Sailing Apps and Tools
The Ultimate KiwiSailor pick list
Turn your phone, tablet, or laptop into the ultimate first mate! Then, the right digital app/tool can transform how you plan, navigate, and enjoy your time on the water. So, I’ve sifted through the vast sea of options from navigation by Savvy Navvy to PredictWind for weather, to bring you my curated list of the absolute best, most reliable, and must-have sailing apps and tools for the modern sailor, and your crew.
Anchor Pro
A dedicated anchor alarm that monitors your boat’s position and alerts you if you start to drag.
Freemium
iOS, Android
Peace of Mind: While chartplotters have basic anchor alarms, dedicated apps like Anchor Pro offer superior features like advanced sensitivity settings and remote monitoring (in paid versions). This lets you go ashore with confidence, knowing your boat’s not gone adrift.
Aqua Map
A feature-rich marine navigation app with detailed charts, USACE surveys, and community-based information.
Subscription
iOS, Android
Integrates official charts with USACE surveys and data from Waterway Guide and ActiveCaptain. Features an advanced anchor alarm with real-time notifications, AIS display, route planning, and NMEA connectivity for a comprehensive on-water navigation experience.
BOM Marine
The official source for all Australian marine weather forecasts, warnings, and observations from the Australia Bureau of Meteorology.
Free
Web
Essential for Australia: This is the definitive source for Aussie waters. MetEye provides detailed wind and wave forecasts, and the coastal and offshore warnings are critical for safe planning. Don’t leave an Australian port without
bring
A shared shopping list app that is perfect for provisioning a boat with multiple crew members.
Free
iOS, Android
Collaborative Provisioning: Stop a dozen text messages about who is buying what. Everyone can add items to a shared list in real-time, tick off what they’ve bought, and even add photos. It makes the pre-trip shopping run smooth and efficient.
C-MAP
A complete navigation and planning app with high-quality charts and Navico plotter integration.
Subscription
iOS, Android
Features high-resolution vector charts with custom depth shading and high-res bathymetry. Includes thousands of points of interest, autorouting, weather overlays, AIS, and seamless synchronization of routes and waypoints with Lowrance, Simrad, and B&G chartplotters.
CAptain’s Mate
The official navigation app designed exclusively for displaying and using high-quality NV Charts.
Subscription
iOS, Android
Displays seamless NV Charts with vector details and integrated harbor information. Features autorouting, community-sourced POIs from NV. Pedia, tide and current data, and standard tools for route planning, tracking, and waypoints.
COLREGs – Rules of the Road
Provides the full text and diagrams for the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.
Paid
iOS, Android
Essential Knowledge: Having the full COLREGs on your phone for quick reference is a must for any skipper. Whether you need to double-check a light configuration or a sound signal, this is far easier than digging out a physical book in the heat of the moment.
Crewseekers
One of the original and most reputable international crew-finding networks for both amateur and professional sailors.
Annual subscription
Web
Trusted Network: Crewseekers is highly regarded for both short-term cruising and long-distance deliveries. Its longevity has built a large, global community of both yacht owners and experienced crew, making it a reliable platform for finding a good match.
CruisersWiki
A community-edited wiki for sailors, providing detailed, on-the-ground information about specific anchorages, marinas, and local knowledge.
Free
Web
The Hyper-Local Guide: While Noonsite is for country-level planning, CruisersWiki is for the details. You’ll find information like “the best place to anchor in this bay is on the western side in 5m of sand” or “the red mooring buoy is unreliable.” It’s an incredible source of shared community knowledge.
Fishing Knots Lite
A clear and simple guide to tying a huge variety of knots, not just for fishing.
Freemium
iOS, Android
Essential Skill Builder: Every sailor needs to know their knots. This app provides easy-to-follow, step-by-step diagrams for all the essential marine knots like the Bowline and Cleat Hitch. It’s the perfect pocket reference for practicing and learning.
Garmin Boating
The global industry standard for marine navigation, turning your phone or tablet into a full-featured chartplotter.
Subscrition
iOS, Android
The Undisputed Leader: Garmin (previously Navionics Boating) has unparalleled chart coverage and detail. Features like Dock-to-dock Autorouting, sonar charts, and active community edits make it indispensable. If you can only have one navigation app, this is it.
Guides by Lonely Planet
I have a library of the paperbacks and having access to this information online is fantastic
Freemium
Web, iOS, Andriod and paper
No doubt the world’s leading travel content provider – boasting, ebooks, guidebooks, and an award-winning website. Lonely Planet’s Guides app is no longer supported or updated, though users can still access the content on their devices. While the original Guides app is no longer being developed, Lonely Planet has indicated that they are working on a new series of products and services.
Imray Navigator
The official app for Imray’s award-winning nautical charts, pilot books, and cruising guides.
Subscription
iOS, Android
Provides access to the complete library of Imray’s acclaimed raster nautical charts. Features integrated pilot book information, route planning, GPS tracking, waypoints, tides, and optional AIS and NMEA 0183 instrument data support.
