Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Boating apps

Figured I would list all of the apps I am using for our various boating needs. I have tried many and am now narrowing down which are most useful and user friendly. Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

  1. Navionics: Fantastic navigation app. This is what our SimRad is using, often with mediocre results. However, the app is outstanding on my iPhone and offers a host of features. Very easy to use, even for a noob like me. Highly recommended.
  2. Buoy Weather: I only have the free version and am unwilling to pay the premium for a subscription. It is great for quickly checking the wind and waves offshore. Since we never go offshore, utility is limited thus far. I like to check out of curiosity. It gathers information from the NOAA buoys and is highly recommended *by other boaters.*
  3. Dockwa: This is necessary for many marinas to book a reservation for your slip.  Many marinas need to add more information about their facilities, but those that use it insist on booking this way versus a visit or a phone call. Highly recommended (and often essential).
  4. Tides Near Me: I have tried several tide apps and this one seems to be the quickest and easiest. Open the app and it immediately loads the nearest tidal stations. A single click and you have the information you need. There may be a better app out there, but I haven’t found it yet. Note that many apps integrate things like tide schedules, but this app is great for quick checks when you just want to know when and where the water is running. Recommended.
  5. MyRadar: I like this as a radar weather app. It is simple. Again, other apps will show and even overlay weather (it will slow your SimRad to a crawl), but this is quick and easy. There has to be a better way to have all of this information integrated, but until I figure it out, this app enables quick checks and forecasts and is Recommended.
  6. Waterway Guides Marinas: this app was recommended on the boating forums. It looks fantastic for finding marinas. It was also recommended for watching hazard markers. You can only watch so many screens at once and I think Navionics has the hazards covered. Navionics also has a search function for marinas. Nonetheless, I love redundancy because you never know when something will fail to load or function properly, and this was recommended by other boaters with more experience than The Ralphs!
  7. Anchor Watch: this app is simple and straightforward. I can’t imagine anyone not running an anchor alarm at night. You read about our anchor issues, so I deem this app or something equivalent critical for staying safe and enabling peace of mind for a good night’s sleep. Note that other apps have anchor alarms, and even our SimRad apparently has such a function. My phone is always with me and I may not hear a SimRad alarm going off at the helm when I am down in the v-berth with the door closed, air conditioning running, etc. Remember that the generator is running when you are anchored. Highly recommended, and in my opinion, essential. 
  8. SeaNav: I just downloaded this app at the recommendation of Wanderlust (thank you Mike and Kathy). It is a navigation app that offers a ton of features, including the ability to search for and locate vessels globally via AIS information (try it and find all of the ships named Betsy around the world!) Highly recommended.

EDIT:  Many of these apps HAMMER the battery life on your phone. Either have a power cord and outlet at the helm, or keep a backup battery in your pocket. I learned from adventure riding motorcycles to always have a small pocket sized battery pack with me that I can quickly grab and plug into. It was $30 on Amazon and will recharge a dead iPhone several times. It is smaller than the phone itself. 

No comments:

Post a Comment