Best Apps For Boaters

These days, everyone carries a cell phone on their person pretty much everywhere they go. This includes boaters, who need a quick and reliable way to contact people on shore in case of an emergency. With the advent of smartphones, thousands of different apps have been designed. Some of these apps can benefit you as a mariner. From checking weather and tidal forecasts to navigational tools to remote slip rentals, you’re sure to find some useful applications that apply directly to your boating lifestyle.

We here at Kelly’s Port, your local boat dealer, know the importance of having up-to-the-minute information while on a boat, so we’ve made a list of the best apps for boaters. Visit us at our Osage Beach location if you have any further questions about smartphone apps for boating.

Navionics Boating: GPS

While there are plenty of different GPS tools and apps available, one of the most popular mapping and navigation apps for boaters is Navionics Boating. This GPS offers free marine and lake charts for boating, with the option to upgrade and purchase auto-routing and other convenient charting tools. You’ll be able to figure out exactly where you’re going and where you are on the water using the Navionics app, so make sure to load this on your phone posthaste!

Animated Knots: Knot-Tying Tutorials

Any mariner worth his salt knows a few of the basic rigging knots used in sailing and boating. However, if you’re a novice or you want to add to your repertoire of knots to better secure your rigging and ropes, download Animated Knots. This app offers frame-by-frame animations to help you learn how to tie knots at your own pace, and it’s only $5 USD.

BoatUS: Multipurpose

This app is multipurpose, giving you a great deal of information about weather and tide conditions in addition to being a lifesaver in an emergency. Use the app to easily and quickly call for help if you become lost, stranded or your boat’s engine breaks down suddenly. The app provides your location to rescuers so they can find you easily whether you’re broken down on the road or at sea. If you become a BoatUS member, you can also view your benefits and identification card on the app and even find local services that offer you a discount with your membership.

U.S. Coast Guard Mobile App: Weather, Navigation & Safety

If you want a quick way to figure out the boating regulations in any state or along U.S. coastal waters, try this app from the Coast Guard. Request free safety checks for your boat and file official float plans. Report obstacles you encounter via the app and brush up on your navigation skills and knowledge. You can even check local weather conditions with up-to-date information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) buoys nearby.

Dockwa: Finding Marinas

If you’re boating up a coastline, you might want to locate marinas ahead where you can dock for the afternoon or even overnight. Dockwa lets you view nearby marinas and request either a slip or a mooring from their website. Once the marina approves you, payment for your rental is processed through the app for your convenience.

Boating Suite: Virtual Logbook

Gone are the days of paper logbooks and journals charting your fuel use, maintenance records, miles traveled and other essential notations. This suite offers six different apps in one convenient and inexpensive ($5 USD) package, allowing you to note and track everything you need to when you’re boating. Keep tabs on your maintenance and fuel costs, any repairs you make, how long trips have taken and where you’ve traveled, what you may want to shop for, and more with Boating Suite!

These are only a few of the hundreds of apps out there, but we think they’ll prove useful to you on short and long voyages alike. Seeking boats near Lake of the Ozarks? For all your cruising, fishing and entertaining needs, come to our Osage Beach location, where we carry a wide inventory of new and used boats for sale. Kelly’s Port welcomes our Missouri customers coming from both St. Louis and Kansas City.