Location Monitoring System for Sailboats by GPS Using GSM/GPRS Technology

A monitoring and locating system for sailboats is developed using the general packet radio service/global system for mobile communications (GPRS/GSM) and global positioning system (GPS) technology. The implemented prototype can track the location of sailboats that do not go out more than 10 km into the sea. The system uses a GPS module to obtain the boat’s coordinates; it has a sensing station: environmental temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and the angular movement of the ship. A structured query language (SQL) database has been implemented to store data received via AVR-GPRS. System monitoring tests were carried out over a 24-km route onboard a sailboat, obtaining its location during the entire course along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico.