Wards Way Podcast

Inside LocMarine: Smart Monitoring For Every Boat

• Wards Marine Electric • Season 6 • Episode 16

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Sunshine sells the dream, but the truth is in the dock lines. We sit down at the Miami International Boat Show with Erick Martinez, founder of LocMarine, to reveal how a smart, simple monitoring system turns boat ownership from anxious guesswork into calm, data-backed confidence. If you’ve ever shown up to a dead battery, a tripped shore power breaker, or a soggy fridge, this conversation shows exactly how to stop losing weekends to preventable surprises.

Erick walks us through the signals that matter most: bilge pump cycles, high water alerts, battery voltage, door and hatch sensors, shore power status, and precise GPS tracking. The twist is the install—no NMEA network required, analog-friendly inputs, and rugged 16-gauge tinned marine wire that dealers and capable DIYers can trust. We dig into the philosophy behind the app as well: an Apple-like interface that’s obvious at a glance, easy to share with captains, and powerful enough for fleets, rentals, and management companies to reduce wasted dock checks.

We also unpack a reality of boating in Florida and the Bahamas: theft pressure and insurance requirements. With a built-in SIM covering the U.S., Keys, and Bahamas, the system doesn’t rely on flaky marina Wi‑Fi and often helps meet carrier mandates with reliable tracking. The price case is strong—a $580 kit with six months of service included, then $168 per year—less than a tank of fuel to protect a high-value asset and reclaim precious family time. Erick shares what’s next too: a purpose-built security layer to deter electronics theft without adding complexity. Built in Miami, engineered for reliability, and backed by a growing warranty, LocMarine captures the spirit of the city: bold, practical, and laser-focused on the water.

Subscribe, share with a boating friend, and leave a review to help more owners find smart peace of mind on the water. Which alert would save your weekend first?

Wards Marine Electric
https://www.wardsmarine.com/

Wards Way YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@WardsWay75

Miami Boat Show Kickoff

SPEAKER_02

Miami. A global playground is celebrated for its beautiful oceans and famous lifestyle. Behind all of the sunshine and success are people, products, and companies powering this magic city. This season, the Wards Way podcast brings you face to face with those who energize Miami's iconic way of life and bring us closer to the water.

SPEAKER_00

Welcome to the Miami International Boat Show. This is Wards Way 2026.

SPEAKER_02

Welcome to the Wards Way podcast.

Meet Loch Marine And The Mission

SPEAKER_02

I'm here today with my friend Eric Martinez, who's founder of Loch Marine, the Miami Boat Show. Welcome.

SPEAKER_01

Hi, Christina. Thank you. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_02

Absolutely. So, Miami Boat Show, how's the show been for you so far?

SPEAKER_01

It's been great. It's been busy. I mean glad that I think the new setup is working well for us. Good, good. I see a lot of food traffic. So we we're happy we this show would we normally um use it to talk to our customers, our dealers. It's more a networking uh event for us. And you know, it's once a year we get all the people from the Caribbean coming and sure, sure. It's awesome, it's been good.

SPEAKER_02

So our theme for the podcast has been um Miami, which so many people attribute a lifestyle to that there's an industry powering behind it. And so you're reflective of that, and you're an industry that's that's helping um support that. So talk to me about your products. So, what is Loch Marine and how does that work? So we want to educate our viewers on the Sure.

SPEAKER_01

So um I'm the founder of Loch Marine. Lock Marine uh it's is like you said, it's something that uh it's it was an idea to make boating better.

The Anxiety Of Leaving A Boat

SPEAKER_01

Um every boat owner, some of you, if you get a brand new boat today here, when you leave it at the dock, it's like a you saying goodbye to like a sort of relative person. Sure. You're gonna be okay tonight. Right. And it's true. I remember my first boat. Uh the first time I left it in the water overnight.

unknown

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_01

And I didn't sleep. I was like, it should be okay. Yeah. Next day at 6 a.m. I was checking my bulge, make sure everything was fine. And obviously that was a while ago. We didn't have the technology we have today, the connectivity we have today. Uh so we understood that it was a need, um, because it was a need at some point for me. And it's good to know. I mean, you um some marinas will have like people will be taking care of your boats, but some they don't. So you have to take care of your own boat. Send the guy to to wash it, make sure the technician is checking, make sure your batteries are connected. And if you already have a boat, you you know how many times you got to your boat and the shore power was disconnected, uh, and you know, you lost everything you have in the fridge. Right. For example.

