Navigating With Apps: Top Tech Tools for Savvy Sailing

December 6, 2023 6 min

Boating is all about making good decisions – knowing when to set sail and when to stay put, where to drop the hook for a decent night’s sleep, and how to sift sound navigational advice from the slightly dubious tips shared at the local watering hole. In today’s tech-driven world, the choices you make before you even leave the dock can be the difference between a brilliant trip and a stressful one. Picking the right sailing apps for your time on the water can help keep things smooth, safe and enjoyable. From finding fish to finding the perfect marina, here are some of the top apps for your tech‑savvy sailing toolkit.

Navionics: your digital navigator

The days of relying solely on bulky paper charts are long gone; intuitive, regularly updated digital charting has changed how we navigate, and Navionics sits at the forefront of that shift. Paper charts may still have their place for belt‑and‑braces backup and insurance, but they simply can’t compete with the depth and ease of use you get from Navionics. Trusted by skippers around the world, it’s the go‑to chartplotter system on countless boats, offering detailed global coverage and powerful route‑planning tools.

Many yachts already use Navionics as their primary onboard plotter, but adding the Navionics app is a smart extra layer of reassurance. Having your charts in your pocket wherever you go is invaluable, especially given how often onboard electronics can act up. A backup navigation system isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity if you want your time afloat to stay as relaxed as possible. In our book, a mobile chartplotter you can use anywhere – including from the bar while you plan your next passage – is a must‑have sailing app.

Fishidy: catching the big one is more than luck

Fishidy is a powerful fish‑finding app designed for anglers of all levels. Instead of relying on luck, you can lean on data‑driven insight to improve your chances. Using crowdsourced data and real‑time catch reports, Fishidy helps you turn every trip into a more informed, targeted session rather than a hopeful cast‑and‑pray outing.

Interactive live maps let you zero in on promising spots that match your preferences, and you can set custom alerts so you’re the first to know when and where the fish are biting. You can either share your success on the in‑app “brag board” or keep your new honey holes to yourself while still logging your catches and locations for future reference.

Fishidy works as a digital fishing guide as much as a finder. It is packed with tips on techniques, seasonal patterns and bait choice for specific waters. Whether you’re chasing a personal best or simply enjoy the art of catch‑and‑release, it’s well worth adding to your arsenal.

Windy: real‑time weather precision

Weather apps have become essential tools for modern sailing, and when it comes to live wind and weather detail, Windy is hard to beat. Voted the best specialised weather app in its category by the World Meteorological Organization, it provides highly accurate, up‑to‑date forecasts for a wide range of activities – sailing, diving, surfing, fishing, skiing, kitesurfing and more.

Because sailing depends so heavily on the elements, having reliable information at your fingertips is key to both safety and enjoyment. Windy gives you detailed 10‑day forecasts, a live global wind map and local reports from some of the most accurate models available. It also goes beyond standard weather apps by letting you compare spot conditions, chat with locals, pick up meteorological tips and share experiences within a very active user community.

iSailor: your digital first mate

The iSailor app is, like Navionics, an excellent extension of your onboard instruments, turning your phone or tablet into a capable mobile chartplotter. In many navigation‑app round‑ups, Navionics and iSailor take the top spots, with iSailor often ranked just behind Navionics overall.

iSailor’s roots lie in the commercial world, and it shows in the depth of its controls and feature set. That technical strength can come with higher system demands, though, which means it may not run on some older or less powerful devices. Navionics, by contrast, tends to work happily on almost anything.

Choose iSailor if you want more granular control over charts and routing, and favour Navionics if you prefer a more intuitive feel with lots of local detail built into the mapping. Either way, both apps offer a strong foundation for accurate course‑plotting, so it really comes down to your personal priorities.

SailGrib: precision passage planning

The SailGrib Weather Routing app is aimed at sailors who want to refine their passage plans using detailed, real‑time weather data. It combines optimised routing, high‑resolution forecast models and timely wind alerts to help you balance performance and safety.

Whether you’re planning an offshore passage or a longer coastal hop, SailGrib lets you build routes that take changing conditions properly into account rather than relying on a single static forecast. It’s particularly useful for longer passages, where fine‑tuning your timing and track around weather windows can make a huge difference to comfort and speed.

Navily: your ocean concierge

Navily is a community‑driven app for sharing and accessing information on anchorages and marinas. Think of it as a social cruising guide: you benefit from the experience of other skippers, and in turn you can add your own reviews and photos.

It’s especially handy when you’re exploring new coastlines or unfamiliar harbours, as local insight can help you avoid awkward surprises with shelter, holding or swell. Integration with partner marinas also makes booking berths much easier, turning Navily into a one‑stop hub for both research and reservations.

Navily is used primarily in Europe and has become a leading online cruising guide for the region, with more than 300,000 user contributions on anchorages and marinas. Whether you’re heading to the Med for the first time or returning for your fifteenth season, it’s a very useful companion.

Anchor Pro: swing right and sleep well

Few things are as unsettling as lying at anchor on a gusty night, half‑awake and worrying about dragging into another boat or onto a reef. Fortunately, there are now plenty of anchor‑watch apps to help you relax, and Anchor Pro is one of the better‑regarded options.

As well as standard alarm functions, Anchor Pro lets you align the app with your anchor rode so you can see your bearing relative to the hook, and it allows you to enter chain length for greater accuracy. Used correctly, it can give you a much clearer picture of how your boat is swinging and whether something’s changed.

One of its strengths is that it can keep you informed even when you’re ashore or out in the tender, as long as the onboard device running the app has a SIM card, data and power. The trade‑off is that it can be power‑hungry, so keeping the device plugged in is important.

MarineTraffic: live vessel tracking

MarineTraffic combines practicality and a bit of fun by letting you track ships and yachts worldwide in near real‑time. It’s ideal for seeing where friends are, monitoring traffic around you or simply exploring what’s moving on the oceans at any given moment.

For friends and family back home, it’s also a reassuring way to follow your progress on passage. With access to a huge vessel database and AIS‑based positions, MarineTraffic is a very handy app to have on board for situational awareness as well as curiosity.

Knots 3D: unravelling the art of knots

Knots 3D turns knot‑tying into an engaging, visual learning experience. The app covers more than 180 knots, from everyday staples like the bowline and stopper knot to decorative or specialist options such as the monkey’s fist.

Each knot comes with step‑by‑step instructions and a unique 360‑degree view, so you can rotate it and see exactly how it’s formed from every angle. It’s equally useful whether you’re completely new to knots or just looking to expand your repertoire.

It also happens to be a great way to pass time on longer passages, doubling as both a practical reference and a bit of on‑board entertainment.