Smartphone apps

[Russ]

BoatUS mag has an article on boating apps.

I never really looked at any smartphone apps other than weather-related. There are some very useful apps available.

This free anchor alarm app looks very cool.
Free on iPhone, pro features cost more
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchor-pro/id1445476850
Seems to be for sale on Google play
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... n_US&gl=US

This has a feature where you can leave it running on a phone on your boat. If it drags, it can send an alert to another phone. Useful if you are ashore and want to be alerted.

[Democritus]

Essential-to-me apps include:

Navionics: https://www.navionics.com/usa/apps/navionics-boating - Navigation app

Windy: https://windy.app/ - Wind/weather predictions

Tides: https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... n_US&gl=US - Tidal info


I use them on a Galaxy Tab A7. Eventually I'll get around to getting a wifi bridge so I can display my depth sounder info in Navionics. I also plan on getting a VHF with AIS that will be displayed in Navionics as well. Haven't decided on if I want to go with the SH GX2400 or the Icom M506. I both an Icom multi-band HT and a SH VHF HT that I love, so it's a difficult decision.

[Democritus]

Oh, by the way, I have the "Anchor Lite" version of that app installed on my phone and I intend to try it out this weekend on SF Bay. If it works well I'll most likely get the pro version and will report back on its usefulness.

[Democritus]

The Anchor Lite app worked great. It alerted me as we drifted outside of the set parameters like it was supposed to. Once was as the tide swung us around to the opposite side of our hook and once was as we left the anchorage. It also went off a few times when it lost GPS signal. I extended the default distance by about 10 meters (will adjust this according to anchor rode scope) and disabled the loss of GPS signal alarm.

[kmclemore]

Anchor Lite sounds handy. I’ll try it this summer. What’s the advantage of the paid version?

[Democritus]

The paid version allows you to use the "remote" feature, so it can send you a notification if the boat is drifting. You'd need two devices with a signal for that to work though. It also keeps a history and a few other things...here we go:

♦ Store previous anchor positions
♦ Dark UI theme for easier night readability
♦ Confirmation patterns to avoid mistakes
♦ More data on notification bar
♦ Low battery alarm
♦ Instant message notification to another phone
♦ Email notification to another phone
♦ Logging of boat movement and its display on map
♦ no advertisements

I don't really need anything but the basic function but I paid the six bucks for it to support the developer.

[kmclemore]

Sounds a good deal. Thanks!

[Drifter]

My first ever trip on my X, which is still my first ever at the moment, I tried calling the boat club tractor driver to let him know we were getting close and to prepare our trailer...

There was a weird robotic voice and I could barely hear him, and he didn't seem to understand me.

Only later did I realize that same app was squarking "Anchor alarm! Anchor alarm!"

So it worked, just not loud enough to notice with the engine running

[Inquisitor]

Long time ago, Navionics on Android had many versions. You had to buy for a region, but supposedly had a permanent license to download maps for that region. It worked fine for me for many years on my phone and tablets. They did away with that model (and program). They now have just one, but it is a perpetual renewal for updated maps. More like their chart plotter hardware model. This kind of torqued me the wrong way.

I've downloaded OpenCPN and its rather a pane in some ways and is very hard to use on a phone. It's a little better on a tablet, but really shines on a laptop. I found that I set my tracks on the laptop and transfer it over to a tablet that I'll put on the helm.

I also have
SailFlow - which shows current and predicted winds for an area.
Tides Near Me - Self explanatory.
And Adobe Digital Editions book reader with, "Skipper Bob Anchorages Along the Intercostal Waterway" Its like the book, but is easily searchable so I can find things easier.

I'll have to try out some of these other's you all have found. Thanks.

Inq

[Stickinthemud57]

SailFreeGPS for Android. I don't know if there is an iPhone version.

More features than you can shake a stick at, my favorite being the Speed Over Ground readout in bold numerals, easy to read even several feet away.

Free version is pretty robust, and Premium is $6.99 a year.

WillyWeather is my go-to wind and weather app. Shows your choice of the following in a graph display:

Wind forecast
Wind real-time
Rainfall probability (I prefer Weather Underground for this)
Temperature forecast
Temperature real-time
Feels-like temperature real-time
Rain today real-time
Barometric pressure real-time
UV forecast
Dew point real-time