We know you wouldn’t leave home without your cell phone, but would you leave the dock without first loading it up with cool boating nav apps? If you are looking to add some new boating apps to your tablet or smartphone, look no further.
We’ve compiled our favorite list of the 18 best boating apps.
1. Animated Knots
Animated Knots by Grog is a broad teaching and reference tool for boaters and other hobbyists. With step-by-step instructions and, you guessed it, frame-by-frame animations, this app teaches you to tie knots at your own pace. For five dollars, you really can’t go wrong.
2. Boatrax
Boatrax lets you keep detailed records of your boat while capturing and sharing your moments with family and friends.
You can share your location and photos with friends and the boating community.
3. Celestial
Celestial can perform celestial sight reductions, calculate fixes, present them visually, manage sights on multiple trips and assist in site planning. It also includes a complete Almanac of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars.
4. Fishidy
You can use this program to get volumes of information related to fishing. From species tips to locations of boat ramps, this is an angler’s best friend. You’ll even be able to mark locations and track catches right on your phone.
5. Fishing Calendar
Using a massive amount of data, this app gives you advanced predictions on the best fishing times in your area.
You can integrate the app into your maps for convenient information on the best nearby fishing.
6. FirstMate
With tide charts, weather forecasts, barometric pressure data, and a sea of useful information, this is one of the most effective apps for saltwater boaters and anglers. It even features feeding times for your specific location.
7. FishingScout
A great resource and social app for anglers. The app allows you to upload photos of your latest catch, describe the conditions of how you caught it, study other locations where fish were caught, add friends, view their photos and more.
8. JellyWatch
Use the Jellywatch app to help Marine biologists by reporting sightings of jellyfish, red tide, squid, octopus, shark or other unusual marine life.
9. Knot Guide
Every angler needs to be great at tying knots, and this app gives you detailed instructions on over 100 different ties. It has a section dedicated entirely to fishing knots, helping you become a more consistent angler.
10. Marine Debris
Report and track trash found on coastlines or waterways. Data is collected by the University of Georgia.
11. Plan2Nav
This app is perfect for planning your boating or fishing trip. It has charts and maps that display a wide variety of information, including wreck locations and sea conditions.
12. PredictWind
The PredictWind app shows high-resolution hourly wind speed and direction forecasts, trip planning tools and weather routing.
13. Rain Alarm
Rain alarm warns you when rain is on its way. It uses near-real-time data for more precision than forecasts.
14. Secchi
Scientists need to know more about how the phytoplankton are changing both seasonally and from year to year, and this is where seafarers and the Secchi App can help out.
Along with the Secchi App, all you need do to take part is make a very simple piece of scientific equipment called a Secchi Disk and use it to record the Secchi Depth when you are at sea.
15. Swell Advantage
Swell Advantage is a social boating app that lets you see where your family and friends are out on the water, including where they are headed and their speed. Custom notifications inform you when family and friends get on the water.
16. Star Walk
Star Walk is a stargazing app – point your phone or tablet at the night sky and it will overlay constellations, stars, planets, and satellites. Move your device and it will update your celestial view.
17. Wiki Offline
Reference Wikipedia content when you don’t have an internet connection.
18. Windfinder
Ideal for sailors, kite surfers, windsurfers and more, this app allows you to see the wind, waves and weather across the globe in real time.
Make sure to check out our list from 2015.