MARITIME MOBILE APPLICATIONS

When sailing, it is no longer necessary to rely solely on a compass and visual estimates. With the right apps installed on your smartphone or tablet, you can easily handle a variety of tasks, from route planning and weather tracking to anchor safety and logbook keeping. Here are the most useful marine apps that remain up-to-date and reliable as of 2025:

Navigation & Maps

Navionics

This is the leader in digital nautical charts, known to almost everyone. It provides detailed and interactive charts for waters around the world.
What does it offer?

• Drawing routes on the map, viewing depths
• User-contributed SonarChart™ data
• Creating safe routes with start and destination points
• Additional information such as tides, weather, and wind
• Downloading maps for offline use

Alternatives include: C-MAP, iNavX, Garmin ActiveCaptain, SeaPilot, and others.

Weather & Wind

Windy

Not specifically for sailors, but a favorite among sailors. Because it clearly shows where the wind will blow, when the rain will come, and what the wave height will be.
What do we like?

• You can switch between European, American, and German models
• You can open layers such as wind, precipitation, pressure, temperature, and waves individually
• The animations on the map are very clear
• Easy to use on mobile or computer

Even hourly forecasts are detailed

Poseidon App

A practical app developed specifically for the Turkish coastline, with a Turkish interface.

• Current direction and strength
• Sea temperature
• High-accuracy forecast data specific to the Turkish coastline
• Visual display on the map
• Widely used in the sailing community, especially along the Aegean and Marmara coasts.

Alternatives: PredictWind, Windguru, Windfinder, Ventusky

Staying Safe at Anchor

Checking whether the boat is staying in place while at anchor is much easier with an app than by eye.

Anchor Alarm

• Draw a circle on the map to set the alarm area
• Runs in the background, stays alert even when the screen is off
• Also displays wind data.

Anchor Watch / Anchor Pro

• Draws the direction of drift
• Alerts with an alarm sound, message, or call
• Supports Apple Watch, so it comes right to your wrist

Safe Anchor Watch

• Simple and easy to use

Can automatically make a phone call in case of an alarm

AIS & GPS-Based Boat Tracking Systems

• Makes it easy to remotely monitor the location of a boat or fleet of boats.

• Apps like MarineTraffic, Boat Beacon, and VesselFinder provide real-time tracking using AIS data
• For boats equipped with their own GPS tracking systems, speed, direction, and location data can be directly transmitted to the phone
• Highly functional for security, fleet management, and family notifications

Note: GPS accuracy has improved by 2025, but a good signal, stable location, and an external power source are still recommended for reliable app performance.

Logbook & Boat Maintenance

If you regularly sail your boat, these apps are very useful for keeping a logbook or recording fuel and engine maintenance.

• Deckee: Location-based safety information and user reviews
• Boating Suite: Fuel and maintenance tracking + sailing logbook
• NebulaLog: Simple and effective for sailors who want to keep a logbook

Education, Reminders, Planning

• Knots 3D: All tying and sailing knots are easy to learn with 3D visuals
• Sailing School: Basic information such as wind direction and sail adjustments
• Navily: Reviews, photos, and reservations for marinas and anchorage locations
• Stellarium: A unique sky map for navigation, star gazing, and navigation training at sea.
• Star positions, constellations, planets
• Sunrise/sunset times
• Ideal for those who want to determine their route using sky references while sailing at night

SeaBook: A comprehensive resource app providing essential information to have on hand while at sea.
• Ship stability, navigation, safety rules
• COLREG (rules for preventing collisions), GMDSS system
• Marine meteorology, signal codes, health, and knots
• Developed by Turkish sailors; simple interface, offline use
• A highly useful reference resource, especially for those pursuing maritime education, trainees, and newcomers.

Maritime navigation remains one of the most unique fields where we directly interact with nature, but when supported by technology, it becomes much safer and more enjoyable. Thanks to the above applications, both newcomers and experienced sailors can navigate more controlled, conscious, and comfortably.