Favorite Boating Apps

It’s just you, your smart device and the open sea – a match made in nautical heaven, thanks to the sophisticated boating apps that continue to gain popularity. Whether you’re into landing a fish or discovering a new island getaway, there’s an app to help. We share some of our favorites below.

Tides Planners

Not sure whether your t-top is going to fit under that bridge? Tides Planners, an app created by imray.com, one of the most practical of our favorite boating apps. This app is for those who do not want to pay for extensive tidal information – it’s free to download and use. It’s debatable whether it’s truly a scaled-down version, however. The app stores and displays about 5,000 locations. Download the app and search for parts of your voyage that may be affected by tides. Oh, and if you’re heading out for a romantic sunset cruise, you’re in luck: this app displays sunrise and sunset information as well.

Boat Ramps

One of the greatest aspects of boating life is discovering new areas to explore. Go ahead and tow your vessel on a road trip – this favorite boating app will find the closest boat ramps near you. All it takes is a zip code to find options nearby – you even search by your current location through a locator on your phone. If you tow your boat often, this free app is a must-download. Find it at takemefishing.org.

Find Those Travelers

Meeting up with friends via boat is a great idea – until someone realizes they forgot the sunscreen and has to turn back. What always transpires is a frantic dance of call-and-track, with captains or passengers shouting over the engine noise or not hearing the phone ring at all. Take heart, always-late boating companions: this app will appease everyone in your party. The FriendMapper at friendmapper.co shows the whereabouts of up to 23 devices. Your always-late friend who insists he had to stop because his kid had to use the restroom is now on notice – you and all your pals connected on The FriendMapper will now know he stopped at a dock store for Cheetos instead. Need to call the culprit and tell him to hurry? The app offers one-touch dialing. For the $1.99 price, this app is a steal.

Keep it Safe

This is one of the few favorite boating apps that we hope you never use. Consider the SAS Survival Guide by Trellisys.Net to be your safety net. It contains more than 400 pages of tips for different survival situations. Videos can even be downloaded to ensure that valuable information is available even if the Internet isn’t. The app is $5.99.

Discover your own favorite boating apps by typing ‘boating’ into the application search engine on your electronic device. These apps make boating easier, safer, and more enjoyable – and with new ones being developed on a regular basis, one is sure to be helpful for your unique situation!