In today’s digital age boat life has become more convenient than ever thanks to a wide range of apps designed to simplify navigation, weather tracking, anchoring, communication, and financial management. Having easy access to sailing apps was one of the core reasons I bough my iPad (more on that here) and I don't regret it at all.
Whether you’re a coastal cruiser or crossing oceans, having the right apps on your phone or tablet can make boat life easier, safer, and more enjoyable. Here's a roundup of 20 of the best apps we use for boat life, covering everything from marine weather forecasts to offshore communication and entertainment.
Marine Weather Apps for Sailors
We all know that staying ahead of the weather is crucial when living on a boat. These are the apps we use to help make informed decisions out on the water.
1. PredictWind
One of the more popular weather apps among the sailing community, PredictWind offers advanced weather routing, high-resolution forecasts, and real-time wind data. It’s particularly useful for passage planning and monitoring changing conditions, and we frequently use it to check what weather conditions we can expect while sailing and in the anchorage.
At the moment we have the Basic paid version which cost us about $12 USD, just to get the higher resolution wind and gust maps. The next tier up is much more expensive, with the full list of pricing and features available the Predict Wind website.
2. Windy
Windy is another platform that provides weather and forecast data that can be invaluable for sailing. They offer a free version as well as an annual subscription which we're also trying out.
Windy does have a few features in their free version that Predict Wind doesn't have like the higher resolution wind maps. We've found their tide maps useful when passing through channels and the webcams can be an interesting way to check out the weather conditions in other places.
3. Zoom Earth
If you need real-time satellite imagery to track storms and weather systems, Zoom Earth is a handy tool. We use the free version to track large systems like hurricanes because while the storm is active they provide a track showing the historical path, current strength, predicted path and cone of uncertainty.
The paid version has more features but for us they're not necessary when combined with Predict Wind and Windy. To check historical hurricane data we use the NOAA website.
Navigation & Anchoring Apps for Boaters
Navigating and finding safe anchorages are critical parts of boat life so we use these apps help us plot courses, explore anchorages, and ensure we stay put overnight.
4. noforeignland
Created by a liveaboard cruising couple, the noforeignland app is basically the cruiser version of Google maps. It's filled with crowd sourced information and photos about sailing destinations, featuring everything from anchorage and business reviews to the location of dinghy docks, water filling stations and cooking gas bottle refills.
It's free to use with no in-app advertisements, instead the site is largely supported by Patreon donations. Noforeignland also has a blog which I'm involved in as another way of sharing information.
5. Navily
When choosing an anchorage Navily can be another invaluable resource as it also provides crowdsourced anchorage reviews, marina information, and local boating insights. For each anchorage or marina there's a page with detailed information including photos, wind protection angles, seabed makeup, facilities and reviews.
The app is free to use but there is a Pro paid version that allows you to download areas for offline use, get integrated 72hr forecasts and automatic itineraries.
6. Navionics Boating
Okay so this one I haven't got around to putting on our devices but I've used it on a friend's phone and in that instance it worked quite well! Essentially, if you have a Navionics subscription on your MFD you can use it on your devices as well through the Navionics Boating app.
For us we see having it on iPad as a useful backup to the MFD's, plus by having it on a phone it can be used out on the dinghy which is where our friend introduced us to the app.
7. Google Maps
While primarily a land-based navigation app, Google Maps is still useful for planning provisioning stops, finding fuel docks, looking at coastal satellite imagery and exploring new coastal towns.
Personally we often cross-check anchorage entries with Google Maps to see whether there are any channels, reefs or rocks to be aware of. The value of doing this was proven when friends had a grounding experience, hitting the bottom in an area that the navigation charts said was clear, but a quick crosscheck of Google Maps would have show underwater hazards to be aware of.
8. Anchor Alarm
Having an anchor alarm app provides peace of mind when anchored by sending drift alerts and tracking your boat’s movement, helping you sleep soundly at night. When we're aboard it's a back up to our MFD anchor alarm, but when we leave the boat we can also get alerts if the boat changes position and goes outside the set radius.
We have the paid version of Anchor Alarm, leaving one phone on the boat connected to Starlink and taking the phone it sends alerts to with us. So far we haven't had an issue with the apps functionality, and we like the ability to move the anchor position rather than relying on your current GPS position like the Raymarine MFD does.
9. Raymarine
Only for IOS, this app isn't the best but it does allow me to mirror the Raymarine MFD to my iPad. As a result, I don't need to get out of bed if I'm curious about how the boat is positioned at anchor or what the wind is doing while underway and someone else is on watch.
You can set the app up so that it can control the main MFD, but it's slow so I prefer to just use the mirror function. The app also has a few programming quirks that I've run into, like mine crashes if I chose "Owner" but is fine if I hit "Guest".
Communication Apps for Cruisers
Staying connected while living aboard is important for many reasons. For our communications we primarily rely on these two internet calling apps which work as long as the phone has data, regardless of whether that's Wi-Fi, a local SIM or Starlink.