SPEAKER_02

Well, that can definitely make your boating day start pretty rough.

SPEAKER_01

Correct.

SPEAKER_02

Right?

SPEAKER_01

Correct. So that's where we step in and uh we designed something simpler. We analyzed what was in the market. And we were like thinking why this is something that everybody should have a monitoring system on their boat. Right. Now we were analyzing why, why people were

Why Monitoring Systems Felt Too Hard

SPEAKER_01

not buying it. That was 10 years ago. And um we realized that it was complicated. Every single technology company out there, it was so complicated that you needed to have like a PhD in technology in order to hook it up, connect it, use it. And um it was just not feasible. People will like it, but they got afraid of all this technology and wires and whatnot. Uh so we we got all this technology that's available. We kind of uh dissect it and we translate it into something that anybody anybody can understand and use and is friendly and it's it's very easy to use. I I I can tell you that, and if any of our customers are listening, they will agree with me. Once you buy one of these equipment, it doesn't matter how many boats you buy it after, you will get one of these equipments again. It's just peace of mind. You even know when it's raining on your marina. Like people call me and say, Oh, now I know when it rains. They say, Well, how how come? Right. You know, send me send me uh my my unit will start sending bilge pump signals. And uh so I know it's raining.

SPEAKER_02

So what are the points that are monitored?

SPEAKER_01

So we monitor the bilge pump. Okay. Uh we normally like to um monitor the maintenance pump.

SPEAKER_02

Which is important.

What The System Monitors

SPEAKER_01

Right. Bilch is important. Um correct, very important. Very important, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

The refrigerator, you can always buy new foods. You can't run. You can, but that's still an inconvenience. And again, you're aiding to the uh it does ruin your day and it doesn't make boating happy.

SPEAKER_01

So and going back to the fridge, and Captain, depending on the size of the boat, it might cost you a lot of money. Absolutely on that refrigerator, yes. You purchase everything, yeah, sure. There'll be some money that you're gonna be losing.

SPEAKER_02

And you always have friends on a boat. Don't you notice that? You know, the people always multiply on the boat.

SPEAKER_01

So yeah, you have Yes.

SPEAKER_02

So we have the fridge, you have the bilge, you said um, then we have a high water sensor.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. In case a bilge pump uh fails, then you're sure you're high water. We have the battery voltage, important, and very important, everything runs. And we also check um your door sensor. We have an entry sensor. It can be used for door hatch, uh, engine room. Um we also monitor your shore power. Very important as well. Extremely important. And um uh we monitor 110, 220. And on the battery boat, we do 12 or 24. Same thing. So we pretty much fit any category boat. It can be a 15-footer, it can be a 90-footer. We work for all them. But each boat, as you know, each each vessel is unique.

SPEAKER_02

Correct.

SPEAKER_01

And even it can be the same brand, the same model, and it might be different differences between one or the other. So we design our system to be analog in the sense that I work with any boat. Doesn't matter if you you don't have to have high-end technology, you don't have to have NMEA networks, for example, for those who are familiar with NMEA. Even so I was gonna say it's on your shirt, though. So we're an MEA members. Uh we do NMEA for some OEMs,

Works On Any Boat, Simple Install

SPEAKER_01

but for the retail system, we we just go to the simplest, uh, easiest. So it's what everybody wants.

SPEAKER_02

Correct.

SPEAKER_01

Um, and on top of that, then we have location, movement, um, tracking, history.

SPEAKER_02

So now does that help from um an insurance perspective? I feel like that that could be helpful to people.

