It's early Saturday morning, and you and your spouse have just arrived at the slip of your 36' Sea Ray. You've had a rather hectic week at the office and have been looking forward to a relaxing day on the water. After loading your bags and cooler on board, you check the bilge, flip on the battery, and prepare to cast-off the lines.

You do one final check and all systems are a-go. You turn the key in the ignition, but nothing happens. The battery is dead. Again.

After you and your spouse exchange a few words, you now scramble to find a quick fix. No one is around for a jump start or to install a new battery. Your go-to-guy can't get there for at least four hours. Your mood and day changes from sunny to salty in a matter of moments.

What if you were connected to your boat and were alerted when the battery voltage was getting low, the shore power was disconnected, or there was water in the bilge? Even better, how would you like to turn on the air conditioning before you arrived at the boat, or get an alert if the boat moved or someone boarded? What if you could literally communicate with your boat?

This is where connected boat technology comes in.

We live in an increasingly connected world where the Internet of Things is now subtly improving our lives in many ways. Simply put, the Internet of Things (IoT) is the networking of sensors and devices that monitor, collect, and exchange data via cloud-based applications using cellular, satellite, and WiFi communications. These data are then leveraged to help people improve situational awareness, access information remotely, make better decisions, and prevent damage or loss.

We experience IoT in our everyday lives whether we realize it or not. We use it in our homes through systems such as Nest that allow us to program and manage room temperature through a mobile app. We wear Fitbit activity trackers on our wrists that provide real-time information on our activity and exercise (and prompt us to get up and walk around a bit more).

It's deployed in our cars to continually monitor the engine and predictively prompt us to schedule maintenance service. Mechanics at the repair shop tap into our car's hub to access historical performance data to isolate problems and better determine required repairs. On the road, intelligent traffic systems continually monitor and analyze traffic data, adapting signals and lane use to the traffic flow by time of day, improving our transit time and overall driving experience.

Yet, with our boats, we react to critical events in a prescriptive manner — after the battery dies, after a boat has been breached and/or stolen, after the boat has sunk — often when it's too late.

Unlike most homes and vehicles, boats live in a far more challenging environment and are, more often than not, left alone. Water intrusion is a constant concern, and many boats have been damaged or lost due to a slow leak that could have been easily fixed if only the boat owner knew about it. A dragging anchor is every boater's nightmare, especially when no one is on board. The loss of shore power can quickly drain batteries or cause other onboard systems to fail.

Enter the Internet of Things and the Connected Boat revolution.

By connecting these onboard systems to one central hub, boaters can monitor, track, and control their boat's operating systems while at home, on the road, or on the water with a simple tap on a mobile app. Connected boat technologies continually monitor a boat's systems and send instant alerts as they happen via mobile and web apps. Boaters can predict and prevent disaster — before the battery dies, as a boat has been breached, or before it sinks.

More so, connected boat technology harnesses historical data from these systems, and helps pinpoint trends and predicts when maintenance is required on equipment and boats alike. The connected boat provides boaters with the peace of mind that all systems are in good working order in real time, and that their boat is safe and secure.

And that's where Siren Marine comes in.

Designed by boaters, for boaters, Siren Marine's pioneering connected boat technology was developed by experienced sailors, tested in rigorous environments, and deployed in recreational and commercial boats worldwide. At home or at sea, our connected boat technology provides boaters, marina managers, service providers, and fleet operators with the confidence that a boat's systems are operational and accessible through real-time monitoring and controls.

Join Siren Marine at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in November, and learn how our next generation of connected boat technology can improve your boating experience and provide you peace of mind.