TowPro, a tender monitoring firm acquired by Yacht Sentinel in 2025, has broadened its product range to include tracking for tenders, water toys, and guests on superyachts. The update introduces Iridium GPS devices that send location data to the yacht's bridge. This development responds to crew requests for enhanced oversight features.
TowPro originally launched as a system to support the towing of chase boats during passages and has since been installed on several large yachts, such as the 115m Ahpo, 103m Ulysses, and 73m Coral Ocean.
The expansion transforms the platform into a comprehensive tool for vessel monitoring, onboard security, and tracking tenders, water toys, and lifejackets. New devices, designed for smaller tenders, jet skis, e-foils, and lifejackets, utilize the Iridium GPS network to transmit coordinates to the yacht's bridge systems. Crew members can view these positions via the chartplotter interface, enabling monitoring of equipment, guests, and personnel operating away from the vessel.
Updates to the original chase boat system include additional monitoring functions and alerts sent via VHF to the bridge. A revised user interface has been added, and integration with CZone and Garmin EmpirBus systems allows for up to 16 alerts, covering aspects like water depth, speed over ground, engine start, motion detection, low battery levels, low fuel, water ingress, bilge activation, power loss, and engine overheating.
The changes align with growing insurance demands for systems that mitigate operational risks, consolidating multiple functions into one platform to lessen dependence on separate tools. The product development is overseen by CTO Remi Duheille, formerly part of Apple's iPhone engineering team.
Romain Devismes, CEO of TowPro, stated: “With the TowPro screen installed, we’ve unlocked valuable space on the bridge and the opportunity to make this more than just a towing tool. Our goal is to turn TowPro into an everyday solution, something the crew uses and values daily, not only in towing situations. This release helps us stand out in a growing market by offering a smarter, more versatile solution rather than a product that solves just one problem.”
TowPro will showcase the updated platform at the Superyacht Technology Show in Barcelona on March 10 and 11, 2026, in the Startup Zone. To promote the launch, the company offers free trackers for jet skis, tenders, and water toys with new full-system installations before the Mediterranean season. Additionally, TowPro is partnering with Garmin on 'TowPro Wearables,' integrating smartwatches for crew and wristbands for guests to enhance location tracking on and off the yacht.
