Boat Beacon app review

Boat Beacon

Price: $9.99

Boat Beacon by Electric Pocket is a ship plotting app that allows you to see all the boats around you using your iOS device.

On coastal and inland waters, use this app to share your boat’s position. It uses real-time data and provides Collision Detection by providing Range, Bearing, and Closest Point Approach calculations as well as standard AIS info.

The app constantly monitors CPA, and lets you know of potential collisions even if you’re using your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad for something else (as long as Boat Beacon is running in the background). You don’t need any special equipment or an external AIS transponder to use the app.

Features of the app include Anchor watch, Theft email alarm, Man Overboard tracking, AART Alarm, Boat-to-Boat Instant Messaging (with other Boat Beacon users), real-time updates in race positions, live map view with fully gimbaled compass overlay, and over-the-horizon collision avoidance.

This app requires an Internet connection to work. Most coastal areas in the US have available cellular access to about 12 miles out to sea and the UK has almost complete coverage out to 12 miles.

You will not be visible to other ships using their AIS systems unless they are using data from the same land-based networks as you. This app is not to be used for navigation purposes.

Boat Beacon has already saved people’s lives; why not let it save yours?

Boat Beacon was updated to Version 2.7 on April 11, 2013. The update added CPA Relative Bearing and improved some other features. The app has a total of 40 customer ratings with an average of four out of five stars.

I’m no boater but I can really see the value in this app. I like how it’s easy to use; the user interface is simple and intuitive, and the app is jam-packed with features. If you have a boat, you should have this app!

For: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, and iPad with iOS 4.3 or later. Boat Beacon is optimized for iPhone 5.