🌊 My favorite sailing apps: Digital helpers on board the SY Viserion
- Christian Nüßer
- Nov 12
- 4 min read
Since I started sailing regularly, countless digital helpers have accumulated on my smartphone and iPad. Some are purely weather or navigation tools, others help with planning, logging, or relaxing after a long day of sailing. In this post, I'll introduce you to the apps that I actually use regularly on board the SY Viserion – from the start of the trip to arrival in port.
It gets even more exciting when you combine them : Many apps complement each other perfectly. Therefore, I'll show you not only my favorites, but also workflows how I use them in practice.
⚓ 1. Weather & Navigation – The digital view of the sky and the sea
My favorite for weather and current forecasts. The offshore route planning and GRIB data are especially invaluable when planning longer trips or looking for the best wind angle.
Fast, visual, and reliable. I mostly use Windy to graphically check wind patterns, rain radar, and wave forecasts – perfect for preparing for the next tack.
Probably the most well-known map app – and rightly so. With tide information, depth contours, community layers and automatic route planning, it's my digital chartplotter backup.
A fantastic community app: harbors and anchorages with reviews, photos, and tips from other sailors. Especially helpful in the Mediterranean, where good anchorages are often highly sought after.
Ideal for seeing ship movements in real time. I often use it to check traffic in the port or at the entrance – or to watch friends who are currently at sea.
An exciting app for discovering sailing routes, locations, and other crews worldwide. I enjoy using it to mark interesting anchorages and sailing areas, or to share my experiences.
🧭 2. Training, maneuvers & safety – refreshing your knowledge on the go
If a light signal or a buoy is unclear: just take a quick look and you're safe again.
These apps are like little reference books. I use them regularly for refresher courses – especially during maneuvers when new crew members are on board.
The sea rescue app: It allows users to officially register their trips, so that if there is no response, an alarm is automatically triggered. A must-have for anyone who takes safety seriously.
An alternative to Windy & PredictWind – focusing on official weather reports, Navtex data and warnings from the DWD.
🪝 3. Anchoring, Logging & Daily Life on Board
My digital logbook. Position, weather, speed, crew – all automatically recorded. Ideal for reviewing trips or for blogging.
Simple and effective: It alerts you if the boat drifts away from its anchor. I always set up the app alongside my plotter – better safe than sorry.
For navigation training or classic cross-bearing exercises. Perfect if you don't want to completely forget the old school.
🧳 4. Travel & Organization
Google Maps & Google Earth
Indispensable for shore excursions – or for virtually exploring new ports and bays before the trip.
My little gimmick: This app lets you export routes as 3D animations – great for Reels and Instagram Stories.
It sounds trivial, but it's invaluable on board. The crew can plan and check off shopping together – even offline.
For the ship's kitty: Record expenses and automatically distribute them fairly among all crew members.
For regattas or long journeys with tracking – practical for letting friends and family participate live.
Community app from the well-known bluewater sailing club. Ideal for long-distance sailors to exchange contacts and information.
Official app from the German Foreign Office for Germans abroad – useful if you are planning longer trips or Atlantic crossings.
🎬 5. Media & Memory
Fast video editing directly on board. I often use LightCut to prepare clips for Instagram or YouTube before refining them later on my Mac in Premiere Pro.
⚙️ Workflows: How I use the apps together
🧭 Route and trip planning
Navily – first I search for harbors and anchorages in the planned region. Reviews, photos, and information about the seabed help with the selection.
Google Maps / Google Earth – then I check what's interesting in the area: old towns, shopping opportunities, restaurants, hiking trails.
Navionics Boating – this is where the actual route planning takes place: enter the starting and destination ports, calculate the route, check depth contours, and take currents into account.
PredictWind & Windy – then I check wind direction and weather window to choose the right day and course.
Logbook – finally, I enter the planned trip in the digital logbook and record the crew, daily distances and waypoints.
⚓ Anchoring & Safety
Navily helps when approaching the bay to see how much space and protection from the wind to expect.
After dropping the anchor, I activate the anchor alarm to ensure a safe night's sleep.
SafeTrx runs in parallel in case I am traveling alone or have no radio contact for an extended period of time.
🧭 Maneuvers & Training
Before trips with a changing crew, I like to call up Harbor Maneuvers 2.0 or Skipper Practice – especially great for inexperienced crew members to understand the "why" behind the maneuvers. And for those who want to know all the details: Seamanship 2.0 still has the best foundation for theory and practice.
💰 Crew & Onboard Life
Bring! : Shopping and provisions planning together with the crew.
Cashinator : Settle the onboard kitty, split expenses, keep track of everything.
TravelBoast : Capture the entire trip as a 3D travel video – and share it later on your blog or Instagram.
⚓ Conclusion: Digital Seamanship
Apps don't replace experience – but they are now an integral part of modern seamanship. Used correctly, they make planning, safety, and communication easier and more precise. Whether going ashore using Google Maps, checking the weather window with PredictWind, or reviewing the digital logbook in the evening – my daily life on board has long been digitally supported.
And yet, the most important things remain unchanged: a clear head, a steady hand, and respect for the wind and waves. 🌊
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