10. WhatsApp
WhatsApp allows you to communicate over Wi-Fi or cellular networks, supporting video calls, voice calls, messaging and sending media. It's ideal for staying in touch with anyone who also has Whatsapp, including crew, loved ones, fellow cruisers and businesses. It's been particularly handy in Europe and the Caribbean where we've found many businesses used Whatsapp as well.
Another benefit is that some fintech companies offering multi-currency accounts, like Wise, support Whatsapp for two-factor identification.
11. KeepCalling
If you need to make international calls without breaking the bank then KeepCalling offers low cost calling rates when you have an internet connection. It calls landlines and mobiles, including toll free numbers, functioning the same way the Skype called used to.
You can buy monthly plans or pre-paid credit; I bought $10 USD credit back in December 2023 and still haven't used it all! A recent 25 minute call I made to a US landline cost me $0.425 at a rate of 1.7 cents per minute.
Social & Entertainment Apps for Sailors
Sailing is not just about the journey, it’s also about the people you meet along the way. These apps connect sailors with helpful communities and valuable insights.
12. noforeignland
As well as being handy for navigation, the noforeignland app also has social features including in-app messaging, groups, and the ability to follow boats, as well as public pins for questions, events, crew finding and temporary hazards.
The public questions is an avenue many sailors are using to find out the current conditions in an anchorage they're heading too, while the events feature has created a new way for cruisers to connect socially and organise things like bonfires, birthday parties and sundowners. Meanwhile groups help create communities centered around a common interest and being able to follow boats allows you to know where people you've met before currently are.
13. Facebook
Many liveaboard sailors rely on Facebook groups and pages to connect with others, share experiences, and seek advice on everything from repairs to local customs. You'll find groups for certain models of boat, cruising grounds, sailing with kids, sailing with pets, and simply just liveaboard sailing.
As time has passed we've met people in person that we initially met virtually through Facebook groups like the Leopard 45 Owners Group, which has turned into real friendships and connections. Of all the social media platforms this is the one that's been most helpful to us.
14. YouTube
Less social than the other forms of social media, YouTube still has a strong community of sailing YouTube creators, ourselves included. Whether you’re looking for sailing inspiration, DIY boat repair tutorials, or even weather updates, YouTube is a goldmine of useful content for cruisers.
15. Podcast Apps
I've found that long passages and boat jobs become more enjoyable with a great podcast. Whether you’re into sailing stories, news, or educational content, a good podcast app can keep you entertained on the go, and the one I use is free!
Postcast Player from Castbox has visual apps that don't interrupt the listening experience, and are no doubt why it's free. I can download podcasts offline and listen to the with the screen locked.
16. SeaPeople
Released in 2024, SeaPeople grew extremely quickly thanks to the involvement of Riley and Elayna from Sailing La Vagabond. The intent behind it was to design an app that was more for connection than being another social media platform, with journey tracking, in-app messaging, public hails to call out to others, and groups.
It's still developing so while we're not using it a lot yet, we do have it and are watching to see how the features are adapted over time and the longevity with which the cruising community embraces it.
Financial & Planning Apps for Sailors
Managing finances and staying organized is essential for smooth sailing. These apps help you track expenses, plan projects, and handle international transactions.
17. Wise & Revolut
If you’re managing multiple currencies while sailing internationally then consider getting Wise and/or Revolut. They're both reputable fintech companies that allow for seamless money transfers and favorable exchange rates, offering multicurrency accounts with a slew of features including local account details, a debit card and virtual cards.
Feature wise I think Wise has the edge because it offers local account details in up to 8+ currencies, including AUD, USD, EUR and GBP. This makes it possible to send and receive money locally in those currencies, which is especially handy if you're working online.
18. Trello
From organizing boat projects to creating provisioning checklists, keeping track of where things are and sorting out your to-do lists, Trello is a versatile tool for keeping everything in order. We use it to organize our boat jobs and the best part is we can do everything we need on the free version.
19. Planmore
I am very much the kind of person who likes to have a physical diary but once I got my iPad Air (full review here) I changed to having the Planmore app and it's been great.
There was a one off cost but given that I'd have been paying for paper diaries anyway I don't mind. It has the same layout and functionality as a physical diary with the added benefits only a digital diary can have like automating repeated events, having custom categories, switching between day/week/month views with everything populated and getting unfinished tasks to roll over to the next day.
20. Paprika
Space is a premium on boats so rather than carrying physical cookbooks I store recipes in the Paprika app. It means I have access offline to a curated selection of recipes we like, with the ability to enter my own or automatically input them from a web page.
Final Thoughts
The right apps can make boat life easier, whether you’re tracking the weather, navigating new waters, staying connected, or managing your finances. Each of these apps brings something unique to the table, so experiment with different ones to see which best suit your cruising style.
With the right digital tools at your fingertips, you can spend more time enjoying the adventure and less time worrying about logistics.
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