Onboard Sensors and Alarms Course
This course gives you a complete understanding of the detection and alert systems that are essential for the safety and efficient operation of any vessel. You will learn how sensors for smoke, gas, flooding, temperature, pressure, level, flow and other vital parameters work, and how they are installed, configured, tested and maintained. You will also learn to interpret alarms and plan the response to critical situations, with a practical focus on reducing false alarms and keeping the system reliable over time.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Onboard Sensors and Alarms Course?
This short course teaches you to plan, install and maintain the sensors and alarms of a vessel. You will study the difference between detection, measurement, warning, protection and automation, the types of alarm, from visual and audible to remote, critical, preventive and maintenance alarms, and the main components of a system; safety sensors for smoke, fire, carbon monoxide, combustible gases, flooding, bilge water, overheating and intrusion, and where to place them according to risk, ventilation and access; operational sensors for fresh water, black water, fuel and oil tanks, batteries, chargers, inverters and solar panels, and pressure, flow and temperature in pumps, engines and generators; and installation, wiring, thresholds, delays, zones and functional testing.
What sets this course apart: it covers both the alarms that protect people and the alarms that protect the boat and its equipment, in a single coherent system; it is built around the marine environment, with watertight terminals, fuses, relays and good wiring practice; it gives special attention to false alarms, which are often the reason crews end up ignoring or disconnecting a system; and it ends with a project in which you design, configure and plan the maintenance of a sensor and alarm system for a sailing boat, motorboat, yacht, catamaran, passenger boat or workboat.
Program highlights
- Fundamentals: detection, measurement, warning and protection, types of alarm and system components.
- Safety sensors: smoke, fire, carbon monoxide, combustible gas, flooding, bilge, overheating and intrusion.
- Operational sensors: tank levels, batteries, chargers, inverters, solar panels, pumps, engines and generators.
- Marine installation: wiring, connectors, fuses, relays, watertight terminals and integration with panels and networks.
- Configuration and testing: thresholds, delays, zones, remote alerts, priorities and event simulation.
- Final project: a complete sensor and alarm system design with maintenance and incident response plan.
Syllabus of the Onboard Sensors and Alarms Course
5 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Fundamentals of sensors, alarms and basic monitoring on vessels
- 1.1. What onboard sensors and alarms are and the differences between detection, measurement, warning, protection and automation
- 1.2. Types of alarm: visual, audible, remote, local, critical, preventive and maintenance alarms
- 1.3. Variables monitored on vessels: water, smoke, gas, temperature, battery, pressure, level, opening and movement
- 1.4. Main components: sensors, control units, relays, sirens, indicators, displays, cabling and power supplies
- 1.5. The relationship between safety, comfort, damage prevention, maintenance and the operational continuity of the boat
Safety sensors, risk detection and protection of people on board
- 2.1. Sensors for smoke, fire, carbon monoxide, combustible gases and vapours in enclosed spaces
- 2.2. Flooding and water presence sensors, bilge pumps and bilge alarms
- 2.3. Temperature, overheating and ventilation sensors in the engine room and technical areas
- 2.4. Opening, motion, intrusion, presence and perimeter security sensors on vessels
- 2.5. Placing sensors correctly according to risk, ventilation, accessibility, maintenance and false alarms
Operational, level and energy sensors and control of auxiliary systems
- 3.1. Level sensors for fresh water, black water, fuel, oil, auxiliary tanks and technical reservoirs
- 3.2. Monitoring batteries, voltage, current, state of charge, consumption, chargers, inverters and solar panels
- 3.3. Pressure, flow, temperature and operation sensors on pumps, engines, generators and hydraulic circuits
- 3.4. Alarms for bilge pumps, fans, refrigerators, air conditioning, lights and auxiliary equipment
- 3.5. Integrating sensors with panels, displays, home automation modules, internal networks and control systems
Installation, wiring, configuration and testing of marine alarm systems
- 4.1. Planning the installation according to zones, risks, available power, cable routes and the user's needs
- 4.2. Cabling, connectors, protection, fuses, relays, watertight terminals and good practice in the marine environment
- 4.3. Configuring thresholds, delays, sensitivity, zones, remote alerts and alarm priorities
- 4.4. Functional testing of sensors, event simulation and checks of sirens, lights, displays and notifications
- 4.5. Reducing false alarms through careful positioning, calibration, maintenance and parameter adjustment
Applied onboard sensors and alarms project
- 5.1. Defining the case: a sailing boat, motorboat, yacht, catamaran, passenger boat or workboat
- 5.2. Analyzing risks, critical areas, variables to monitor and needs for local or remote warnings
- 5.3. Selecting sensors, control unit, cabling, power supply, visual and audible alarms and communication modules
- 5.4. Designing the installation diagram, device locations, threshold configuration and functional tests
- 5.5. Preparing the maintenance, diagnosis, incident response and future improvement plan for the system
Duration and format of the Onboard Sensors and Alarms Course
It is 300 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Onboard Sensors and Alarms Course
Career opportunities after the Onboard Sensors and Alarms Course
Questions about the Onboard Sensors and Alarms Course
To warn the crew early of dangerous conditions or technical problems on the vessel, such as smoke, gas, water ingress, overheating or low battery, so that they can act before the situation becomes an emergency.
Safety sensors for smoke, fire, carbon monoxide, combustible gases, flooding, bilge, temperature and intrusion, and operational sensors for tank levels, batteries, energy systems, pumps, engines and generators.
It depends on the risk, ventilation, access and maintenance of each space. The course explains the positioning criteria for each type of sensor and how good positioning also reduces false alarms.
Through correct positioning, calibration, regular maintenance and careful adjustment of thresholds, delays and sensitivity. The fourth module is dedicated to configuration and testing with this goal in mind.
Yes. The course covers remote alerts and the integration of sensors with panels, displays, home automation modules and onboard networks so that warnings reach the crew or owner wherever they are.
You choose a type of vessel, analyze its risks and critical areas, select the equipment, design the installation and threshold configuration, define the functional tests and write the maintenance and incident response plan.
Fully online, through a virtual campus available 24/7, with downloadable material, practical examples and case studies based on real situations on board.
The course comprises 300 hours of study across 5 modules of about 60 hours each and ends with a final project. You can progress at your own pace within the schedule set when you enroll.
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Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at marine maintenance engineers and technicians, engineer officers and marine electricians, students of naval engineering and related fields, technical inspection staff and health and safety personnel; technical training in electronics or electricity, or demonstrable experience in installing and maintaining safety systems, is recommended, together with the ability to read diagrams and carry out basic electrical tests.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with a fast internet connection and a PDF viewer; basic electronic test and measurement tools, such as a multimeter, are useful for the practical exercises.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.