Best marine navigation apps for Android / iOS

In this article we will look at navigation apps that will be useful for boaters, sailors, kayakers or fishermans. Such apps, as a rule, contain a lot of information functions - these are sea maps, weather forecast, data on the nearest ports and others. There are also additional tools for navigation - speedometer and compass.

Of course, each mobile app has its own features and accents, so we will try to consider the features of each of them.

AquaMap UK

This sea navigation app allows you to get RELIEF pictures of the seabed. We will note its three main features.

Offline maps are supported: you can download NAUTICAL CHARTS to your mobile device, then use it without an internet connection. After all, as practice shows, access to a good internet connection is not available everywhere. On these maps will be available information without restrictions: markers, buoys and other useful data.

Planner: the app is suitable as a planner if you want to use your mobile device as the only navigator when sailing on a boat or a yacht. The planner functions allow you to add start and end points as well as intermediate points. The route can then be monitored using the GPS speed tracker, ETA information, and other information. The data is saved in a file format KML, KMZ, GPX, which can then be viewed and analyzed.

Chartplotter: the app allows you to find out a detailed weather forecast for the near future, including wind and waves. Navigation information such as USCG List of Lights and USACE surveys are available. Via WiFI you can connect other devices that will transmit route information to the app. In particular, AquaMap UK supports NMEA devices

There are two types of purchases in the app: Unlimited and Subscription. Subscription costs from €4.99.

Download: Android

Marine Navigator

Marine Navigator is an nautical gps app for boating and chartplotter. Similarly to the previous app in the review, offline operation is supported - you can download maps to your Android phone and use them fully while sailing or fishing.

At the same time, there are options that will be available only when connected to the Internet. For example, the functions of the navigator are dependent on the Internet. In particular, it is possible to save routes, points on the map, open them through the app for subsequent navigation. In this case the Internet profile of the user is used.

The NOAA USA service is used to display nautical maps. Also maps are available for other countries and regions, such as Mediterranean Nautical maps, New Zealand and other maps. In general, the app provides nautical and detailed topographic maps around the globe. ESRI maps and Open Sea Map are also available, allowing for high-resolution satellite imagery.

Other tools include a weather forecast (moon phases, tides, wind speed, pressure), a boat speedometer (in miles and kilometers), and a compass.

All these features make Marine Navigator a great app for fishermen, boaters, and sailing enthusiasts.

Download: Android

TZ iBoat

TZ iBoat is a handy guide with raster and vector maps, as well as a handy navigator for fishermen and sailing enthusiasts. In addition to the basic information functions, a real-time weather forecast is available.

TZ iBoat supports different types of nautical charts and works offline. At the same time, all charts are available and they do not require a permanent internet connection. Thus, wherever you are - in the ocean, the sea - maps and routes will be available, provided that you have previously downloaded maps through the TZ iBoat settings.

HD maps are available worldwide. They support 3d and satellite mode: you can rotate them and zoom in without significant loss of quality. You can put marks on them and calculate the distance directly on the phone.

Among the additional functions, we'll note the weather forecast and Meteogram: wind strength, pressure, cloudiness, moon phases, tides. By the way, the weather forecast data can be saved for offline viewing. Of course, they will be inaccurate, but if you are going on a distant sea journey without Internet, it will help to navigate.

A subscription is required to access all of the app's features. You can find out the cost online or through the app.

Download: iOS

SailTimer

The main purpose of SailTimer is to calculate Tacking Time to Destination as accurately as possible. As the developers of this app say, at the moment it is difficult to find a similar tool that can calculate ETA correctly. SailTimer takes into account weather factors such as wind direction and wind speed, among others. When you connect the SailTimer Wind Instrument to the mobile app you can calculate not only the time to reach your destination but also choose the best route out of the offered options.

Interesting features of the SailTimer app:

• Detailed high quality nautical maps, as well as importing maps from other apps (e.g. Navionics, Google Maps). Maps are available as vector images.

• Use waypoints to plot routes and track boat and boat movements - handy markers for orientation while sailing.

• Audio notifications: when you change route or weather conditions (change in direction or wind strength)

• Route construction in polar coordinates: the app plots and precisely calculates the coordinates, as well as forecasts the time to reach a certain point on the map using Polar plots

The app is available for free and will be a useful add-on for all sailors.

Download: Android

iSail GPS

Sailors should always have backup tools available. They will be useful if the main tools suddenly fail. This applies to the chart plotter as well. The iSail GPS app will seamlessly complement the existing chart plotter and become a kind of safety net.

iSail GPS features:

• Background record of the movement track: the app keeps a record of the route to which your vehicle (boat, steamer, ship) moves and records all the necessary data: intermediate points, speed, time, weather conditions.

• Annotation: you can add markings with address information to the track, attach a photo. Any editing can be done with one or two taps on the map.

• Import and export tracks in the required format - GPX, KML or TCX. The file can be saved to your mobile device, transferred to the cloud, sent to other users or to Google Earth for viewing.

Raster nautical maps are available for navigation. About 1,000 maps are available for the U.S. and can be preloaded on your iPhone for offline use. You can import maps from other apps without having to constantly switch between them - iSail GPS does this automatically.

The iSail GPS app is available for iPhone and iPad.

Download: iOS

Navionics Boating

A versatile sailing navigation app in its category that will be equally useful for fishermen as well as diving and sailing enthusiasts. The app is only available by subscription, but there is also a test mode that allows you to appreciate all the features of the Navionics Boating app. The app is available for Android phones and tablets.

Subscribing to the boating gps app gives you access to the features:

Autonomous use of NAVIONICS maps and NAVIONICS MAPS. Information about nearby ports, lighthouses, anchorages and other useful sites is available through the guide. In addition, biometric maps and other nautical charts are available for the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Canada and other water areas.

• Combining layers of different maps: multiple maps can be overlaid to produce a summary of information.
• Lots of useful information for fishing: bottom map, depth readings, satellite maps and detailed terrain information.
• Built-in planner: you can create a route on the map taking into account speed of the ship, weather conditions and other factors. You can also calculate fuel consumption.
• Access to real-time weather reports and forecasts. Information about tides, wind speed, moon phases, sunrise and sunset times.

Download: Android

savvy navvy

The boat navigation app includes a set of tools necessary for boat owners, fishermen or just people related to sailing. First of all, we should note the basic functions that are available in other apps of this kind: weather forecast, nautical maps, route planner, GPS tracker, etc.

Access to all information functions: through the app it is easy to find out the weather forecast, tide time, wind strength, to display on the map available ports and lighthouses - all this is done with the click of a few buttons.

Handy chartplotter: savvy navvy includes many highly detailed maps (using data from NOAA, UKHO and others)

Active tracking function: allows you to monitor the course over ground (COG) and speed over ground (SOG), get current GPS coordinates, take into account weather factors to calculate the time of arrival to the destination.

These and other features are available in savvy navvy with a Premium subscription.

Download the app: Android