SPEAKER_01

Um the system was designed to help the voter, to make it, you know, to bring that peace of mind. For the owner. For the owner. For the owner. But what happened is, especially in South Florida, sure with all this theft on everything that's going on. So at this point, it's pretty much required. Okay. And and if you're gonna ensure your new boat, they're gonna ask you for a tracking device, they're gonna ask you for a monitoring device. And then, you know, we fall into that category. But it was never meant.

Tracking, Theft, And Insurance

SPEAKER_02

It wasn't intended for that.

SPEAKER_01

It wasn't intended for that. So it just happened that that we have a reliable system, it works.

SPEAKER_02

And um, but now if voters are forced, it's nice that there is something that they can just buy off the shelf, they can put they can pick up your kit and do it. That's fantastic. That's a solution.

SPEAKER_01

It's it's it's simple enough that it's the the owner's 12-volt proficient. If you, you know, if you you'd like to work on your boat, do your electronics, you know, might as well might as well you can do your installation. We do have an extensive network of uh dealers uh through Florida, well, through the nation. And um, but obviously our hub, our main market is um Florida, the Keys, and the Bahamas. It does work in the Bahamas, important to know. Oh wow, that is important to know. Yes, Dominican.

SPEAKER_02

A lot of people take their boats definitely from here to the Bahamas.

SPEAKER_01

Uh a lot of people take the boat in. And we don't have uh, they're not stealing boats in the in Miami, as far as I know. We're in the industry and it might occur, but it's not really that bad.

SPEAKER_02

You heard it here.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. In the Bahamas it is. Yeah. In the Bahamas, once you cross in the Bahamas, be careful. Uh, take your belongings. I mean, protect your boat. Do, you know.

SPEAKER_02

But no matter what, this was designed with the the idea of peace of mind. Correct. So that you could enjoy the experience, that the last thing you you can you have your plan because my family's boating, and I I have been there on that plan when everybody's ready and everybody's going, and you get to the dock, and there's a problem.

Coverage In Florida, Keys, Bahamas

SPEAKER_02

And it does.

SPEAKER_01

No bad.

SPEAKER_02

Exactly. And it would have been great. And even though that day still may have been postponed if you had that notice up front. So, how do people see this?

SPEAKER_01

Oh, it's through an app. Okay, so it's an app easy. Yeah, the hardware side, and that's how we connect with Wards. So uh we decided that we wanted to make a piece of hardware that was easy to install. So we choose to have 16 gauge. We're gonna go a little technical here. Oh, we like that.

SPEAKER_02

Especially if you're gonna talk wire, you know, you're with Wards.

SPEAKER_01

That's true. True.

SPEAKER_02

We like it.

SPEAKER_01

So uh we we look for the best wire that was out there. We test a bunch of wires, we test uh uh different vendors, and at the end of the day, the the cables that you guys were providing was the best quality. We still use it since day one. Our first unit used uh wires from you. It's been out in the field, our testing unit's been out in the field for eight years.

SPEAKER_02

Wow.

SPEAKER_01

Still working perfectly fine. Good, absolutely. So I can attest that your wires are actually.

SPEAKER_02

You heard it here again.

SPEAKER_01

Yes. All right. So we went 16 gauge. It's um if if some of these equipment trackers, anything that you buy electronics, you see those tiny 22s, 24s, and

Hardware Choices And Reliability

SPEAKER_01

they're hard to work on. They're hard to crimp, they're hard to install. If you're gonna get the termination, right. So we said we were like, okay, whatever we decide, let's do 16 gauge, full marine, uh copper thin, is that the word? Okay, uh wires, and that's what we went for. And it proven to be a very good decision. Um, the equipment is extremely reliable, and uh even we've been extended, we started with one-year warranty, now we're in three-year warranty. Wow. Maybe at some point we might do a lifetime warranty. They don't break, they're really that's incredible.

SPEAKER_02

And that's very confident. I I like the confidence. I like that. Well, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01

It's not that expensive. That's another thing that we need to talk about. Good. Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

So price point.

