cruising apps for Ipad

Dec 30, 2009
680
jeanneau 38 gin fizz sloop Summer- Keyport Yacht Club, Raritan Bay, NJ, Winter Viking Marina Verplanck, NY
Hi all I am looking for an app on my Ipad that I can use for charts and navigation. I am not real tech savy, but not terrible. I keep hearing about these apps you can use to go along with or use with your chartplotter. I have a garmin 741XS that is great. Backup? I will be going from FT pierce area where my boat is now after the holiday south... Red
 
Feb 20, 2011
7,990
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
iSailor seems okay to me. Don't know about interfacing, but there's a iManual for that.
 

Sailm8

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Feb 21, 2008
1,746
Hunter 29.5 Punta Gorda
I use Navionics. I really like the additional cost plugin for auto-routing.
 

bgary

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Sep 17, 2015
53
1985 Ericson 32-III Everett
I use both of those (iSailor and Navionics). Like them both, I find the iSailor interface better for what I do.
I used to use iNavX but the process for loading and using charts is too clunky for me.
 

Nodak7

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Sep 28, 2008
1,249
Hunter 41DS Punta Gorda, FL
Mainly use iSailor and Garmin Blue Chart on a iPad for my Navionics Chartplotter as a backup. Really like the Blue Chart because it is interlinked with Active Captain. Which I use a lot when cruising. Also found that their charts for the Bahamas are a bit more accurate. That being said I like the iSailor because it is very easy to save (and share) tracks, routes, and waypoints. Your call...... there are many of them out there.
 
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Feb 28, 2013
67
Pacific Seacraft 40 Belfast
Do you have a cellular iPad and do you use it in the Bahamas? Do you get a Batelco sim card for it? If so, how expensive is it and does it work well for internet everywhere there's a Batelco tower?
 

Nodak7

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Sep 28, 2008
1,249
Hunter 41DS Punta Gorda, FL
Do you have a cellular iPad and do you use it in the Bahamas? Do you get a Batelco sim card for it? If so, how expensive is it and does it work well for internet everywhere there's a Batelco tower?
Chris, I use a blue tooth GPS (Bad Elf) for my positioning whenever I am out. Much more accurate than cellular ipad and works anywhere, offshore as well. I did use Batelco for our last trip and it worked well for cell and internet service. Total cost for the card $120. ($30 for the simcard, $75 for a 35 Day Plan with 4GB). I never had to reload it for our trip. With free text messages. It worked pretty good as long as there was a tower around.
 

Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
Do you have a cellular iPad and do you use it in the Bahamas? Do you get a Batelco sim card for it? If so, how expensive is it and does it work well for internet everywhere there's a Batelco tower?
Both iSailor and NVcharts allow you to download your purchased charts to your mobile device. You want an iPad with cellular service because it includes a built in GPS. You don't need to subscribe to local cell service for it to work. This is a handy backup and trip planning solution in addition to your installed chartplotter.

Forget Batelco. If you enroll your mobile device through Verizon Wireless they have a new service called TravelPass - for $10 per day ($5/day in Mexico!) they provision you with wireless ported from your domestic plan and your iPhone can both make calls locally and AND your phone works as a hotspot for email to your iPad and 4 other devices.
 

Nodak7

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Sep 28, 2008
1,249
Hunter 41DS Punta Gorda, FL
Both iSailor and NVcharts allow you to download your purchased charts to your mobile device. You want an iPad with cellular service because it includes a built in GPS. You don't need to subscribe to local cell service for it to work. This is a handy backup and trip planning solution in addition to your installed chartplotter.

Forget Batelco. If you enroll your mobile device through Verizon Wireless they have a new service called TravelPass - for $10 per day ($5/day in Mexico!) they provision you with wireless ported from your domestic plan and your iPhone can both make calls locally and AND your phone works as a hotspot for email to your iPad and 4 other devices.
This is good information Gunni I was not aware of this Verizon program. However I am not certain that Verizon works well in all of the Bahamas and at $10/day that is much more expensive than Batelco. Once you have the Batelco Sim Card ($30) a 35 day service on Batelco would cost $75 versus $350 with Verizon. Your thoughts!
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
I've gotten along with iNavX on the iPad. It is a bit to understand how to plot trips but it connects to the Vesper AIS providing a chart to follow and the AIS data to see ships and other AIS transmitting pleasure boats. Not everyone is AIS transponder equipped so you still need to keep our eyes on the water surrounding your boat.

