iPhone Apps for Cruising?

[LandSailor]

My Iphone 3GS goes everywhere with me. The amount of apps you can use on the water is unbelievable. Apple is planning on releasing the "tethering" feature for the iPhone this fall allowing you to use your data connection on your laptop. No need to jailbreak it. 32 GB of storage is more than enough for me. I put all my movies, music, photos, and still have enough space for who knows what.

[forsailbyowner]

We bought BB when we reupped contract for $20. Can't compare to iphone but it is great for us. Our laptop took salt drenching with expected results. Now have much more options. Wife found some tzone app which sends current weather alerts for the area were in. Not sure if well ever get another laptop. I found opera browser that seems much better for me than standard iexplorer browser.

[cherrick]

Originally Posted by SurfNRG

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm able to tether my laptop to my Blackberry and use it as a modem and go online high speed as long as there is a phone signal. I've been told that you cannot do this with the iPhone (tethering) ...

The issue is not with AT&T, it's with the IPhone itself.

And I believe the new IPhone 3GS (just released) now supports tethering.

[Arch Stanton]

Well they lowered the price from $50 to $5, fixed a bunch of bugs, and added a bunch of features. Navionics charting software for iPhone is now a good value. Even if you're way off shore you can use the GPS for location, bearing, speed, and routing, all on top of the charts.

[SurfNRG]

The iPhone sounds and is freakin' amazing! Have several friends with them. I've been a Mac guy since the mid 80's but I went the Blackberry route for the tethering feature on my Mac Powerbook - a great asset when being mobile. I heard it was ATT's issue not wanting the iPhone to tether since it would take revenue away from them selling their PCMIA cards. Whatever.., Eitherway, I sure wish Verizon would strike up a deal with the iPhone like they originally were going to. Not sure about today but I use to be on AT&T prior to switching over to Verizon. The VZ network worked so much better. Times may have changed. I'll research more when my contract runs out at VZ.

[drew.ward]

Actually this issue on tethering is with AT&T.

You could always do it with 3rd party software but it wasn;t an approved app.

The new 3.0 software has tethering fully built in now, but AT&T so far refuses to allow it on the iphone even though they allow it on other phones.

Theory is that their network is so shaky in many areas that they are afraid that the much faster iphone modem setup would overload their 3G network if tethered.

[Cheechako]

My daughter and my grandaughters have I phones. My basic test for the Iphone so far to determine if I want anything other than my basic cell phone has been to try to connect to Active Captain and open up "on the water". I have been unable to do so yet.

[JNoel]

Just took a short Trip across the DE Bay using the iPhone with Navionics App. It kept the course and had taken photo's that geo referensed right on the chart. Sent them in an e-mail to wifie she was impressd.

[nautical62]

Does anyone know if it's possible to swap out the sim card on an Iphone in the Bahamas so one can use their plans? I know people do this with other phones such as the world phone. I love all that my Iphone has to offer, but if you have to do it via international roaming, it adds up very quickly.

[Sandero]

Navionics on the iPhone is not very good. It's hardly worth the $5. As far as I can tell there is no track line, no heading line and it's always north up.

The soundings are not very dense. and the detail not very sharp.

No comparison to the iQue blue charts for a handheld device.

[JNoel]

The newest versions do have a Track line and is savable. I personally like having North up on a chart, but would like the option of COG. The only thing with a handheld is it doesn't have all of the funtions I want in an iPhone.

[Sandero]

I recently got the 3G and the Navionics program which was cheap enough to give it a try.

I find the iQue with Garmin Blue charts much better. Neither are robust marine nav programs, but the Blues are much better than the navionics, redraw much faster and the zooming and panning are superior, not to mention the course up feature.

The rotating view of the iPhone actually is annoying with this program and I wish it could be turned off.

Taking photos with GPS tags is a neat feature, but the charting is crude and much less accurate that the WAAS iQue.

It's fine if you don't have a decent handheld plotter (which I did) but it needs a lot of work. I suspect Navionics will add features over time. I'd call it Beta.

[Factor]

Part 1 of a three part - IPHONE is the perfect back up sailing thingy story.

Part 2

Part 3

[JNoel]

This a good article and since it was written the Navionics Apps. have been updated to 2.2 and now offer the follwoing features.
•Share your geotagged Pictures, Markers, Routes, and Tracks on Facebook.
•Save up to 100 Tracks from your recent trips.
•Create and save up to 100 Routes.
•Store up to 200 Favorites (Photos, Objects, Tides, Currents, Lakes, POI) and share them on Facebook.
•Search POI (Marinas, Marine Supply Stores, Marine Repair, Waterfront Restaurants, Bait, Tackle etc.).
•Tides and Currents now include Moon phase

Can't wait to see what comes next.

[Jerry Woodward]

I use PdaNet to tether my Windows Mobile phone to my laptop, and they now say they have a version for the iPhone:
PdaNet -- Use your iPhone as a Wireless Router for your PC/Mac

You download an app on your phone and your laptop. As soon as I plug the phone into the laptop, it asks if I want to connect. One click and I'm on line. It works great.