Imray Tides Planner
A trusted app from a leading chart publisher that provides detailed tide times, heights, and tidal stream data.
Freemium, Subscription
iOS, Android
For UK/European Cruisers: While global, its real strength is the detailed tidal stream atlas for European waters, showing the direction and speed of currents for each hour. This is vital information for passage planning in areas with strong tides. Regional Alternative: NZ Tides is an excellent free option for New Zealand.
iNaturalist
iNaturalist is an American 501 nonprofit social network of naturalists, citizen scientists, and biologists built on the concept of mapping and sharing observations of biodiversity across the globe.
Free
Webb, iOS, Android
iNaturalist is an amazing app that serves as a portal to a vast user-generated database of nature observations around the world. It allows you to upload observations of species using multiple forms of media and can suggest a species if you are unsure. Great for the whole family and all ages.
iNavX
A full-featured marine navigation app with broad chart support and advanced instrument integration.
Subscription
iOS, Android
Supports charts from multiple providers like Navionics and C-MAP. Integrates real-time NMEA data (AIS, GPS, wind, depth) over Wi-Fi. Features advanced waypoint and route management, track logging, and GRIB weather forecast overlays for complete situational awareness.
Knots 3D
Knots 3D is the ultimate knot-tying app for fishermen, climbers, boaters and scouters alike. With over 200 unique knots and new ones added frequently
one-off subscription
iOS, Android
Over 200 knots, watch knots tie themselves, 3D views to study them from any angle, Interact with the knot on the screen, High-res graphics with photo-realistic rope textures, Dark mode / Light Mode – Completely self-contained – No internet required…what more do you want!
Life360
A location-sharing app that lets family and friends see your location, which can be useful for both safety and logistics.
Freemium, Subscription
iOS, Android
Shore-side Peace of Mind: Great for letting family at home follow your coastal progress. It’s also incredibly useful in a new port when crew are exploring separately and need to meet up later. The arrival/departure notifications are a key feature.
MarineTraffic
Tracks the real-time position of vessels equipped with AIS transponders worldwide.
Freemium, Subscription
Web, iOS, Android
See the Big Picture: Invaluable for situational awareness in busy shipping lanes or fog. You can identify large ships long before you can see them, check their course and speed, and plan your avoidance. The playback feature is also great for analysing past passages.
Navily
A community-driven cruising guide and anchorage-sharing app with real user photos and reviews.
Freemium, Subscription
iOS, Android
The Social Anchorage Guide: Its strength is its user-generated content. You can see photos of an anchorage, read reviews on holding and wind protection, and find local services. Especially strong in the Mediterranean but growing globally.
Noonsite
An essential, comprehensive global resource for cruisers, providing detailed country-by-country information on clearance, ports, and services.
Free
Web
The Cruiser’s Bible: Before you sail to a new country, you check Noonsite. It has the most comprehensive information on entry formalities, visa requirements, cruising guides, and local reports from fellow sailors. It is an indispensable planning tool.
Ocean Crew Link
A popular crew-finding site, set up by the World Cruising Club, making it the go-to platform for ARC rally participants.
Annual subscription
Web
Best for Rally Sailors: If you dream of crossing an ocean as part of a rally like the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), this is the place to be. It’s purpose-built for connecting long-distance cruisers and crew.
OpenCPN
A free, open-source chartplotter and navigation software created by and for sailors.
Free
Mac OSX, Microsoft Windows
For the DIY Sailor: OpenCPN is for those who love to tinker and want a powerful navigation solution without subscription fees. It requires more setup than Navionics but offers incredible flexibility, allowing you to integrate AIS, weather GRIBs, and more on your laptop.
Predict Wind
A high-performance forecasting tool offering proprietary models and advanced weather routing for serious sailors.
Freemium, Subscription
Web, iOS, Android
For the Serious Cruiser/Racer: While Windy is great for general forecasts, PredictWind excels at passage planning. Its weather routing and departure planning tools are best-in-class for finding the safest and fastest route. The Offshore app, which works with satellite phones, is essential for blue-water sailors.
Readly
Still buying magazines and newspapers? Why not try Readly which is a digital subscription service that lets customers have unlimited access to over 7000 national and international magazines – all in one app.
Subscription
Web, iOS, Android
Whether you want all your sailing mags, news and politics or health and fitness, there seems to be no limit to the range available… and of course take them on the boat with you in your preferred mobile device
Royal Cruising Club
A prestigious, historic club whose charitable arm, the RCC Pilotage Foundation, produces some of the world’s most respected cruising guides
Membership (by invitation)
Web
Gold-Standard Pilotage: While membership is exclusive, their pilotage books and supplements (many available for purchase) are considered the gold standard for accuracy and detail for challenging cruising grounds around the world.
