Utilizing off-the-shelf technologies, the NAVOPLAN system monitors your progress and alerts a team member should you miss a waypoint, not arrive at your destination, have a medical or mechanical issue or have a MOB (man overboard) incident requiring assistance.
Ideally, every vessel would have Starlink (or an internet service) available for the duration of a passage. For motor yachts with constant power generation this sometimes occurs. For sailing or smaller vessels power may demand Starlink is used a few times a day. If NAVOPLAN is running on a laptop, table or smart phone it will sense loss of internet and continue to record the vessels track. Once internet is restored, the application will update the NAVOPLAN system. Response times for plans purchased determines how many times update are needed during a twenty-four hour period.
Another approach is to use a satellite based texting device such as Zoleo or Garmin In-Reach. These devices may be setup to send your location to a phone number on a regular basis. NAVOPLAN will provide a number for the vesell and capture those message once a minute. This is an excellent way to communicate at a fairly low monthly cost with a low power consumption requirement.
Using a cellular device is possible and will work as long the vessel is in range. NAVOPLAN runs on smart phones and could reduce the power requirements to run the application. Start NAVOPLAN on your iPhone or Android and lay it on a shelf for the duration of the passage. For vessels with Starlink this could be a simple way to track a vessels path and update periodically when Starlink is online or brought online periodically.
The countdown clock or response time is determined by the plan purchased. (See the Terms and Conditions.) When communication stops with a vessel the countdown clock is started based on plan purchased at 24, 12 or 6 hours. When the clock reaches zero the Emergency Assistance Coordination service is initiated. While the clock is counting down NAVOPLAN makes a best effort attempt to determine your location and needs. The countdown clock does not apply to medical emergencies, man overboard (MOB) events or propulsion failure requests which are best effort services beginning when a message is received from the vessel.
Protocol for a EAC event is documented and available for review. Each step and action is defined with a targeted timeline from initiation to completion. Note that in some jurisdictions resources are not made available until a certain amount of time has passed. Timelines are regularly adjusted based on local circumstances and updated on the blog.
NAVOPLAN includes a blog for each vessel that show passages and blog entries create by the crew. Should an event occur which activies the Emergency Assistance Coordination service the blog is converted to a Vessel Status page that is used to communicate known information about current status of the vessel, provide a mechanism for interested parties to communicate new information or offer assistance, and to distribute the most up-to-date digital float plan. Once the EAC service ends the page reverts to the blog page for the vessel.
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