Boatie is an invaluable source of information for all who enjoy recreational boating in UK and Irish coastal waters. Developed and used by a keen sailor, after 15 years it remains the popular choice and 'go-to' app of thousands.
Features:
• 'Port' display for approx. 750 primary and secondary ports from the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland. This gives you a tide table for the next 7 days, along with a meteogram of 3 hourly weather forecasts and daylight times, position relative to closest springs or neaps and moon phase. For 648 ports, there is a tidal curve prediction for the current day. Both are extendable up to 10 days with the 'Standard' subscription. With the curves you can see the height predicted for any time - or vice versa (default behaviour configurable in Settings) and optionally a curve adjusted for barometric pressure.
• View Tide Tables in a standard format, and with the 'Premium' subscription retrieve up to 12 months of data (where available) for a port.
• Tidal Streams for up to 10 days (more than 7 days requires the 'Standard' subscription). Pan and zoom the map to show your preferred area, and scroll along the time. Touch and hold to see the forecasted set and drift. This data covers the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland.
• Marine Forecasts:
- the current UK Inshore and Shipping forecasts, and synoptic charts for Northern Atlantic and NW Europe.
- the current Irish Sea Area Forecast and Coastal Report.
• Navigation:
- display your current GPS position, speed-over-ground (SOG), course-over-ground (COG), plus distance and heading to user-configurable waypoints.
- Waypoints can be imported or exported as GPX files and ordered within the file to allow quick switching to the next waypoint.
- A built-in compass shows the direction to the current waypoint.
- A navigation view to display the contents of a selected waypoint file plotted on a map. Create a track to a waypoint and calculate cross track error (XTE) with heading correction plus Velocity Made Good. (not available with 'Basic' subscription).
- The Navigation Chart page now displays nautical chart data
- **Experimental Features**
- Navigation Narration - with a waypoint target set, Boatie can now narrate key navigation data such as BTW, SOG, COG, VMG-C, Heading, DTW and XTE. Useful when needing to use Boatie ‘hands-free’. (not available with 'Basic' subscription)
- NMEA 0183 Receiver. Display position, speed and bearing data via an on-board NMEA 0183 WiFi Gateway (with Premium sub).
• Reference: a useful set of information easily to hand whether you're out on the water or doing your theory course. It currently includes:
- Day shapes
- Navigation lights
- Sound signals
- Beaufort scale
- Forecast terminology
- UK Inshore forecast areas map
- ROE Marine Weather Services Map
- Signal flags, phonetic alphabet & morse code
- VHF Channel usage plus emergency radio protocols
- IALA A Buoyage
- Links to UKHO Alerts
• System Widgets, a companion Apple Watch app and Complications are included.
So, next time you are meeting the crew in the pub for planning your weekend, or when you're out enjoying it, take Boatie to have the key information you need with you on your iPhone or iPad.
An internet connection is required for some features, and the data is then cached for short periods for use whilst out sailing.
Please do let me know your feedback - I'm always very grateful for it. If you have questions, find problems or have suggestions for future improvements please use the support link in the app or email support@msswsolutions.com .
** Note: The app is free to download, but a subscription is required to access the service. **
Boatie - Terms & Conditions: https://msswsolutions.com/boatie-terms-and-conditions/
Apple EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
The latest update turns Boatie into a subscription service- I was unsure whether to pay again or delete. The developer offered me a reduced fee for the first year so I decided to continue using and review the situation again next year. This is a useful app with a decent amount of handy information in one place- I would rather pay a small fee than be bombarded with unwanted ads all the time. If you spend time on the water or live near the sea you will find Boatie helpful in a number of ways- five stars for information, the verdict on value is pending!Update 7th October 2022The verdict on value is now determined- five stars and a subscription I will renew next year. Useful information clearly presented- thanks
Boatie - 10yrs use of my favourite goto App for sailing
Tron_7654
Long term user. First downloaded it while on a YM course. It’s an excellent curated mini almanac plus live wx & tidal data updates. It puts a lot of key status and real-time data at your fingertips. Excellent for passage planning & when underway. The latest v5.x release has been a welcome refresh as the app had begun to age out. I’ve had great support from the developer over the years & while I’d like something for free the ongoing app maintenance is important to me. I know that depends on keeping alignment with other cloud services so no info service fails at a key moment. So I consider the new annual subscription good value. 10 out of 10!