Price And Subscription Breakdown

SPEAKER_01

Uh retails for $580.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Uh full system. You don't need to purchase anything else besides a flow switch for you, high water, such as, you know, I would say around 40 bucks. Right. Um, if you go into an installer, technician dealer, they will take care of the installation for you. But the price point that we think is affordable. It's uh on the subscription side, you have to pay subscription for connectivity. So it's six months for free. Okay, wow. So you get to use the system and get familiar with it. Yep. And then you you renew it, it's $168 a year. Okay. So for $14 a month average.

SPEAKER_02

You have peace of mind that you have that your boat is powered, your equipment's working.

SPEAKER_01

I don't know if you have noticed, but I think lately buying a boat is a big investment. It is a big investment. It doesn't matter what your status is or what kind of business you have, it is uh those are expensive toys. So for this amount of money, I think is something that I I don't think a full tank of gas will be 580 anymore.

SPEAKER_02

I agree with you. Especially not on any of the boats we saw in there, not at all.

SPEAKER_01

No. So uh for this for this small amount of money, I think it's a great peace of mind.

SPEAKER_02

But it's also it's a it's a solution because I do know that we what like we're talking about,

Avoiding Ruined Weekends With Alerts

SPEAKER_02

in addition to boats being something, first of all, I'm sorry to say it, but people don't need a boat. You know? So there's a choice there to do that. So then they're then they're buying the boat, but it is the experience. And so you you get your boat, you're already ready, now you have this requirement, now you have something extra you have to do, but you've created a solution that's not gonna, it's not that thing that's gonna push them over the top. It's it's affordable, but it it also gives that peace of mind.

SPEAKER_01

Some of us have some people will have a flexible schedule, but some people will not. So you choose that specific weekend where the weather is fine, where the kids are off school.

SPEAKER_02

And you don't have this or this or that. Yep.

SPEAKER_01

And then you get to that marina and then something comes out because you didn't know. Correct. And then one thing is important. It happens a lot. Having your short power connected to the boat doesn't mean that short power is connected. Meaning you might have that yellow wire connected, but maybe it's not current on it. Maybe it's no voltage, maybe the breaker trips.

App Design Philosophy And Sharing

SPEAKER_02

Maybe the breaker trip, that's right.

SPEAKER_01

So you think you pass the bigger.

SPEAKER_02

You left it and you were fine, or at marinas and other people trip your breaker. Some people trip off the wrong one and yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Maybe the next the neighbor, yeah, exactly. So on accident, but it happens. But you will walk by your boat, you see the the shore power connectors. Oh, I'm good. But you don't really know. Not when you get in your car. No, exactly. Exactly. Um on the security side, uh, uh we always recommend, you know, get a monitoring system. And also, I mean, I'm talking about lock marine, but truly, if you like any other monitoring system, do it. Get a monitoring system on your boat. It's necessary.

SPEAKER_02

People do it at their homes, and they're so used to it. I mean, people have ring cameras that they're that they're buying. Okay, good. All right, brilliant minds, here we go.

SPEAKER_01

Correct. So listen, uh everybody thinks it will never happen to you until it does. So get a ring camera, put a you know, pair these with with a couple ring cameras on your boat. I mean, uh take the extra step, protect your investment. It's it's not that much money. Um, a lot of other electronics are more expensive than just getting a ring camera or a 4G hotspot or whatnot. Or use a Wi-Fi from your marina. But but I like to talk to people and tell them that they need to be proficient and protecting. They think nothing's gonna happen, but it does. Sometimes.

SPEAKER_02

It can.

SPEAKER_01

It can.

Fleet And Rental Use Cases

SPEAKER_02

It can, so why not again have the peace of mind? You're selling peace of mind.

SPEAKER_01

Correct, correct. That's our business.

SPEAKER_02

And again, I think that people, when you say get the ring camera, people are so used to already having that in their home. People are monitoring, people are you have an app for your car. Correct. That I can tell if, oh, I did I lock it, not sure. Let me lock it or let me start it early.

SPEAKER_01

You you touch it. And I have a Chevy.

