Smartphone or pad apps
- Thread starter NiceBeny
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I like Navionics for navigation and I use weatherbug and radar scope for weather. Weatherbug for the general weather reports including hourly intervals, and radar scope for when I need to know EXACTLY where and what direction the fronts and cells are and moving.
Of course this is only good for USA coastal weather
Of course this is only good for USA coastal weather
I like Navionics for the overview, a great app is also Orux Maps Blue, for AIS, FindShip and for the weather WeatherOnline Sailing, please note, only Navionics and OruxMaps you can also use offline!
I use a dedicated laptop for navigation but I have iNavX and tested it extensively for backup, works great and is both offline, has AIS presentation and all that good stuff.
For weather I use a an app called Windalert, has wind stations all over and great forecasting though I suspect the source is some central weather forecaster.
For weather I use a an app called Windalert, has wind stations all over and great forecasting though I suspect the source is some central weather forecaster.
Inavx on iPad for navigation with navionics charts. Great product
For weather I use an app called Storm and one called Intellicast Boating.
Also weathertrack for wind grib charts
For weather I use an app called Storm and one called Intellicast Boating.
Also weathertrack for wind grib charts
Windalert has the most accurate forecasts for weather that I've seen. Accurate to the hour often. Wind forecasts not so much especially in coastal areas and around islands are often wrong, although right in prevailing direction and rough speed.
Agree on Windalert. Where I sail it's wind forecasts aren't always spot on, but they're better than anything else I've seen.
I also found Accuweather to be very good for precipitation forecasts. Particularly if there is rain on the radar within 2 hours, accuweather does a good job of calculating when it will arrive and depart.
I also found Accuweather to be very good for precipitation forecasts. Particularly if there is rain on the radar within 2 hours, accuweather does a good job of calculating when it will arrive and depart.
I like iSailor for the iPad. Good charts, tides & current add on. Other add on info available. Price reasonable.
I also have a garmin chart plotter for primary navigation, used the iSailor for a full season when I first purchased the boat and still have it as backup and planning, etc.
Wind alert also generally a good app for local weather info, but not always "right on".
Storm also a good weather app with radar forecasting.
I also have a garmin chart plotter for primary navigation, used the iSailor for a full season when I first purchased the boat and still have it as backup and planning, etc.
Wind alert also generally a good app for local weather info, but not always "right on".
Storm also a good weather app with radar forecasting.
Re: Smartphone apps
I just found a navigation app that is very easy to use. I'm not big into electronic sailing but this one is very handy and best of all it's FREE! It uses NOAA charts, saves waypoints and routes and it has served me well. I would recommend a look see at it. Oh, yes...the name, Skipper.
Cheers!
I just found a navigation app that is very easy to use. I'm not big into electronic sailing but this one is very handy and best of all it's FREE! It uses NOAA charts, saves waypoints and routes and it has served me well. I would recommend a look see at it. Oh, yes...the name, Skipper.
Cheers!
The nav app I use the most is iSailor, second would be Garmin (but not a real navigation app) third would be Navionics... I have installed & used almost all of them and I find iSailor to be the one I go to 99% of the time...
As for weather apps, they all stink and are wrong 85% of the time, so I no longer bother.....
As for weather apps, they all stink and are wrong 85% of the time, so I no longer bother.....
I pretty much have them all, and I too am relying more and more on isailor. Beyond great charting choices and a good UI, the optional AIS and weather add-ins are very nice. In particular, the weather module automatically downloads forecast weather in GRIB format. The model/service they use is highly granular and in my experience very accurate in predicting not only the gross wind direction/speed, but also the micro-effects of the islands and land masses.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
A lot of people assume iSailor is a bit player but the parent company Transas has been a global leader in shipping navigation for years.
Yep a real player in commercial marine navigation.....
What I like with iSailor is the simple clean nature and the well drawn NOAA looking charts. Also in course up everything displays perfectly, including text, where Navionics, for example, will not rotate text, just the chart, a real PITA.
In general I am not a fan of Navionics chart renderings anyway. Still trying to figure out where the little pink "Peeps" are in Chart #1.....
Another vote for "Storm".
And I was gonna say I liked Navionics, but after Maine and Jackdaw both dissed it, I'm embarrassed to!
And I was gonna say I liked Navionics, but after Maine and Jackdaw both dissed it, I'm embarrassed to!
Had a few quick PMs about GRIB files, so I'll respond here.
GRIB (GRIdded Binary) files are the way that weather services distribute wind, temp, and seastate forecast data to computerized systems. The key part is the data is gridded for lat/long, meaning that you get micro-forecasts for every few miles. And you get this for days into the future.
This is KEY when going offshore. You can get a detailed few of what the wind is supposed to do. Most 3-day forecasts are very accurate. Whenever we go offshore, the LAST thing we do before casting lines is refresh our GRIBS.
Here's a shot of the Cyclades, from Athens to Santorini. That's a solid sail involving a night passage on most boats. You can see the detail of the breeze circling low pressure. Down one side of Kithnos, its a run. On the other side, a beat! I know which I'd go! Pressing the VCR control at the bottom advances time.
GRIB (GRIdded Binary) files are the way that weather services distribute wind, temp, and seastate forecast data to computerized systems. The key part is the data is gridded for lat/long, meaning that you get micro-forecasts for every few miles. And you get this for days into the future.
This is KEY when going offshore. You can get a detailed few of what the wind is supposed to do. Most 3-day forecasts are very accurate. Whenever we go offshore, the LAST thing we do before casting lines is refresh our GRIBS.
Here's a shot of the Cyclades, from Athens to Santorini. That's a solid sail involving a night passage on most boats. You can see the detail of the breeze circling low pressure. Down one side of Kithnos, its a run. On the other side, a beat! I know which I'd go! Pressing the VCR control at the bottom advances time.
Not necessarily dissing it, the charts are just not to my taste and it needs some tweaking IMHO.. I prefer a more accurate rendering of a NOAA chart seeing is that is what I have navigated with for over 40 years. Garmin and iSailor both do a decent job with that...
