Smartphone applications - inexpensive backups

[Bruce Moore]

At this weekends "Cruising North" workshop, Mac talked about the importance of back ups and spares. On the subject of electronics (and not overlooking the need to be proficient with paper charts) I shared an iPhone application I use as a back-up to our chart plotter, along with a handful of other useful apps.

Navionics Marine: US West sells for $9.99. It uses the iPhones GPS chip and is not dependent on cell signals. It covers Mexico to Alaska, creates and stores tracks, routes, and markers, captures geo-coded pictures, includes tides & currents, and more.

Navimatics Charts&Tides (Seattle) is a free app. It tracks vessel location, provides tide data, measures distances, and searches for marine features (harbor, buoy, place, etc.) The chart only covers the Seattle coastal region. Navimatics also sells ($39.99) more powerful apps with extensive chart coverage of several regions.

MobileGraphics Tides http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tides/id286844993?mt=8($.99) is location aware and automatically looks up the closest prediction station to your location.

weatherFlow's Wind Alert (free) provides observed wind data 40,000+ weather stations. Developed for windsurfers, it will even alert you when a location meets your favored conditions.

Double Dog Studios Boater's Pocket Reference ($4.99) is like having a mini-Chapman's in your pocket. It has 1,800 pages of info covering piloting & navigation, communications, U.S. & Canadian regulations, weather forecasting, seamanship, electrical, and more. Very comprehensive.

Verona Solutions NOAA Buoy Data Reader ($2.99) is location aware and retrieves NOAA weather buoy data near you. It also allows manual search. It allows you to select favorite buoys for easy look-up.

Double Dog Studios Navigation Rules ($2.99) contains the complete International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) as well as Inland Navigation Rules. It includes full-text search, and bookmarking.

pinkfroot limited's Ship Finder ($4.99)uses AIS data to deliver real time information on ships in your area (and around the world) overlaid on Google Maps. It's nice to know who's in or approaching restricted zones when you plan a crossing. You can see name, destination, speed, course, length, etc. Here's an overview of the Automatic Identification System (AIS) which provides the data. The also have a free version which has fewer feeds and only updates periodically.

These are all iPhone specific. Some of the developers may provide versions for other smartphone platforms. There are others which I haven't tried. One new one from pinkfroot limited uses Augmented Reality (buzz term for overlaying information on what the camera in your phone is looking at). It's called Ships Ahoy! It uses the gps and compass (iPhone 3GS), in combination with AIS data, to identify ships you point your phone's camera at. Pretty cool.

Anyone else have other favorites?

 

[johnniethek]

Thanks, Bruce.

Where's the app that turns seawater into diesel? 🙂🙂

JtheK

 

[Bay Ranger]

To add to the list ... I received an email from Chuck Baier, editor of the WATERWAY GUIDE, indicating that they are releasing a series of regional apps called WATERWAY GUIDE Mobile. They will focus on the ICW to include mile by mile info and advice, suggested side trips, goin' ashore info on towns and ports, a guide to ocean inlets, skipper's handbook, and comprehensive info on marinas, bridge opening schedules, and anchorages.

The first app entited Waterway Guide - 2010 ICW North Carolina, is available now at iTunes for $6.95 to include the ICW, Pamlico Sound, Albemarle Sound and the Outer Banks. Others coming soon include South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, the Florida Keys, and three regions of the Chesapeake Bay.

I haven't seen them personally, but, if they are comprable to the hard copy versions of the WATERWAY GUIDE, they sould be of great value for ICW cruisers.

More info is available at www.waterwayguide.com.

 

[johnniethek]

SUH-WEET!

Can't wait until they have the same for the Inside Passage, Sunshine Coast, etc., etc., here in the Pacific Northwest.

 

[Bruce Moore]

Capt. Richard Rodriguez (Zenith Maritime instructor and former Vessel Assist, now Towline Marine Assist Captain in the San Juans) just posted the applications he uses on his iPhone. His blog, BitterEnd, is especially interesting during the boating season, when he discusses the wide variety of assist calls he handles.

Check his choices here.