SPEAKER_02

It's not like uh, you know, correct.

SPEAKER_01

So you touch you touch on a point, it's very important. We always talk about that. Uh unfortunately, we and the marine industry, we're behind the automotive by a good eight years or ten. So we follow in the automotive industry where you buy any boat, I mean any car, and it already comes preloaded with a monitoring system. On the I I think on the marine industry, we're getting into that point where people are realizing that telemetry is not

Packaging, Connectivity, No Wi‑Fi Needed

SPEAKER_01

that expensive anymore.

SPEAKER_02

Right.

SPEAKER_01

Where you can just get a monitoring system on every single boat and provide a peace of mind from the owner from the and have it taken care of.

SPEAKER_02

I agree with you.

SPEAKER_01

So now he doesn't have to deal with what's good, what's bad, you know, which one should I get? I think that's uh definitely a key point. And I see telemetry getting more well in every every single aspect of our life. Now we have, you know, everything's on the phone.

SPEAKER_02

Everything's on the phone. So now who designed the app? Is that something that you had to do? We do everything.

SPEAKER_01

We do everything house. Okay, so how did you do that?

SPEAKER_02

Because I I have to say we have a touch screen, for example, on our on our um switchboards, and I had to learn a lot about human interaction and human interface. Correct. Because how an electrician would like to go in and and see the the the certain the power management and see the the data that's being in there is not necessarily the same as the person that is in charge of that boat or that person doing it. So it is interesting. There's all these measurements to get people to understand what they're seeing.

SPEAKER_01

It is extremely simple to use. I don't know if we can well I turned on my phone, but it's uh swim by our booth and I should have. Okay, I will. I'm gonna go by there.

SPEAKER_02

But people can go to your website too. So is it lockmarine.com?

SPEAKER_01

Lockmarine.com. Perfect. Uh it's a very easy to use. We we

Next Up: Full Security System

SPEAKER_01

I took the approach from from Apple. Apple when they designed the first interface, their mentality was that uh six-year-old kid can you have to be able to use it and understand it. Or you know, an old person that with no technology background can be able to use it. And we use the same theory, you know, say we need to do something simple. And it is really, really simple in the in on the interface level. Uh and then you can share with other uh with other users. Uh captains love this thing because it would be you know, some captains manage two or three boat.

SPEAKER_02

I was gonna say, so they can you can have multiple.

SPEAKER_01

You can have multiple, you can have a fleet on your phone.

SPEAKER_02

So I was gonna say maybe is your product with commercial fleets or commercial fishermen or that type of yes.

SPEAKER_01

And the show we talk mostly with end users on retail but yes, it's definitely we we have um uh fleet management, uh boat management companies, rentals, um you name it, uh in and they can just manage it. You know how much time they save, like they don't have to visit every single boat

Made In Miami, Built To Last

SPEAKER_01

every day. Agree. And if something happened, they know right away, so they send what they're doing. And it's in the same app.

SPEAKER_02

So you're not trying to to monitor three different types of boats using three different so that's wonderful that you can do that and do a fleet management. Yes, yes, I like that.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah, we like it too.

SPEAKER_02

No, that's important. And then you also told me that tell me the story. I we were we were starting to talk about it, but um you were telling me how people so they install it and then they were keeping you could also have a secondary usage for the package for your your documents. Yes, so we're gonna be able to do that. No, we need we need to promote that.

SPEAKER_01

It comes in a very nice package. You're welcome to show it. Go for it. Thank you. Oh well, yeah. That's true. And we have

Closing And Subscribe

SPEAKER_01

the forgot we did on a podcast.

SPEAKER_02

I know.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, so everything you need is right inside the package. Uh you're uh everything we do is wired. We don't do wireless sensors. Uh because it's more reliable. It's like, you know, if you have a Bluetooth stereo, how many times do you connect through through the day?

SPEAKER_02

Marina Webb's uh internet is always super strong.

SPEAKER_01

I'm I'm correct, but no, we're talking about the sensors inside the that was a joke.

