About Barnacle Systems
Our story and the storm that started it all.
Our Story
Our story began in January 2017 when our sailboat broke moorage and floated to shore during a below-freezing winter storm.
First, there was the jarring 3am phone call from our founder Brandon’s panic-stricken father, who heard crashing on the shore. Then, there was Brandon’s 45-minute drive over fallen debris and icy roads. And finally, the worst part was seeing their beloved 27′ Catalina, SV Inconceivable, beaten up on the beach with waves crashing on its hull.
Inconceivable had likely been on the beach for several hours at this point, given the state of the tides. By the time Brandon arrived, his father Ken was already on the scene and getting into his dry suit, ready to tackle the incoming waves. Without hesitation, Brandon slipped into his wetsuit and together they worked to winch the boat off of the beach.
After hours of arduous work, the vessel was dragged from the beach by using a secure mooring buoy and the boat’s manual winch. By sunrise, Inconceivable was successfully placed on a temporary mooring buoy, much to Brandon and Ken’s happiness – and exhaustion.
After saving SV Inconceivable, Brandon started looking for a product that could alert him if his boat ever broke moorage again.
One of the requirements he looked for was a hardware product that could send alerts upon the vessel floating outside of a set ‘geofence’. His findings were scarce – none of the available solutions employed innovative technology, let alone the prevalent connected tech Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).
With his deep understanding of the Internet of Things, remote surveillance and Electrical Engineering, Brandon knew he could build a better solution. Several months later, after endless nights and even longer days, a prototype was born, with an accompanying app. In his hands, Brandon held the first iteration of BRNKL by Barnacle Systems.
Our Executive Team
Our Office
Find our office at the Oak Bay Marina in beautiful Victoria, BC, Canada.
Our Founder
Brandon Wright has designed and developed award-winning surveillance solutions that have been successfully installed throughout North America, the Middle East, and Europe. He has had the honour of presenting remote monitoring solutions to the retired US Secretary of Defense, the Assistant Chief of Staff of Qatar, and various four-star generals from the US, Israel, and Mexico. These systems have been used to protect royal families, the borders of countries and other high-valued assets.
Listen to Brandon’s interview with Andy Schell from 59 North: “Building the BRNKL Business”