Some people don’t like apps, but we believe that apps for sailing and boating are here to stay. Some worry about security issues (like banking apps) or are trying to live off-grid and don’t want to be monitored by ‘Big Brother’. For the rest of us, good apps can improve our cruising experience and make life more comfortable at on the water, they may even save a life.
And perhaps a few apps for sailing on our phones may mean throwing out that clunky old chart plotter…
Our Favorite Cruising Apps: The Good, The Bad, and The Essential
This is a topic that often sparks a philosophical debate among sailors: technology on board. While some of us go cruising to escape the modern world, the right technology can be an incredible asset. We’re not talking about the usual suspects like WhatsApp, Facebook, or Netflix for communication and entertainment. Instead, we want to focus on the crucial apps we use for navigation and life at sea.
The Great Tech Debate: To App or Not to App?
For many, the dream of living on a boat is about returning to a simpler life. Some cruisers want to get away from technology altogether, preferring to rely on traditional methods like paper charts. They embrace the sense of discovery that comes with finding an anchorage without digital help.
We completely understand that perspective. However, we’re in the 21st century, and there are incredible tools at our fingertips that can make the cruising life safer and more convenient. The key is finding a balance. While we still love the thrill of exploration, certain apps have become indispensable for us.
One of the main concerns with using apps is security. Many apps require location services to be turned on, which means the app’s developer knows your location. Some cruisers circumvent this by using an old, inexpensive, waterproof phone without a SIM card or Wi-Fi connection, dedicated solely to offline navigation apps. It’s a valid concern, but for us, the benefits of certain apps outweigh the risks.
Our Top Apps for Navigation and Planning
Here are the apps that have earned a permanent spot on our devices.
1. No Foreign Land
This app bills itself as a social network for sailors, and it’s one of our absolute favorites. It’s incredibly user-friendly and loads quickly. The app is built around a community of users who add annotations to the charts, marking everything from good anchorages and marinas to shops, restaurants, and points of interest. It’s a fantastic resource when you’re heading to a new area and want reliable, up-to-date information from fellow cruisers.
2. Alpine Quest
This is our most frequently used app, hands down. Alpine Quest is a satellite imaging map that allows you to download and cache satellite imagery for offline use. This is invaluable for navigating in poorly charted areas. By adjusting the contrast and saturation, you can make reefs and other underwater obstructions visible. We’ve used it to navigate tricky entrances and even to find our way back to the boat in the dinghy at night through reef-strewn waters. The paid version, which costs just a few dollars, allows you to record your tracks and import/export various file formats like KML, KMZ, and GPX.
Note: Alpine Quest is only available for Android.
3. Navionics and iSailor
These are the heavy hitters in the navigation world. We have Navionics loaded onto our main chartplotter and also use it on our phones frequently. It’s the industry standard for a reason. For Apple users, iSailor is another excellent and very popular option. While we rely heavily on these for general navigation, we do find the interface on the phone app, particularly for adding waypoints, to be a bit clunky.
Weather and Environmental Awareness Apps
1. RainViewer
We love RainViewer! It utilises radar information from weather stations worldwide to display the current rainfall location and the direction of the rain movement. This is incredibly practical for day-to-day life. Should we bring the washing in? Is that squall going to hit us, or will it miss? A quick look at RainViewer gives us the answer. The paid version even provides a forecast for the next couple of hours.
2. Windy and PredictWind
These are two of the most well-known weather apps, and we use them differently.
- Windy is our go-to for coastal cruising when we have an internet connection. It offers a fantastic visual interface with layers for wind, waves, currents, and even information from local weather stations. It’s particularly useful for seeing the bigger weather picture.
- PredictWind is essential for offshore passages. It can be connected via satellite to download GRIB files and provides powerful passage planning tools.
3. Honorable Mentions: Earthquake, Lightning, and Fishing Apps
- Earthquake App: Since we spend a lot of time in seismically active areas like the Pacific Ring of Fire, having an app that gives immediate notifications about earthquakes and potential tsunami warnings is crucial for peace of mind.
- Lightning App: One of our viewers on Discord recommended using a lightning app. This can give you a heads-up when thunderstorms are approaching, allowing you time to put your computers, cameras, and other sensitive electronics into a Faraday cage for protection.
- Nautide: This one is for the anglers! A local fisherman introduced us to this app, which tells you the best times to fish in your specific location based on tides and other factors. It uses a simple one-to-three-fish rating to indicate the likelihood of a good catch.
In our video podcast we break down the best apps for sailing and talk about why we use them..
Apps mentioned in the podcast:
- NoForeignLand
- AlpineQuest
- RainViewer
- OnCourse
- Windy
- Predictwind
- iSailor
- Navionics
- Nautide
- Garmin ActiveCaptain
- Anchor Watch/Alarm
- Victron
- Earthquake
- Orcinus
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