Spotlight on VirCru

Who are VirCru?

VirCru are a team of boating enthusiasts who recognised a common struggle amongst themselves (and quite likely, other boaters too). They found that with none of them having a place to keep their boats near their home, they would often find themselves worrying about the safety and security of their vessel. Often asking themselves, ‘have we left the sunroofs open? Or ‘have we left our isolators on?’ With their boats not being closeby to quickly check, they felt they had to find a solution. 

With more than 15 years of experience in eCommerce, product design, software and electrical engineering, the team at VirCru soon developed an effective boating control and monitoring system to solve this recurring struggle.

What do they do?

VirCru have developed a smart boat system to help put boat owners at ease. The system involves installing onboard sensors and then connecting them to a mobile phone to allow users to see a complete view of the condition of their boat. Whether at home or just around the corner, this app allows an owner to see their boat no matter where they are. The sensors provide three different functions including:

• Control: this function of the app allows boat owners to control their boat without them being on board, such as cabin temperature and lighting
• Monitoring: through geofencing, a boat is constantly being monitored for break ins or theft. With this feature, users will be given peace of mind knowing their boat is secure
• Notifications: if anything on a boat needs attention such as battery power or water levels then the app will notify the owner 

VirCru offers a range of products, subscriptions and packages to monitor and control appliances, no matter what the time is or location of a user. Packages include a combination of a range of products or products that can be purchased separately, depending on the needs and appliances on their boat. VirCru’s launch package gives a boat owner everything they need to get started to ensure their boat is secure, controlled and monitored.  

April 2022 Prize draw

In case you missed it, we here at GJW Direct have partnered with VirCru and throughout the month of April, are running a prize draw* where two lucky winners will win an amazing prize each. April's prize draw winner will receive one VirCru Launch Package with 3 months VirCru App Subscription Credit worth over £400 and the runner up will receive a VirCru Connected Hub worth nearly £300.

All you have to do to enter is sign up to the free boating digital organiser, MyBoat. A central space designed for storing all of your boating documentation in one safe, easy-to-use place. Not only that, but you can set custom alerts for when your insurance needs renewing or reminders to service safety equipment. GJW Direct customers also have access to a number of discounts from recognised marine brands such as Generation Graphics, Sailing Chandlery and Yachts and Yachting.

*Prize Draw Terms and Conditions: MyBoat account must be activated between 1st April 2022 and 30th April 2022 to be entered into the prize draw. Only one entry can be submitted by each participant. One winner and one runner up will be selected at random. The winner will receive one VirCru Launch Package with 3 months VirCru App Subscription Credit (worth £435.99) and the runner up will receive a VirCru Connected Hub (worth £299.99). Once the competition has closed, two entries will be selected at random. There will be no cash alternative to the prizes offered. The winners will be notified directly and announced on the GJW Direct Facebook page. The selected winners must make contact to secure the prize within 5 working days of the original email being sent. In the event we receive no response, a new winner will be selected from the draw.