tracking for a while, but it is developing a general packet radio system (GPRS) that will be able to track small items - outboard motors, PWCs, etc.

'It's all getting smaller,' said Mr McCall, 'and that's a huge market because that's where a lot of the theft is occurring and there's a big demand for this.'

Touchline offers a straight GSM alarm that sends a text message to up to three telephones if a sensor is disturbed, plus a GPS system that tracks the boat if it does get stolen.

The company deals with inland waterway OEMs and also goes out through retailers for the aftermarket. The kits are easy to fit, said Mr Blackwood: ‘We even supply a screwdriver that fits the terminal blocks so the owner doesn’t have to look for his own. All it needs is a power and earth, the connect the aerials – the GPS and GSM versions cannot be fitted the wrong way round because they’re make and female - put the SIM card in and programme it using plain text.’

Even the aerials are covert – they can be self adhesive and fit on the interior, or for narrowboats, they can be bulkhead mounts ‘but they can be painted so they’re not obviously aerials’.

There’s no subscription for this service. 'You just buy minutes for the SIM card and that gets you quite a number of messages.'

TNT Watch, which also offers security systems for the home and the equestrian world, offers a variation on the SMS theme. 'Our system is simple,' Rob Street told BB. 'We ask owners to give us a list of preferred local specialists and if there is an alert to our call centre, the operators there can call the relevant people in to fort the problem out.'

If there's an intruder alarm at 02.00, we'd alert the Police or harbour master, so the problem can be nailed before it got too serious, said Me Street.

This is a subscription service that costs £49.00 a year. And the sensors offered include all the usual ones for breaks ins and GPS tracking (if it moves 50ft the alarm goes off), but TNT Watch already has a tank sensor that will pick up fuel thefts.

Marine Track says one of the problems in the market is that security isn't a product people have to have. 'People are fitting our products to the major brands, but we're trying to get the OEMs to fir our systems as standard.'

The company has a deal with boat transport company Peters & May, which is putting its tracking on every vessel they ship so the owners can see where the boat is. 'The idea is at the end of the journey the people keep the tracking on board.'

The average installation would coast around £700 with an annual subscription of £140.00.

Also talking lots of money is David Milner of Marine AV, which specialises in dedicated marine entertainment systems. At the superyacht end of the market the average system will cost around £250,000, he says, explaining the average superyacht is also a charter boat.

'When you're advertising to attract people, carbon booms and Kevlar sails don't count as much as a multi-screen entertainment system,' he told us. 'It's now a necessity to have a good system on board and advertise it to make people go for that boat and not others.'

The major problem for the marine entertainment market is removing the perception that all a boat needs is the same equipment installed in their home or car. Along with that is the perception that the same car or home audio installer can design and install the system, simply putting loudspeakers wherever they can find a panel with not too much thought about the enclosure.

These days a system that will provide the listened with quality reproduction at 20kts on a flybridge will need little things like sub-woofers under seats and baby 3" speakers on the dashboard.

Mr Milner says he spent three years researching the market to source a system made for the marine market, eventually settling for the Swedish made Lantic. 'It's a bespoke system for the marine industry that's very user friendly,' he said. It's also a system that caters for the uber-rich to spend their money on whimsies. Like the hockey-puck shaped Lantic remote control that one owner had made in gold...

'Up to around a 60ft boat the systems are all about standard: 12V, DVDs, CD players, iPod dock – everyone has an iPod dock or an MP3 input at least.'

But above that come the bespoke designs. 'We’re using transducer speakers these days,' said Mr Milner. 'They use the hard surface of the dashboard as a speaker. People wonder where the sound’s coming from.'

And Marine AV now handles JL Audio. 'They do a 1000W amp for one speaker,' said Mr Milner. 'It’s all about purity of sound, not the loudness.'

Electronics at Southampton

C A Clase - G91
Clase is showcasing a selection of the latest MB Quart and KVH TracVision and TracPhone entertainment systems.

The MB Quart WM1-BB (Black Box) audio visual processing centre (APC) is a flexible and easy to use unit that enables boat owners to control all multimedia entertainment onboard through one central system. Compatible with a range of MB Quart Nautic audio and visual equipment, the MB Quart WM1-BB seamlessly combines any one or all of the following equipment into one system; Slave DVD and CD players, LCD hardwired radio controllers and infrared remotes, iPods* and MP3 players and CD changers.

The KVH TracVision M series is a range of powerful DVB compatible mobile satellite TV antennas, can be used in conjunction with the brand new digital ‘free-to-air’ satellite TV service, Freesat, to deliver popular onboard entertainment.

Navionics – G132
Navionics is now shipping its new flagship product, Platinum+. A major enhancement to its award-winning Platinum cartography, Platinum+ combines extremely high-resolution and aerial photography overlays, XGA panoramic pictures, improved rendering of 3D bathymetric detail, the complete European Coast Pilot guide and high-definition fishing data with Navionics accuracy and detail.

‘Like Platinum before it, Platinum+ redefines marine cartography,’ said Bob Moshiri, director of sales and marketing at Navionics. ‘We combine extraordinary cartography with unprecedented imagery to create the most advanced charting and navigation product available for recreational boaters.’

Marine Electronic Services - G93
It’s been over a year since C-Map was snapped up by the American giant Jeppesen and the results are being seen, with the launch of Nobeltec’s VNS and Admiral MAX Pro software.

Nobeltec, which makes marine navigation software products, and which is already part of the Jeppesen family, now utilises C-Map’s innovative MAX Pro charting.

The simple-to-use PC programs turn a laptop or onboard PC into a full function chartplotter or radar sounder and can even integrate with an AIS receiver. Most importantly, they utilise C-Map’s new MAX Pro cartography, which not only provides detail and clarity, but also a quick, real-time update service via the internet or user-saved files that can be uploaded through a memory stick or data card. Once charts are installed on the PC, the user can access the internet to check for any Notices which will be automatically applied to the installed charts.

Marine AV – D30
Marine AV offers a number of solutions to connect an iPod or MP3 player to a boat’s audio-visual entertainment system

David Milner, Marine AV MD, said, ‘All MP3 players, including iPods, have a headphone jack socket (3.5mm size) which can be used to connect with a stereo, CD or DVD unit via their RCA ‘aux’ input.’

Marine AV has a range of adapters - some suitable for fitting inside the cabin, others that are suitable for open sports boats. It’s all about choosing the right adapter for the job, says Milner.

A range of iPod cradles is also available and provides a secure mounting for several models of iPod, allowing the unit to charge and provide generic controls such as volume and track choice.

For the ultimate solution for sound, photo and video connectivity, however, Marine AV says look no further than the Marantz IS201 iPod Docking Station. It provides full integration of any iPod model with any hi-fi system and can be fitted to a bulkhead, or at a chart table, or alongside a berth. A single wire connects the docking station to the connection case to alleviate cable clutter.