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The Top 5 Free Boating Navigation Apps

Gone are the days of getting hassled using old-school paper maps, inaccurate analog compass, and expensive gps trackers- our smartphones have become a handy all-in-one chart-plotter that makes our boating journey a thousand times more chill.

This article is a comprehensive review of 5 apps based on critical features needed for navigation and our own take on them, plus a comparison of each to help you decide which one to finally install. 

Quick Overview

🥇 Over-all Champion: Navionics 🥈 Most User-Friendly Award: C-MAP 🥉 Best Value for Money Award: iSailor

Top Priority Features

While there can be a number of functions users may find interesting, we carefully identified the top 10 features that can make or break an app. These factors will highly contribute to the usefulness while on an actual trip, ability to provide information that can better prepare the you for your journey, safety, data management and affordability.

• Real time positioning – exactly locate yourself on a chart using GPS. Useful in estimating distance from a point or simply knowing exactly where you are and not get lost.
• Route Tracke r – start and stop record the track taken using GPS and display it on the chart. Gives Course over Ground (COG) and Speed over Ground (SOG). Log, review and export data for record keeping and future use.
• Route Planning – to create a path on a chart that can be followed using GPS, usually calculates distance between two or more points, ETA from point A to B, fuel needed. Useful before (to prepare necessary things) and makes navigation a lot easier. Just follow the arrow!
• Route Planning Incorporating Other Data – Modify cruising speed, ETA and fuel needed based on the live atmospheric/weather data, usually wind speed and direction.
• AIS Live – Use data (from other users or providers) to plot boat traffic and other activities on the chart, think about Waze. Increases situational awareness and safety.
• Download charts and Offline use – store a portion or the entire chart on your phone and use a number of features of the app even while offline, very useful at the middle of the sea where mobile data is unavailable. 
• Chart Options and Data Overlay – Apply one or several layers of charts and data to show on the chart, e.g. depth, satellite, NOAA, wind direction, etc.
• Import/Export Data/ Data Synchronization – Download and upload waypoints, routes, tracks and use in other apps and softwares, sync data purchased to other devices like iPad, tablet and laptop.
• Weather Forecast – View changing wind speed and direction, precipitation, tides, and current data. 
• Interface/User Friendliness – How easy is it to use for recreational boaters or more advanced users.

Many navigation apps can be downloaded for free and a lot of them have features that are accessible without a cost. However, in order to maximize their features such as unlocking AIS Live, weather forecast, downloading charts for offline use, a premium subscription is usually needed.

Some apps would allow users to use their phones’ GPS system to access basic functions such as real-time positioning, route tracking, even route planning at no cost, but these would usually require paying for the chart itself.

In general, these apps are very inexpensive (most of them less than $50 annually!), considering all the benefits we can get from them like saving dollars on unnecessary fuel consumption because of longer routes or the cost of repair in cases of accidents, and of course, our safety is priceless!

What is NMEA and is it really necessary?

NMEA stands for National Marine Electronics Association, this allows us to integrate electronic devices such as GPS, Sonar, radar, VFS radion and even boat speedometer, engine thermometer, oil pressure gauge, weather instruments, etc. In simpler terms, it lets our devices talk to each other.

Now the question is, is NMEA a must-have for boat navigation? While NMEA is undoubtedly useful in managing data we get from these separate devices, many recreational/small boats do not necessarily have a lot of sensors installed in them to the point that it’s unmanageable, so not having NMEA will not be a big issue for recreational boaters.

Some applications listed here do not have the NMEA integration feature but anyhow serve their purpose pretty well. You can still locate yourself, create a route, record your track, access weather forecasts, and most importantly, arrive at your destination safely even without it.

Charts or Maps?

All charts are maps but not all maps are charts . A map is a general term referring to a flat drawing of the Earth, or an area of it, let’s say a country. There are road maps that show networks of roads and passages, or topographic maps that show elevation. Meanwhile, there are also specialized maps that show great details of the bodies of water including depth or the water’s edge or any danger for navigation, these are called charts. Charts are what we need for boating !

Nautical Charts – Key to safe navigation and every boater should be familiar with. Through it, we will know the water depths, locations of dangers to navigation, locations and characteristics of aids to navigation, anchorages, and other features. Many, if not all, boating apps use this to let boaters plan the best route safely and economically.

