As the various boating magazines check in on this newly launched product, they all say the same thing; Compact, rugged hardware. The companion app is simple and well designed, not trying to do stupid stuff it shouldn't. Setup is wicked easy. This product just does what it's intended to do, and it does it very, very well. It's worth noting that you can't recharge the battery in the "beacons", but they last about 3 years. They'll "sleep" most of the time, and battery is really only used while the beacon is active and in use. If these are used commercially every day, I imagine they might not last 3 years, but frankly, if I gotta replace these things every year, and i still have the need for it (see below), I'd absolutely pay that "re-subscription" fee.
My intended use: kids wandering around a 40' boat underway, at the dock, and at anchor (and hopefully not falling overboard). I imagine it would also give peace of mind for cruisers that do overnight passages; the alarm sound from a smart phone down below would absolutely wake crew if the helmsman went overboard.
My only gripe, while the beacon isn't huge, it's still going to be a challenge to attach it to a kid. My kids are fish, and they wear PFD's when it's realistic, but not all the time. Weems & Plath (or PanPan), please go the effort to put this into a wrist watch format! Or a band of some sort, maybe an adjustable band that you could wear high on your bicep, calf, or even on a waist belt? Form factor is my only concern with this product...
Since our 2018 boating season hasn't quite yet started in the Great Lakes, I haven't tested the Crewwatcher system on the water yet. I have only tested in the house, with glasses of water and hypothetical situations. That said, I'm an IT guy, and have been known to offer advice on website and app design, so I'll update this post as we get a little more use under our life jackets. I hope I never have to find out if this product works as designed, but we'll do some testing as weather permits...
For what it's worth, I paid full price for this product (here on Amazon) after searching for something to let me know if my kids fell overboard. Weems & Plath has been brilliant in the last few years picking up revolutionary boating products that might have otherwise gone unnoticed and given them brand recognition and distribution. We already have their LED flares on our two boats, so we never have to buy flares again. Kudos to Weems & Plath for bringing innovative stuff to market! Kudos to an American business realizing that brass lamps aren't going to keep the lights on. Did you get the pun?
Fair winds and happy boating to all!
| Manufacturer | WEEMS & PLATH, INC. |
|---|---|
| Brand | WEEMS & PLATH |
| Model | CREW2 |
| Item Weight | 5.3 ounces |
| Package Dimensions | 7.44 x 4.84 x 1.85 inches |
| Item model number | CREW2 |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Metal batteries required. (included) |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Manufacturer Part Number | CREW2 |
