Do you guys use smartphone apps on a boat?

[roffey]

I will be the first to admit that I spend too much time with my face in my smartphone but....

When I'm on the boat the phone is only there to be a phone.

The one app that I have used in the past is Ulysis speedometer (No doubt in my mind I misspelled that). My current rig doesn't even have a speedometer and I keep meaning to check my top speed with this app.

ok I got to ask, what's your top speed?
I do the same, keep track of my top speed and how far I went. For what it's worth, when I go out on the lake I get no phone service so my "phone" is useless on the lake. I take it with me just for the GPS functions. Don't get me wrong about the 2015 comment. I'm from Canada, 2015 is the catchphrase these days and am just giving you guys a hard time.

https://www.facebook.com/cbcnews/vid...3769328249604/

 

[rallyart]

I use text on my phone as it lets me communicate with my teenage kids while in the boat. Well, they're in the boat too, but it's a bit tough getting my son's attention while he's staring at the screen. After all, he is six feet away.
I use timers and Navionics also, and occasionally that phone app.

 

[roffey]

I use text on my phone as it lets me communicate with my teenage kids while in the boat. Well, they're in the boat too, but it's a bit tough getting my son's attention while he's staring at the screen. After all, he is six feet away.
I use timers and Navionics also, and occasionally that phone app.

LOL, that sounds like my son in-law.. I'm going to try it.

 

[Chris1956]

Gee, isn't 6 feet away within slapping or kicking distance? Seriously, leave him home if he wants to look at his phone...

 

[SDSeville]

holy streaming data batman. I use an old laptop with my digital music library plugged into the aux port of my stereo - 135gig of songs (or about 45 hours of play time) or allow people to pair via bluetooth.

Luckily my cell carrier does not count music or video streaming towards my data usage. I actually do not have any music stored on my phone, just the streaming stuff. ...and wow, 135 gigs is a lot of music.

 

[Scott Danforth]

is a small library compared to one of my coworkers who used to run a streaming internet radio before Pandora/Spotify/iHeart. He has 6 TB of songs on an array server.

 

[BigDfromTN]

I use the Navionics app. It has a map and you can save a track that keeps up with where you have been, speed, distance, time etc. You can also measure how far a given point is from your location. It is my main app while out running the rivers here.
Also have some mentioned prior. TVA, speedo, weather, and river heights with a forecast are a few others I use at times.

 

[4now04]

Most of the time the phones are available but not used. We do use the following:
1. We use the Navionics app on occasion. It has a great map system for bottom depth contours to aid in planning routes and places to avoid.
2. The Marine Traffic app shows commercial traffc which can be very helpful to see if there is a towboat with 15 barges at a lock on the Mississippi River. That could mean a 2 hour wait.
3. I use a Tide Chart app if we are in coastal/ocean locations on vacation.
4. I have a Boat US app if needed.
5. We use the Hotspot app if we need to get on-line for work or if we forgot the DVD movies at home and need some evenig family entertainment.
5. We use Google and various other sites to research places to go or for repair information.
6. The "phone app" or texting gets used on occasion for any number of reasons, whether for work or to just shoot the breeze with distant friends or family.

 

[RGrew176]

I no longer have a land line so my mobile phone is my only source of phone communication. I am the emergency call person for 3 other people so I need to be able to be contacted at any time. I do have the Coast Guard and Boat US apps loaded on my phone. I have Intellicast Weather Radar app also. It is the best weather radar I have found anywhere.

A phone/smartphone can be a useful tool to have onboard so it goes where I go.

 

[phiny1134]

I use the MotionX app for navigation. I use i.wund.com (Weather Underground iPhone specific site) for weather forecasts and radar. And I used to use an app called JustSpeed as a replacement for speedometer. I finally fixed the speedometer though so I don't use that app much any more.