The best mobile apps for maritime navigation
Modern maritime navigation greatly benefits from technological and software advancements, particularly through dedicated mobile applications.
Whether you are an occasional sailor or an experienced captain, these digital tools can transform your experience at sea by facilitating your navigation, improving access to marine weather information, or enhancing the safety of your outings.
Today, Orca Retail offers you a guide to the best applications available to help you navigate safely and efficiently.
For each mobile application, find a summary of features, a video presentation, their ratings on iPhone and Android stores, and mobile download links!
Best Mobile Apps for Navigation and Mapping
Navionics Boating (iOS, Android) - Free or annual subscription
Navionics is one of the most popular and comprehensive marine navigation apps in the world, developed by the well-known GPS brand Garmin.
It offers detailed and updated marine charts for lakes, rivers, and seas worldwide.
Its features include advanced route planning, real-time weather and alerts, customizable points of interest, map downloads for offline use, NMEA instrument support, and an augmented reality feature.
Navionics offers an annual subscription at €49.99 to access premium features, such as 3D marine charts, bathymetric charts (sea floors), and advanced fishing tools.
- Download on Google Play - Rating of 4.2/5 from 42,000+ reviews
- Download on App Store - Rating of 3/5 from 1,800+ reviews
iNavX (iOS, Android) - Free with in-app purchases
iNavX is an advanced marine navigation app designed for experienced sailors.
It allows importing and overlaying marine charts, satellite images, and other geospatial information.
Its features include precise navigation with route and routing tools, detailed weather alerts, the creation of custom waypoints and routes, support for NMEA instruments (National Marine Electronics Association standard for onboard electrical devices), and a collaborative route planning function.
iNavX is particularly appreciated by navigators who take complex routes or need precise navigation for professional reasons.
- Download on Google Play - Rating of 4.5/5 from 800+ reviews
- Download on App Store - Rating of 4.8/5 from 12,000+ reviews
Best Mobile Apps for Marine Weather
Windy (iOS, Android) - Free with premium subscription available
Windy.app is a comprehensive weather application, specifically designed for outdoor sports enthusiasts, particularly those sensitive to wind conditions. It offers a multitude of features to help you plan and make the most of your activities.
The application provides detailed and accurate weather forecasts, with interactive maps showing real-time changes in wind, waves, temperature, atmospheric pressure, and precipitation. This data is presented clearly and intuitively, allowing you to quickly analyze weather conditions and make informed decisions.
Whether you are a kitesurfer, windsurfer, sailor, fisherman, or boater, Windy.app provides the information you need to optimize your outings. You can view weather history for past periods, set custom alerts to be informed of significant weather changes, and even share your observations with other users through an online community.
The app covers a wide range of outdoor activities and offers a very comprehensive spot database, allowing you to find the best places to practice your favorite sport. Additionally, Windy.app is available offline, which is particularly useful when you are far from any internet connection.
It is available for free in its standard version, or for a subscription of $64.99/year (or $109.99 for a lifetime license) in its pro version.
- Download on Google Play - Rating of 4.7/5 from 744,000+ reviews
- Download on App Store - Rating of 4.7/5 from 71,000+ reviews
SeaWeather (iOS & Android) Free with premium subscription available
SeaWeather is an online platform and mobile application that offers detailed weather forecasts for sailors worldwide. Several subscription levels are available: Lite (free), Basic ($50 per year), Premium ($80 per year), and Premium Plus ($120 per year).
The app provides a comprehensive range of weather information, including current conditions, short and long-term forecasts, and alerts for extreme weather phenomena.
SeaWeather users can access interactive weather maps displaying current and forecasted conditions for wind, waves, atmospheric pressure, precipitation, and water temperature. The platform also allows tracking of multiple locations, which is particularly useful for sailors navigating long distances or in multiple areas.
SeaWeather weather alerts keep users informed of sudden changes in weather conditions, such as storms, hurricanes, and typhoons. These alerts can be customized based on the user's navigation areas.
PredictWind (iOS, Android) - Free with premium subscription available
PredictWind is an online platform and mobile application dedicated to sailors, offering accurate weather forecasts and advanced navigation tools. Whether you are a professional sailor or an enthusiastic boater, PredictWind helps you plan your outings with confidence.
The platform offers a variety of weather models, ranging from global forecasts to high-resolution models for specific areas. You can access detailed information on wind, waves, water temperature, ocean currents, tides, and much more.
The routing and navigation tools of PredictWind allow you to plan your routes based on the forecasted weather conditions. You can also visualize the forecasts in different forms, such as maps, graphs, and tables, for better understanding.
PredictWind offers several subscription levels ($0, $29, $249, and $499 per year), each with its own features. Basic subscriptions provide basic weather forecasts and essential navigation tools. More advanced subscriptions offer additional features, such as high-resolution forecast models, performance forecasts, departure planning tools, and weather alerts.
- Download on Google Play - Rating of 4.7/5 from 23,300+ reviews
- Download on App Store - Rating of 4.8/5 from 28,500+ reviews
Best Mobile Apps for Sea Safety
MarineTraffic (iOS, Android) - Free with premium subscription available
MarineTraffic is an online platform offering a comprehensive and real-time view of global maritime traffic.
By leveraging data from the Automatic Identification System (AIS), it allows users to track the position, speed, and route of a large number of ships. Whether for navigation, logistics, maritime surveillance, or research, MarineTraffic provides a wealth of information.
In its paid versions, the platform offers a multitude of features, such as searching for ships by various criteria, viewing historical routes, accessing detailed technical data on each ship, and configuring personalized alerts to be informed of important events. The integrated nautical charts allow the positioning of ships relative to coasts and maritime areas, while the meteorological data provide valuable environmental context.
MarineTraffic subscriptions are $19 per month for the Standard plan, and $69 for the Professional plan, which is aimed, as its name suggests, more at transport and navigation professionals.
The data collected by MarineTraffic is used in various fields, notably to optimize maritime routes, improve sea safety, monitor fishing activities, and analyze maritime traffic trends.
In summary, MarineTraffic is an indispensable tool for anyone wishing to have precise and up-to-date information on global maritime traffic.
- Download on Google Play - Rated 4.8/5 from 84,000+ reviews
- Download on App Store - Rated 4.8/5 from 57,200+ reviews
AnchorWatch (iOS, Android) - Free with in-app purchases
AnchorWatch is an app designed to monitor your anchor position and alert you in case of drift, free on Android, and sold for $0.99 on the Apple App Store.
In case of drift, the software will trigger an alarm and possibly send an instant message or an email. (Pro Version)
Be aware that the performance and accuracy of the Anchor Watch app depend on the hardware and software of the device used. If you have poor reception, please move the device to a location with better
This feature is essential for safety, as it prevents you from drifting and colliding with other boats or hitting underwater obstacles.
- Download on Google Play
- Download on App Store - Rated 3.1/5 from 15 reviews
Conclusion
The mobile applications for maritime navigation offer a variety of indispensable tools for modern sailors.
Whether you are looking to improve your trip planning, monitor real-time weather, stay connected with other sailors, or ensure your safety at sea, there is an app tailored to your needs!
By downloading these marine apps, you can not only enhance your navigation but also maximize your enjoyment and safety at sea.
Explore the possibilities offered by these digital tools and fully enjoy each outing on a semi-rigid boat or sailboat.
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