Other Charts/Maps – Some apps would have more charts that you can use other than just nautical charts. Examples are satellite maps that show realistic images of the Earth’s surface, or Sonar imagery , which creates  extraordinary bottom contour generated from water soundwaves.

Free vs. Paid? The amount of open-sourced data available helps the number of free charts grow, allowing many boaters to avoid spending extra on charts from big companies that make them, but remember that subscribing to these providers allows us to continuously get updates as well as ensure accuracy and reliability that we might not get from free sources.

Navionics Boating Marine & Lakes

Play/App Store Rating: 4.6⭐ No. of Downloads: 1.5M+

Cost: Free App with a two-week free trial, then subscriptions starting at $14.99 US.

Critical features

• Real time positioning
• Route Tracker
• Route Planning 
• Incorporate Data on Route Planning 
• Download charts and offline use
• Data overlay
• Import/Export Data/ Sync Data
• Weather Forecast
• User Friendly

Bonus Features

• Pan around and seamlessly zoom in and out
• Uses official unaltered NOAA charts
• Nautical and Sonar Charts that can be customized
• Multiple devices synchronization
• Auto-routing with dock-to-dock plans
• Easy-to-interpret, clearer view of bottom structure with Relief Shading and Sonar Imagery
• Marinas, mooring, fuel station, etc.
• More customization features for more advanced boater
• NMEA Integration expanded

Our verdict?

Well-designed and reliable, especially to recreational boaters who prefer simplicity and ease of use, the only downside is there’s not so much room for personalization. For accessing different charts including Sonar and NOAA, plus many advanced features such as auto-routing and data on marinas, mooring, fuel station, etc., the app subscription is relatively cheap.

Play/App Store Rating: 4.5⭐ No. of Downloads: 500K+

Cost: Free App with a two-week free trial and annual premium subscription at $60 US .

• Easy view that 
• Long press to add a waypoint
• Worldwide chart personalization
• Contour customization
• High accuracy weather forecast
• High Resolution Bathymetry
• Auto-routing
• Fuel consumption estimate on plan
• Incorporate boat specs
• NMEA Integration

Very intuitive and easy to use with all the features needed by a boater for navigation. Value for money at US $60 that will let you plan trips more safely by increasing your situational awareness including high accuracy weather, AIS and high resolution bathymetry, and download charts to use offline.

Play/App Store Rating: 3.4⭐

Cost: Free App but other features only accessible with subscription, charts are paid starting at $4 US.

• Route Planning
• Weather Forecast  
• Incorporate Data on Route Planning
• Displays just right amount of information
• Different features can be bought separately (save money)
• Weather forecast is downloadable
• Cheapest app that we’ve tested
• Availability on Google Play
• Simpler route planning
• Integrate weather data in planning routes

Being only available on App Store, Android users can now eliminate this app. Although, it is important to note that this is the cheapest app among all that we’ve tested. As it doesn’t have data integration on route planning, it’s NMEA compatibility is not actually maximized. Its interface is also better for iPad/tablet than smart phones.

Play/App Store Rating: 3⭐ No. of Downloads: 100K+

Cost: Free App with but other features only accessible with premium subscription at $39.99 US and charts are paid separately.

• Easiest creation of waypoints and showing enough information
• NMEA connection available
• Chart customization
• View several routes at a time
• Zooming out 
• Select areas to download to save memory

Comprehensive navigation app providing necessary features for navigation on premium subscription. Making waypoints on this app is the easiest among all that we’ve compared. As it is NMEA compatible, data from the boat can be integrated to the app.

Play/App Store Rating: 4.4⭐ No. of Downloads: 100K+

Cost: Free App with NOAA Chart in the US, but needs to purchase other charts at different prices.

• Import/Export Data 
• Weather Forecast 
• Highly customizable with charts from different providers
• Customizable display
• Variety of charts that can be unavailable on other apps
• NMEA compatibility that provide extensive data
• Friendlier user interface as navigating the app can be challenging
• Synchronize with different devices to use purchased charts

Difficult user interface but highly customizable, recommended to more advanced boaters. Various charts available on purchase, which can be an advantage for those areas where charts are difficult to access, but note that you need to purchase them again whenever using a new device. It is also NMEA compatible with extensive data that can be integrated to the app.

Whether you’re just a beginner or already a seasoned boater, it is now almost impossible to start our engines without installing at least one app on our smartphones (others even couldn’t without a backup!). Are you ready to try these apps? Let us know what you think of them by leaving a comment below!

Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC. Apple logo® and App Store® are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Karla Ceguerra

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5 Best Free ship tracking websites

Automatic identification system (AIS) has made it easy for seafarers, charterer party, ship owners, and management to easily use free ship tracking system for live information even while the ship is underway.

This system provides details like; ship speed, location, flag, port of call, ship particulars, etc. unlike in the earlier maritime industry age, were people visit ship head office to request for details regarding arrival time, ship condition, location etc.

Presently you can just visit some top free ship tracking websites and easily check information regarding a particular ship right from your mobile phone and/or computer.

Related Feature:  Navigation Rules You Need To Know

These five free ship tracking websites with the help of AIS, not only help the seafarers, owners, and management but also in terms of passenger ships, it helps your loved ones to check your ship status as well as to make up a time to welcome you at the seaport.

   Free ship tracking websites

Its recommended to mostly seafarers to know more details of a ship before joining. Sometimes some agents can be fraudulent, giving you fake details in other to take your hard work money from you. Also to help you ( our reader ) in search of how to track ship details, below are five well known free websites you can visit and search for your ship details ;

• EQUASIS: This is a free ship tracking website comes first on the list because it gives more ship details, they have good tool aimed at reducing substandard shipping and its services are totally free. A user only requires registering and login before conducting any ship search. Equasis also have an official mobile app to help users track even while on the way.
• MARINE TRAFFIC: Marine traffic is another good vessel tracking website which also proved you with ship details, photos, etc. To view full details, you will need to register as a company or crew. Its all free and fast loading tools. Marine traffic offers an official mobile app to help users track even while on the way.
• VESSEL TRACKER: Vessel tracker is also one of the well-known free ship tracking website with good tools to track and display live status of your ship. You can also watch videos of live events as happened at sea. It’s not confirmed if they have a mobile app, but if confirmed the official app, we will update and attache link.

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• V ESSEL FINDER: Unlike marine traffic, vessel finder is one of the top free ship tracking website with a great tool. They also offer news related to maritime. Their service is free, but users need to be registered to check for deeper details. The official mobile app is fast loading and light.
• F IND SHIP: Find a ship is a simple tool for ship search which looks alike with Google earth. They basically offer short ship details like; call sign, live speed, Estimated time of arrival (ETA), etc. Their mobile App is light and fast loading. 
• SHIP INFO – This is one of the best platform for seafarers, crewing and ship owners companies. Ship info app provides more detailed services when it comes to free AIS app. Not only that the app is equiped with futures and data form commercial ships fleet, like: deck equipment, engine equipment, ship particulars, communication equipment, radio, Ship status, schedules voyage, vessel position, Vacancies, ship pictures and comments from seafarers who have worked onboard the ship . With the comment system, seafarers can know more about the ship from other guys who worked onboard the ship.  
• Baltic shipping : Baltic shipping as said is an “Online source where everyone can develop their carrier and find excellent and the most up-to-date job from the Companies which are well-known all over the world. The Registration is free and no any hidden fee is involved. The opportunity to keep all Your documents in one place gives You an easy option to share them with Companies, as well as to monitor Your document’s expiration date and more important is that the System will keep You always up-to-date automatically.The opportunity to be a part of this great project will serve as a platform of Business success and stands for the continuity of serving each Customer. With Online Database one’s may have a lot of various conforming to a high-standard applications of seafarers and it could be done simply Online, twenty-four hours per day.” On their website you can also search for any ship details using IMO number or name.

Also, read more about Ship mooring Safety Tips.

Boat owners and finshing boat portable GPS tracking

Some boat owners emailed asking; what GPS tracking divce we can recommend for easy boat tracking? Well, we have used ACR ResQLink View – Buoyant GPS Personal Locator Beacon , which is fully Waterproof-Magnetic divce, easy tracking, fuel and route setup included. If you are making plans to travel accross with your boat, it’s important to try use one.

NOTE:   The listed free ship tracking websites are only here to help our readers, seafarers, companies, passengers, etc, who may find this list useful and quick understanding. Therefore in NO WAY serve as an advertisement for those sites.  Also, understand that the sequence of the list is not for ranking or of such kind.

If you know more ship tracking websites which you can recommend for our readers or have an opinion about the above article, please kindly leave your comments below or contact us.