I understand that that Garmin has an app for your iPad. I tried it but found that iNavX provided more detailed charts. I like the NOAA charts.

I much prefer the Coastal Explorer software on my PC laptop.
 

Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
Once you have the Batelco Sim Card ($30) a 35 day service on Batelco would cost $75 versus $350 with Verizon.
You don't get charged by TravelPass if you don't use your device. Turn it off and skip a few days. Check the plan details, I think you will find that Batelco limits minutes and data along with international calling. A Verizon TravelPass includes calling to the US, doesn't charge US callers a fee and includes your US data allowance. Not only that, there are no hassles, you set it up before you go and when you arrive, turn on your phone it just works. I recommend the iPhone devices because they have both GSM and CDMA all frequency transceivers. The longest two weeks I ever spent in Hopetown was the 2 days I spent waiting for an office to open and get Batelco to make my phone work. Don't get me started with Digicell.
 
Feb 28, 2013
67
Pacific Seacraft 40 Belfast
Nodak,

I just got back from Batelco. They only charged me $54 for the sim card and the largest data plan they offer! Price drop? Or maybe I'll discover what I'm missing. So far it's working great.

Chris
 

Nodak7

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Sep 28, 2008
1,249
Hunter 41DS Punta Gorda, FL
Nodak,

I just got back from Batelco. They only charged me $54 for the sim card and the largest data plan they offer! Price drop? Or maybe I'll discover what I'm missing. So far it's working great.

Chris
Excellent! Thanks Chris! Still trying to decide what I will do when we go in spring. I think since the Verizon is "by use only" I may sign up for that and use Batelco for my primary connection to save money. It worked very well for us during the last trip. Since I need internet pretty much every day (remote professor) Batelco would be (by far) the cheapest and then Verizon would be the backup.
 

Nodak7

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Sep 28, 2008
1,249
Hunter 41DS Punta Gorda, FL
Red I have attached a picture of my cockpit setup when we are cruising. You can see the iPad off to the right side of my MFD. I have iSailor and Bluecharts (Active Captain) on the iPad (with a independent GPS) for reference and as backup to the Raymarine system.
 

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colemj

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Jul 13, 2004
119
Dolphin Catamaran Dolphin 460 Mystic, CT
Batelco's plan rates are here: http://www.btcbahamas.com/explore/mobile/prepaid

They are much cheaper than the Verizon plan mentioned above. The SIM card itself costs $17, and a 15GB data plan $35/month (with VAT, this would be Chris's $54). If you don't use all of the data, it rolls over into the next month.

Mark
 
Feb 11, 2017
108
Gulfstar 47 NC
Chris, you can post a lot of stuff with all that data. Finally Batelco has a plan sailors can afford. I remember $4 a minute for phone in the 90s. Have fun and Merry Christmas .
 

DockH

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May 14, 2011
30
Abbott 22 Lorain, Ohio
Do all the popular apps require an iPad with 3G/4G ? My iPad is not 3G/4G model. Therefore to use one of these marine nav apps it appears I need a device like GarmiinGLO with Bluetooth to connect directly to GPS satellites to feed my iPad nav app. Is that correct ?
Second question: Can my iPhone Bluetooth with GPS app loaded also feed my iPad nav app?
Right now most of my sailing will be Southwest Florida coast, Charlotte Harbor and possibly Key West. I also have newer Garmin not yet installed from prior owner.
 
May 17, 2004
5,032
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
Do all the popular apps require an iPad with 3G/4G ? My iPad is not 3G/4G model. Therefore to use one of these marine nav apps it appears I need a device like GarmiinGLO with Bluetooth to connect directly to GPS satellites to feed my iPad nav app. Is that correct ?
Second question: Can my iPhone Bluetooth with GPS app loaded also feed my iPad nav app?
Right now most of my sailing will be Southwest Florida coast, Charlotte Harbor and possibly Key West. I also have newer Garmin not yet installed from prior owner.
The apps should still work on a non-cell iPad, but they won't show your exact location. It should still work for things like route planning and generally browsing charts. There are some iPhone apps that can act as a server, allowing another device to connect to get location info. Your mileage may vary as far as how stable the apps are and what other iPad apps can connect to them.