Favorite Apps

[shanker]

I've been using a Blackberry for the last 7 years and will be getting my own iphone soon. I've never used the BBY with apps so I'm excited about utilizing the many apps out there. What are some of your favorite apps...sailing or otherwise?

[Doug W]

Skipper (free)
Active Captain (free)
Navionics (cheap)

Doug

[BOAT]

Garmin Helm and allows me to see whatever is on the chartplotter from anywhere on the boat and also allows me to control the chartplotter from my iphone or ipad from anywhere on the boat. Since I can see what's on the chartplotter from anywhere now I stopped using my other chart apps (I do still play with the paper ones stashed inside the galley table where I keep all my notes scribbled on). Garmin Blue Charts is handy if I want to plan a trip on the ipad or iphone while underway (while the chartplotter is already working on a heading or a route) - With the Garmin Blue Charts I can create all kinds of routes on the ipad without the chartplotter and then the chartplotter and ipad will talk to each other on a wifi network built into the chartplotter and I can tell the boat to take the new route from the ipad or iphone.. Way better than blue tooth.

[Jimmyt]

This year, the Smartest Troll on the internet award goes to... (drumroll)... Boat!

I can barely set the clock on my vcr (yes I still have one).

Very impressive.

[NiceAft]

Don't encourage him

Ray

[BOAT]

The chartplotter creates it's own wireless network - I'm not sure which Garmin models do that but the one on boat does - so once you step on board your phones and computers will 'see' the wireless network and the Garmin network shows up on your phone or computer in the list just like it does when you are home on your home wi fi system. You can put in a password too if you want in the chartplotter but really out in the ocean I don't get many people trying to jump on to my wi fi network (like NONE ) so a password is not really needed. I suppose if I were sitting on a dock and I did not want people to see what my chartplotter says I could put in a password, but so far I have not found a need to use a password so I just jump on board, go to settings on the phone, and select ['boat' GARMIN network'] from the list and that's it, I'm done. No special troll brains needed and I don't even need to call mastreb for help. After that I just touch a picture on my home screen and the chartplotter screen magically appears on my phone or tablet with little pictures of all the buttons on the chartplotter so I can control the plotter from my phone if I want. We threw the VCR in the trash a long time ago because I could not get it to work. Now I use netflix and Apple TV which have big cartoon buttons that are easy to use.

[bobbob]

I've tried half a dozen iPad chartplotters and Navionics is IMO by far the best.

[Tomfoolery]

I've tried half a dozen iPad chartplotters and Navionics is IMO by far the best.

It seems to me that Navionics keeps coming up with top marks in these discussions, enough that I've noticed, at least. I guess it's time to look into it, as I'd like to stop using a notebook computer running Maptech's Active Captain for navigation, for lots of reasons.

[ris]

We like SEAiq on the iPad

[tewharaunz]

Another vote for the Navionics app (iPhone) but for X-mas I got a Pebble Time smartwatch. It's waterproof and is "blue toothed" to my iPhone where it gets location and other info. I've been enjoying two apps:

"Tides" is a watchface that gives me a realtime tide chart graphic with time & height of upcoming high/low. We launch at a ramp that dries out at anything below mid-tide so we have to be careful.

"Marine" is an app that gives me speed (COG) and direction (bearing) It would also give me local tide, & local current flow speed & direction if I was near a NOAA station.

The best part is I can leave my iPhone in a dry bag and still see how fast we are going.

I would love a Navionics companion for Pebble, so I could see direction & time to waypoints, but until then....