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3 thoughts on “5 best free ship tracking websites”.

@Fleming Marry, we have an article featuring maritime recruitment or job offering agents, websites for seafarers, and marine workers. See https://marineandoffshoreinsight.com/recommended-maritime-jobs-recruitment-websites/

Thanks for the list featured above, kindly feature more maritime jobs and related from the shipping industry.Thanks.

if you are a seafarer working on ships or in the offshore industry,  you would continuously prowl, looking for better companies, salary, and working conditions (Nothing wrong, a common practice). Well, those might also be the reasons to look for a new job in every field, but for a mariner, they contribute a little “extra” towards deciding a new maritime job opportunity. (Ask a mariner and you would know the answer!)

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Track ships & yachts in real-time with Marine Traffic Tracker : Shipy! Get instant updates, detailed info, and stay connected to global maritime movements. Download now! Stay ahead of the waves with Marine Traffic Tracker : Shipy, the ultimate app for real-time ship & yacht tracking. Marine Tracker provides near real-time positions of ships & yachts worldwide using the largest network of land-based AIS receivers. Covering most major ports & shipping routes, Marine Traffic is the ultimate tool for maritime enthusiasts & professionals. Key Features of Marine Traffic Tracker : Shipy App: - Real-Time Ship Tracking & Yacht Positions: Track vessels globally with up-to-the-minute data, ensuring you have the most current information on ship movements. This includes boat tracking and yacht tracking for all types of marine traffic. - Extensive AIS Coverage: Benefit from our vast network of land-based AIS receivers for comprehensive maritime tracking, offering unmatched coverage and reliability. Perfect for those needing a shipping tracker, vessel tracker, or ship tracker. - Detailed Vessel Information: Stay informed with additional data like destination, ETA, & current status. Ideal for ship finders and vessel finders. - Port Arrivals & Departures: Plan your activities around real-time port arrivals & departures using our advanced marine navigation tools. - Advanced Search Functionality: Utilize filters & sorting options to locate the vessels quickly. Great for users who need a cruise finder or boat finder. - Fleet Monitoring: Create custom fleets to keep track of multiple vessels simultaneously, making it a powerful fleet monitoring and cruise ship tracker tool. - Route History & Playback: Analyze ship movements over time & gain insights into shipping patterns. Essential for marine navigation and marine traffic analysis. - Customizable Notifications: Receive push notifications to stay informed in real-time. Perfect for those using it as a shipping tracker or cruise ship tracker. Why Choose Marine Tracker? Unmatched Coverage: - Our extensive AIS network ensures you have the most comprehensive and reliable ship tracking available, including marine tracker & marine traffic capabilities. Up-to-Date Information: - Receive the latest data on ship positions, movements, and port activities to stay ahead. Perfect for vessel finders and marine navigation enthusiasts. Customizable Experience: - Tailor the app to your needs with customizable notifications, fleet monitoring, and advanced search options. Whether you need a boat tracker or a cruise ship tracker, Marine Tracker has you covered. Download Marine Traffic Today! Whether you're tracking commercial shipping, following cruise liners, or monitoring private yachts, Marine Tracker keeps you connected to the maritime world like never before. Download now and experience the power of real-time ship tracking! Privacy Policy: https://lascade.notion.site/Privacy-Policy-04db178bd8574f2185b685db599d7b54?pvs=4 Terms & Conditions: https://lascade.notion.site/Terms-of-Use-ed85404b6b1f4e25943795629d4f726c?pvs=4

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Frequently Asked Question

On June 28, 2011 we went live with our new version of the map, this has been in development since 2008 and incorporates many new features that were requested. We are still making a few updates that should be complete in late July.

We are updating this documentation to reflect the changes, please check back for updates.

If you would like to use the old map please visit http://ais.boatnerd.com/v1

The Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a radio-based system used by ships and vessel traffic services to track the location of ships. Its primary purpose is collision avoidance. AIS uses digital radio signals transmitted over VHF maritime channels 87B (161.975 MHz) and 88B (162.025 MHz) to broadcast information about a ship including its name, position, speed, course, dimensions, destination, and status. The use of AIS is mandated for international ships over 300 gross tons under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). US and Canadian laws require its eventual use on the Great Lakes for ships over a certain tonnage. Some vessels, such as ferries operating on a constant route, are exempted.

