{"id":139050,"date":"2026-04-23T05:27:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T04:27:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/?p=139050"},"modified":"2026-04-23T10:09:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T09:09:02","slug":"the-ultimate-lookout-can-watchits-ai-replace-human-vigilance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/gear\/the-ultimate-lookout-can-watchits-ai-replace-human-vigilance-139050","title":{"rendered":"The ultimate lookout: Can WATCHIT's AI replace human vigilance?"},"content":"Lawrence Nathan, the co-founder of WATCHIT, can recall in chilling detail the moment when the boat he was a guest on crashed into a reef. He\u2019d been invited for a couple of days\u2019 cruising around the Greek islands on board an Azimut flybridge<\/a> he\u2019d sold to a customer. They were making their way back to Athens when the owner asked the captain to help the hostess prepare lunch. Lawrence, meanwhile, was sunbathing on the flybridge.\r\n\r\n\u201cI was lying on my back looking up at the sky thinking life can\u2019t get any better, when the boat suddenly shuddered to a halt.\u201d\r\n\r\nThankfully, nobody was hurt and the boat was towed back to port, but embarrassment soon turned to frustration when they realised how easily it could have been avoided.\r\n\r\n\u201cThe information was all there but none of the systems alerted us to the danger,\u201d says Lawrence. \u201cModern cars and planes have multiple warning systems to prevent accidents, so we started to investigate whether we could develop something similar for boats\u201d.\r\n\r\nThe solution they hit upon is as elegant as it is practical. Called the WATCHIT Smart Prevention System, it uses an NMEA-compatible blackbox to take data from existing navigation aids, such as the GPS, depth sounder, AIS receiver, electronic compass and autopilot, as well as its own built-in charting software, to identify potential hazards, determine whether they pose a risk using AI-enhanced algorithms, and alert the user in time to take evasive action.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_139057\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" The WATCHIT Eye high frequency radar adds short-range collision avoidance[\/caption]\r\n

Dynamic alerts<\/h2>\r\nThis latter point is key, as unlike many boat warning systems, which trigger alerts based on distance, WATCHIT uses a \u2018Dynamic Alert Zone\u2019 that automatically adjusts the danger area based on speed, course and operator awareness. After all, at 200m, a static object, such as an island, presents little immediate risk to a sailing boat pottering along at 5 knots, but a jetski at the same distance travelling at 40 knots towards a sportscruiser running at 30 knots in the opposite direction is only seconds away from disaster. WATCHIT\u2019s goal is to give at least 10 to 30 seconds\u2019 notice of impending danger.\r\n\r\nThe other key point is that it\u2019s an \u2018always on\u2019 system that constantly monitors all the variables but only intervenes when imminent danger looms. This could be an above-water hazard such as a ship or exposed rocks, or an underwater one like a reef or shallows that is invisible to the naked eye. Crucially, it will only flag this if it\u2019s on a collision path. If it\u2019s off to one side or the boat is moving away from the danger zone, it won\u2019t sound an alert. It\u2019s even smart enough to recognise when you\u2019re coming into a port or marina so it doesn\u2019t bombard you with unnecessary warnings about nearby boats.\r\n\r\nWhen it does sense a serious risk, it flags this through both visual pop-ups on the boat\u2019s existing MFD and audible warnings via its own Bluetooth speaker system. This starts with a simple beep and a calm voice describing the nature of the threat, such as \u201cWatch it, underwater obstacle ahead\u201d then increases in intensity until action is taken. The idea is to avoid the constant stream of minor alerts that often end up being ignored and only serve warnings when they are really needed.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_139056\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" The software uses AI to assess potential threats and only fl ag those that present an imminent risk[\/caption]\r\n

WATCHIT eye<\/h2>\r\nThis was, and still is, the basis of WATCHIT\u2019s core early warning system (known internally as Sense), but a recent add-on has made it even more effective. Called WATCHIT Eye, it\u2019s a high-frequency, short-range radar that can pick up objects as small as a human head bobbing among the waves. Light enough to mount on the A-frame of a RIB or the bow of a larger yacht, it can pick out both static and moving obstacles, as well as their speed, bearing and course. And unlike other camera-based systems, it can do this in rain, fog or light.\r\n\r\nThe reason this is such a game-changer is that the core system isn\u2019t yet compatible with radar or night vision cameras, so smaller craft and uncharted objects won\u2019t be picked up unless they are fitted with AIS transponders. It is something the company is hoping to add in the future, but even then it wouldn\u2019t have the speed or sensitivity of the WATCHIT Eye.\r\n\r\nInterestingly, it was developed in conjunction with the Azimut Benetti Group, which liked the idea of the WATCHIT system but felt it was lacking this functionality. It can now pick up anything from navigation marks to kayaks, jetskis and paddleboards, as well as larger boats and RIBs. If the operator fails to heed the warning and take evasive action, it could even be programmed to slow or stop the engines, but for the moment at least, boat builders have shied away from enabling this.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_139058\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" The blackbox has its own built-in charts but also takes information from the boat\u2019s existing navigation gear[\/caption]\r\n

MBY Verdict<\/h2>\r\nAlthough the core WATCHIT system is both retrofittable and compatible with all the major brands such as Raymarine, Garmin and Navico, Azimut\u2019s role in developing the WATCHIT Eye means it has a one-year exclusivity deal on fitting this new feature to its superyachts.\r\n\r\nPricing for the core system starts at around \u20ac4,800, with the Eye module likely to add another \u20ac6,000 once it becomes more widely available. There\u2019s also an annual subscription of \u20ac350 to ensure the charts and software are constantly kept updated. Given the potential WATCHIT Eye has for eliminating many of the most common boating accidents, over 80 per cent of which are caused by human error, that seems like a tempting proposition, especially on a bigger boat where the human and\/or financial costs of an accident could prove crippling.\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n

\"\"If you enjoyed this\u2026.<\/h2>\r\n
\r\n
Motor Boat & Yachting is the world's leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.<\/em><\/div><\/blockquote>\r\n
Plus you'll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht<\/a> world and at the luxury end of the market.\r\n
Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers<\/a> and save at least 30% off the cover price.<\/em><\/div><\/blockquote>\r\nNote: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn\u2019t affect our editorial independence.<\/em>\r\n\r\n
","excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lawrence Nathan, the co-founder of WATCHIT, can recall in chilling detail the moment when the boat he was a guest on crashed into a reef. He\u2019d been invited for a couple of days\u2019 cruising around the Greek islands on board an Azimut flybridge he\u2019d sold to a customer. They were making their way back to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":405,"featured_media":139054,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[300],"tags":[3293,2538,1593],"review_manufacturer":[],"acf":[],"introduction":[""],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139050"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/405"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=139050"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139050\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":139063,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139050\/revisions\/139063"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/139054"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=139050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=139050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=139050"},{"taxonomy":"review_manufacturer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review_manufacturer?post=139050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}