Marinas in tourist hotspots, like the Greek city of Patras, become very busy during the holiday season, which can be worrisome for captains and vessel owners that need space for their boats at all times.
To avoid collisions and confusion, Greek startup Sammy—financed by the European Union’s Seventh Framework Program—launched an application that lets skippers book reservations at the marina and navigate to a designated parking spot.
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The app utilizes Spanish IoT firm Libelium sensor platform to monitor mooring boats, measure sea water levels, and observe weather conditions. An Ultrasound sensor probe can also monitor vessel presence in berths, alerting Sammy’s app to open spaces.
The IoT sensors allow Sammy to provide real-time data on the availability of berths in the marina. Skippers can fill in information on the size of the boat as well, to ensure it will fit.
“This way the marinas provide important information to the yachters; the marinas administrators have a clear view of the status of the berths, improving this way the quality of the services and the scheduling of the yachting trips,” said Sammy CEO, Ioannis Kostopoulos.
Sammy also helps you plan your stay on land
Sammy also provides details on the services available at or near the port, including electric service, petrol station, restaurants, port police, and fresh water. This should give tourists better understanding of the type of town they are entering and whether to stay the night.
Since launching the pilot program, Sammy has added five other ports to its service. These include St Raphael Marina, closer to Syria and Israel than Greece, Gouvia in Corfu, and Kalamata in the far South of Greece.
Skippers pay for the reservation on the mobile app, available on iOS and Android. The average price per night is €20 ($22), though it may cost more for larger boats.
Bringing marinas into the 21st century could boost the tourism industry in these countries, which are struggling in the current economic climate. Libelium, which wrote a case study on Sammy, claims yachting activities generate €15 billion in annual turnover and provide jobs for over 300,000 people in Europe.
