Canadian Government Aims to Ease Derelict Boat Hazards With BRNKL Rapid Deploy

Barnacle Systems, a boat security and monitoring electronics manufacturer, announced that it has been awarded a contract with the Government of Canada for the BRNKL Rapid Deploy. The BRNKL Rapid Deploy qualified for funding under Innovative Solutions Canada’s (ISC)Testing Stream (ISC-TS). ISC is a Government of Canada program under Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). Barnacle will deliver BRNKL Rapid Deploy systems to the Canadian Coast Guard – Vessels of Concern team in the Western Region during Q3 and Q4 of 2021. The Canadian Coast Guard and Barnacle plan to conduct multi-month tests of the remote monitoring systems on vessels deemed as hazards to the environment or to navigation at various latitudes across Western Canada.

The BRNKL Rapid Deploy helps prevent environmental disasters caused by abandoned, derelict, or hazardous vessels by sending alerts automatically if a vessel begins to sink or drag anchor based on its built-in sensors. The system is self-powered and can be transported and deployed by a single individual and remotely monitored from smartphones, tablets, and computers. The BRNKL Rapid Deploy system communicates over cellular or satellite telemetry and is powered by a built-in battery that is charged by a folding solar panel. The Rapid Deploy is a hardware solution that requires a cellular subscription, and an optional satellite subscription.

The BRNKL Rapid Deploy is an improvement on how the Canadian Coast Guard (and international Coast Guards) monitor derelict, abandoned, and hazardous vessels. The current solution involves members of the Coast Guard visiting a vessel in person to do an assessment and requires driving, boating, or flying to the vessel of concern. Some vessels rely on recreational and commercial boaters to provide third-party updates on the status of the vessels. The BRNKL Rapid Deploy provides a technology-based solution that communicates over cellular and Iridium satellite networks and allows an entire fleet of boats to be monitored by the Canadian Coast Guard in near real-time.