Anyone with a marine radio that can monitor channels 87B or 88B can pick up AIS transmissions. However they are digital signals that must be decoded for a human to understand them. Inexpensive software packages are available to do this decoding, as well as more advanced navigation devices. While AIS can provide a simple text output, it is typically combined with some sort of electronic mapping or charting program. This page uses base maps provided by Google Maps with data pulled from a custom database. As radio signals, AIS transmissions have a limited range. This site extends the coverage range by linking multiple radio receivers through the Internet and combining all received AIS information onto one map.

The data shown on these maps is a few minutes up to an hour old depending on the station and delay in updates. AIS requires speed, position and course information to be broadcast every 2 to 10 seconds while underway and every 3 minutes while docked. Other information, such as ship size and destination, is to be broadcast every 6 minutes. This site itself refreshes every 10 minutes, so information could be perhaps 15 minutes or older at times.

Each ship is shown by an icon. The pointed end of the icon shows the rough direction of travel. There is a "tail" behind the ship showing its course over the past 10 minutes. The ships name is shown next to the icon.

By double clicking on the icon (not on the name box), a supplementary box shows up listing the: ship name, MMSI, ship type, latitude and longitude, speed, course, heading dimensions and status. Note that all this information is supplied by the vessel or personnel on board. We cannot correct spelling errors or incorrect data coming from a ship's transmitter.

• MMSI is the ships Maritime Mobile Service Identity, a nine digit unique identifier.
• Latitude and Longitude are shown in decimal degrees.
• Speed is over ground speed in knots
• Course is the actual direction being traveled at the last reporting time.
• Heading is the intended direction of travel.

If you would like to host a receiver please e-mail , all that is needed is a location near the water with an always -on Internet connection (like cable or DSL) where we can place an antenna and small receiver box. There is no cost for the equipment that we will maintain, the box uses minimal bandwidth and does not open any security holes. If you are using an AIS plotting software you can upload directly to our database via TCP/IP or UDP/IP upload, please e-mail for instructions.

No. Vessels under a certain size do not have to have AIS transmitters. Not all ferries who travel a constant route, regardless of size carry a transmitter.

Vessels that are laid up or are inactive do not always transmit an AIS signal. In addition, AIS transmissions, like all radio signals, have a variable range depending on transmission power and atmospheric condition. Finally, the current coverage is limited due to the current number of active receivers. Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping Online's volunteer staff is working diligently to provide the best coverage possible within the constraints of its limited non-profit budget.

The Map Tiles used as a base map for this page do not show water depths, aids to navigation, or any of the other features that set navigation charts apart from maps. While it should be obvious, it must be stated: Do not use these maps for navigation purposes. Not only are they not charts, they are not always completely up to date maps or images and will show land where there is actual a channel. For the most accurate view change the map type to satellite. We are working on a version that will display nautical charts.

When viewing the satellite or map view and a small scale (zoomed out), the icon or name label of one ship will often block the view of another icon or name label. Simply zoom in on that location using the zoom slider and position keys on the left side of the screen. At larger scales the labels won't overlap unless the ships are right next to each other. If that is the case, double click on the ship icons to get more detail, including the ships name.

Dimensions are entered by the vessel in meters, our system converts these to feet. If the dimensions were not entered correctly by the vessel it will not convert correctly.

Vessel type (freighter, tug, passenger, etc.) are enter by the vessel when they configure the AIS system, if they entered the wrong information it will dispaly incorrectly. We are updating the system so we can manually define the type for better sorting.

When using either the satellite or map view at a large scale (zoomed in), the ship icon will appear to be on land. The maps, the satellite photos have a certain range or degree of accuracy. The accuracy of a graphical AIS display can only be as good as the combined accuracy of its mapping and equipment components. So docked ships sometimes appear to be on dry land next to the dock instead of in the water. If a ship shows up miles from the nearest lake, it is likely a problem with its AIS transmitter or the electronic navigation system it might be linked to.

When using the satellite view, photos of actual ships appear in certain locations. These are ships that were there when the photo was taken, which may have been several years ago. Do not confuse these photographed ships with the AIS location icons.

Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping Online, the non-profit support organization for the Boatnerd website, has committed a substantial portion of its operating budget to develop this online system. The vast majority of the labor involved was provided by volunteers, but there are substantial equipment and operating costs. Please consider purchasing raffle tickets as a way to support this free service or hosting a receiver. http://www.boatnerd.com/trips/bn/

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