SPEAKER_02

I that was sarcastic. I'm so sorry. Because so many times that is a challenge, it slows down because everybody's coming in.

SPEAKER_01

The subscription you pay when we talk about the 168, you you don't need Wi-Fi. So everything's in the unit. That's good that you point that out. Okay. So the unit's preloaded with the connectivity inside. Oh wow. That works in the US, the Caribbean, Bahamas. So it's a sim car that it will take care of all the connectivity. So you don't have to have Wi-Fi on the marina or the boat per se just to use this. Um but we were talking earlier about the packaging. So we we're very proud of our packaging, and and it happened to us one day. We went to a um we were sponsoring a fishing tournament in the Bahamas. So as we do immigration, I was I was telling you that uh that uh one of my proudest moments is when I see people in line on immigration, I see all everybody with the package under their arm. Well, so there you go. So you have a you get a free package for your paperwork and documents uh with the purchase of the lockboard.

SPEAKER_02

There you go. And so you you have that, but you can keep it on board and then it's always waterproof. Oh, it is not submersible, but it's water. Not submersible, but waterproof is good enough. Well, what is really submersible? Um what's new? What's happening? What's gonna, what's what's maybe phase two, or is there a phase two?

SPEAKER_01

So phase two soon. Uh we're working on uh full security system mostly for our fellow customers down here in Miami. We have a pandemic on electronic theft every single every other weekend. We're here in the news. It is on the news, yeah. And um even so we protect uh the boats. We have magnetic sensors where you can put your MFTs and protect them, and you're gonna get an alert. We're trying to design something from the ground up with the same mentality. Something that is simple, that it works, and uh you're gonna be confident that if somebody gets on your boat closer to your electronics, it will alert you and it will deter the person from actually getting in your boat. But this is something that we're coming up for hopefully for by for IBEX.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, in October.

SPEAKER_01

Try and get it done by that time. But we want something that works just as good as this, where it's zero returns, zero warranty claims, something that works. Once you install it, you forget about it, you just use it and enjoy it.

SPEAKER_02

Well, and I'm happy that Wards Marine can be a part of the of the uh a part of the the wires that are keeping the integrity.

SPEAKER_01

It's gonna be the same design, 16 gauge wires, and yes, everything everything's gonna be.

SPEAKER_02

Well, we're proud to be supportive and and and a partner with that. And um we look forward to maybe the follow-up. Maybe we can sit down and get it uh flibs. Do you ever go to the Fort Lauderdale show?

SPEAKER_01

I I go through dealership.

SPEAKER_02

We will be at um flibbs, so if you're gonna be there, yes, I'd love to have it and and we we could show it.

SPEAKER_01

And now that you mention words, uh every the unit's made in USA. We serve some all the vendors that we use for our products are in the United States. With a very few exceptions, like small stuff that unfortunately we couldn't find here in the US. But everything we do, it's made in the USA. Uh our software is written in-house. This is not a Y label, the app is written in-house. Everything is from Miami, made in Miami.

SPEAKER_02

Love that. Yeah, and that's why I wanted to correct.

SPEAKER_01

And you might find something probably if you're looking for price, you might find, you know, same for cables. You you're gonna shop around, but you're gonna pay for that at the long run. Trust me. It's sometimes you get what you pay for.

SPEAKER_02

You always get what you pay for.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, we can cut the cost a little bit here, a little bit there, send it to China, maybe the copy will make it for us. Yeah, I'm gonna make a little bit more profit, but it's gonna be reliable.

SPEAKER_02

But I like that it's made in Miami, designed in Miami, launched in Miami. Miami flavor, and everything. Miami. Yes, yes. Well, that's a perfect way to end the podcast. Thank you for joining us today. It was a pleasure meeting you. Thank you, Christian. And I look forward to many years, and I look forward to hopefully seeing the the 2.0. Yes, it flips. Definitely. Okay. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00

Thank you for inviting it. Thanks for joining us. Make sure you subscribe to the Wards Way podcast. We're just getting started.

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Kristina Hebert

Host