SailGrib
A highly rated sailing app providing weather, tides, currents, routing, nautical charts, NMEA, AIS, anchor alarm and much more
Subscription
Android
Multiple weather sources, weather routing, marine charts, tide calculations and tidal current atlas. Integrates with your Navionics Boating license at no cost
Savvy Navvy
Savvy Navvy is a comprehensive marine navigation app designed to simplify boating by integrating essential information into one platform. It provides boaters with up-to-date nautical charts, weather forecasts, and tidal data to plan routes and navigate safely. The app aims to be an all-in-one tool, reducing the need for multiple applications while out on the water.
Subscription
iOS, Android
Key features include automatic route planning that considers wind, tides, and chart data, as well as real-time vessel tracking using your device’s GPS. Additionally, it offers features like an anchor alarm, marina information, and the ability to view your route and position offline.
Shipping forecast and gale warnings
Shipping forecast for the British Isles issued four times a day at 2300, 0500, 1100, 1700 UTC and covers a period of 24 hours from 0000, 0600, 1200 and 1800 UTC respectively.
Free
Web
A must-have reference for the British Isles. Details of gale warnings in force, a general synopsis, sea-area forecasts, wind direction and force, weather and visibility. You can even tune in to BBC Radio 4 broadcasts; bulletins daily on FM and long wave at: 0048 and 0520 (long wave & FM) 1201 and 1754 (normally long wave only)
Star Walk 2 Pro: Stars in Sky
an exquisite stargazing app enabling you to explore the night sky through your device. Simply point your device to the sky!
one-off subscription
iOS, Android
When sailing, being away from all the light pollution and having a clear view of the night sky seems a luxury. Star Walk 2 shows the real-time map of the sky on your screen in whatever direction you are pointing the device. Find out the latest news from the world of space and astronomy. Find and study deep sky objects such as meteor showers, planetary nebulae, star clusters, etc.
The Cruising Association
A leading UK-based cruising club with a global reach, offering extensive resources, discounts, and a vast knowledge base.
Annual membership
Web, iOS, Android
A Treasure Trove of Information: Membership gives you access to their exclusive app, which contains reports from 200,000 locations worldwide, and a huge network of local representatives. The discounts on marina fees and equipment can often pay for the membership itself.
Tides Near Me
A simple, fast, and effective app for checking high and low tide times and heights for locations worldwide.
Freemium
iOS, Android
Quick & Simple: Sometimes you just need to know the state of the tide without fuss. This app does that brilliantly. It uses your location to find the nearest stations and presents the data in a clean, easy-to-read graph.
Travel Boast
Why not share your exciting adventures and use Travel Boast, the top app for traveling. Create awesome videos about your journeys for Instagram. Show your route on an animated Indiana Jones style map!
Free
iOS, Android
Show off the interesting trips you’ve taken to your friends and post them on social media. -Create your own unique trip routes. -Choose any transport and hit the road. -Save the results as a video. -Send videos to your friends or post them on social media.
Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor® — Read the latest reviews, search for the lowest prices & save money on Tripadvisor. Get the latest reviews + low prices on hotels, amazing experiences + restaurants. Fun Things to Do
Free
Web, iOS, Android
What more could you want and if you haven’t tried Tripadvisior then get on to it now.
Triplit
TripIt was designed for travelers to use all over the world. Imagine checking one place for your travel details and getting a heads up as things happen throughout your trip.
Freemium
Web, iOS, Android
Find your travel plans in one place by syncing with your inbox, share those with your friends and family and take the coordination hassle out of your trip, and ….. just enjoy
VisitMyHarbour
Harbour Expert: An incredibly detailed pilotage guide and harbour directory for the UK and Ireland.
Freemium, Subscription
Web, Android
UK Harbour Experts: Unmatched for its depth of local knowledge in the UK. It provides aerial photos, detailed charts, and step-by-step instructions for entering hundreds of harbours, written by local experts. A must-have for anyone cruising in that region.
Windy.com
A powerful and intuitive tool for visualising weather forecasts. It presents multiple forecast models on an interactive map.
Freemium
Web, iOS, Android
Global Powerhouse: Its visual interface is second to none, allowing you to compare models like ECMWF and GFS at a glance. The animated wind, wave, and swell maps are incredibly intuitive. A must-have for every sailor, everywhere.
If this list has left you feeling a bit adrift, don’t sweat it. The ‘best’ app is simply the one that’s right for your boat and your kind of sailing and of course how much you want to spend. For more detailed guidance, why not pop on over to my blog. My article on the Best Marine Navigation Apps for example, puts the top contenders head-to-head, comparing the crucial features for everything from a weekend jaunt to serious offshore passages. Otherwise, my guide to Sailing Weather – Fundamentals drills down on reading the signs and deciphering GRIB files, while also mentioning the apps I trust. If you’re still weighing anchor on a decision, just try a few out over different scenarios, ask around when your at the sailing club bar or if you’re still stuck then drop me a note—I’ll do my best to get you sorted.
Disclaimer: Pricing for apps can change. I’ve used general categories to give you an idea of the cost: Free (completely free), Freemium (basic features are free, advanced features require a one-time payment or subscription), and Subscription (requires an ongoing payment).