Great App
Mr Polo.
This is my most used app, even better and clearer now it has been re vamped, it just gets better! The interactive tidal flow add on is great for passage planning, the daily weather is the most accurate of any I’ve tried, you have the convenience of inshore forecasts for your area, and of course tidal curves. It now has the facility to set a standard port that you want and isn’t just Portsmouth as it used to be, very handy, saves a lot of mental juggling. All in all a must have app, well designed and a great price! Go for it😁
Good app let down by trickery
Cptnhappy
It was a great app, but don’t update it! The developers have decided to be underhanded, which really puts me off using it. They write, and I quote directly, that there are “only bug fixes” in the update, but once updated, you can no longer use the app you have purchased for a one-off fee previously unless you pay regular subscription fees. Neither will it apply or restore purchases you have already spent in good faith. The developers justify this with an unconvincing attempt at sympathy and a rather droll happy face emoji. I would have been happy to pay a subscription for this app, but I don’t like to feel taken advantage of. Just be upfront in the first place. Bad show all around - quite disheartening.
Developer Response
Thank you for editing your review to remove the unwarranted accusations of lies and trickery. As the name suggests, the release notes are to highlight changes from the previous release - and in the case you mention, between 5.2.0 and 5.2.1. The change to being a subscription app happened with 5.0.0 which was 13 releases and over 3 months ago. However, the full history is on the App Store, on the web site and summarised on the launch screen of the new app - which also, in recognition of customers who already had the old version, offers heavily discounted subscriptions to ease the transitions into the new commercial model. There is nothing underhand about this - it is normal software release practice - you are not being ‘taken advantage of’The costs of providing the service, updates and support have inevitably increased over the past 13 years and Introducing a subscription has become necessary to ensure that Boatie continues to exist for current and new customers. The version 4 app and supporting services you originally purchased a license to use have been withdrawn - there is no choice to remain using that legacy version because even if you deliberately failed to update the app on your device, it would no longer work properly (and shortly not at all as the legacy supporting services are being decommissioned - this is not in my control - I do not own them).All I'm trying to do is produce the best sailing app I can, cover the costs of production and make a basic living. I’m sorry you think the realities of the costs of production are ‘unconvincing’ - that is your opinion, but doesn’t change the fact of what it costs me to provide the service.What is disheartening is the unthinking rush to judgement coming from people who just assume everyone in the world is out to con you out of money and leaving a review based on that rather then the content and utility of the app itself. The largest full price subscription at this time costs less than a pint of beer a year, and for that you get a fully updated app ready for the latest Apple devices, new features, increased geographical and data coverage and responsive support - all things the v4 app did not have. If you are interested in a more detailed discussion you could reach out to me directly (boatie@msswsolutions.com)
- Shortcuts: Open Port and Next Tides now use your port list properly. Say a port name to open or get tides straight away; say “Open a port” to confirm a suggested favourite. Older Open Port shortcuts may need the port re-selected once after this update.
- Marine Forecasts: Shipping and Inshore Spoken forecasts now group areas with the same forecast to reduce overall duration
- Big fix and performance updates
Version 5.15.0
The developer, MSSW Solutions Ltd, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
Identifiers
Usage Data
Privacy practices may vary based, for example, on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
Provider
MSSW Solutions Ltd
Size
203.4 MB
Category
Weather
Compatibility
Requires iOS 15.5 or later.
iPhone Requires iOS 15.5 or later.
iPad Requires iPadOS 15.5 or later.
iPod touch Requires iOS 15.5 or later.
Mac Requires macOS 12.4 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.
Apple Vision Requires visionOS 1.0 or later.
Apple Watch Requires watchOS 9.1 or later.
Location
This app may use your location even when it is not open, which can decrease device battery life.
