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Who's using Iphones on their boats?

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
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Initially Posted - 11/29/2009 : 16:28:21

Rita & I ordered two new Iphones which are supposed to show up tomorrow. I'm looking at an Otterbox to protect my phone (I'm hard on phones), but I'm interested in what other folks are using to waterproof (or protect) their phones with? What applications have you found that are useful on the boat? I wonder if there's a dedicated AIS app, although you could simply log onto the website for live updates. I know the phones have compasses built in, so that'll be handy, what else should I be looking for?

David
C-250 Mainsheet Editor

Sirius Lepak
1997 C-250 WK TR #271 --Seattle area Port Captain --

Edited by - delliottg on 11/29/2009 20:58:53

piseas
Former Treasurer

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Response Posted - 11/29/2009 : 19:27:20

David, first of all congrats! Its a great phone. Did you get the new S model?
I have 2nd generation one, not the new S, but the 1st of nine pages of apps are all related to sailing. They include, Navionics(the BEST) and West US Fly to Map(both navigation programs), a speed app, GPS lite, several Noah apps, wind alert, boat knots, Tided App, Rules Sailing, BoatUs, a combined sea and swell wave height app called CDIP, marine traffic.com-dedicated AIS but not an app and of course our own Association web site.
I have 4 weather report apps on another page along with other gps programs , Distant Suns and Planets which are 2 free apps for night sailing and the list goes on. Needless to say, I have all nine pages filled.
I have always been able to access internet while ocean sailing and use its as a cell phone as well. I have not found a waterproof product as of yet and if you come across one let me know. I have heard of people using water-proof sandwich baggies but I would rather invest in something more substantial that would not cost an arm and a leg.
I am extremely careful when using it on board. For example, while sitting on the catbird seats, I pull the phone from my pocket opposite side I am sitting near the water and use same opposite ear but never while at the helm unless in the cockpit. I wish I could find a cover with a lanyard! To me, this phone is indispensable. The only other Apple products I have are 2 Ipods.
Oh mine does not have the built in compass so you must be getting the new S model. That also comes with a video camera, right? I do use the still camera all the time and send pics thru text messaging, which I thought I would never use. Joke is on me for that one.
Lastly if you are hard on phones, do get a case and screen cover. There are tons of stuff like that and additional accessories on Ebay for cheaper than Apple Store or elsewhere. Above all, treat your Iphone with respect and cherish it every moment it is in your possession.
Steve A
PS after writing this, I searched internet for waterproof cases and found [url="http://www.thewaterproofstore.com/miniphonecase.html"]this[/url] and price is not too bad.

Edited by - piseas on 11/29/2009 19:39:20

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3321 Posts

Response Posted - 11/29/2009 : 20:05:06

And to think that mine just makes and receives phone calls!

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 11/29/2009 : 20:43:16

Mine too... and then I have this clunky old Garmin 276C--all it does is give me street mapping, turning instructions, ETAs, color marine charts, navigation routes, speed, tide data, an anchor alarm... Pretty Neanderthal!

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 11/29/2009 20:44:06

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 11/29/2009 : 20:57:18

Steve,
AT&T had refurbished 32 gig 3GS Iphones on sale for $150 for Black Friday (two weeks ago they were $250 each). Since I've never once had a problem with anything I've bought refurbished, I figured why pay $300 each when I can get two for that with the same warranty?

I'm looking at [url="http://www.otterbox.com/iphone-cases/iphone-3g-3gs-cases/"] Otterboxes[/url]. They make a completely waterproof one, but I'm thinking the Defender (water resistant) might be the way to go for day to day use. I like the idea of the phone on a lanyard in a waterproof bag though. Edit: fixed the URL, sorry about that.

Oh, and Dave, I use the same GPS in my car/boat. I've noticed that mine won't keep it's memory overnight if it's plugged into power, but will if I don't plug it in. Weird. It used to work just fine. I need to update the firmware on it.

Edited by - delliottg on 11/30/2009 12:43:26

Even Chance
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Response Posted - 11/30/2009 : 05:44:22

My Blackberry stays in the truck when I'm on the boat. If I have an emergency, I have channel 16. If I want weather, I have channel 2. When I sail, I am blessedly Not Available.

How did the human race ever survive for a million years without being instantly available and constantly entertained? We must have been more self-reliant in the old days. We also may have been less stressed and much happier.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 11/30/2009 : 10:35:37

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by delliottg
 ...Oh, and Dave, I use the same GPS in my car/boat. I've noticed that mine won't keep it's memory overnight if it's plugged into power, but will if I don't plug it in. Weird. It used to work just fine. I need to update the firmware on it.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">David: Go to Garmin.com Support and submit a message about that--you should get a pretty quick response. I had a problem with satellite acquisition, and they fixed me up. [/hyjack]

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 11/30/2009 10:37:51

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 11/30/2009 : 11:37:10

Brooke,
If I were still sailing on a lake, I'd be with you, I liked the escape from the electronic world when I was. My San Juan 21 had no electronics on it, only a compass, actually it didn't even have a battery. Sailing in a busy port like Seattle however, I want all the info I can get, especially if it's dark and/or foggy. If a lot of it can be consolidated onto one device (Iphone), I'm all for it.

Edited by - on

Even Chance
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Response Posted - 11/30/2009 : 15:57:13

Maybe, David. If I had a bigger boat, I would surely have radar and AIS. I mostly daysail, or cruise dock to dock. I just know that if I bring my Crackberry on board, I'm going to check my email, surf the 'net, and answer it when it rings. You are probably much more self-disciplined than I.

Edited by - Even Chance on 11/30/2009 15:57:44

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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Response Posted - 11/30/2009 : 16:25:10

We always bring both our phones with us, and they both end up in our "day" dry bag along with wallets, keys, cameras, etc., anything we want with us if we go ashore, but protect from the elements or an accidental dunking. The camera almost always comes out of the bag, but it has it's own dedicated camera dry bag that we can shoot through for good photos if it's snotty outside, otherwise it's simply attached to whoever's wrist is currently using it. The phones simply get ignored if they ring (we're sailing, go away!), although we might remember to check them once we've anchored. This is deliberate on our part, we don't have any electronics for entertainment onboard with the exception of a boombox to listen to the game or tunes. No laptops, DVD players, etc. We prefer to play cribbage or Scrabble if it's nasty outside (frequently), or take our star finder out into the cockpit and look at stars if it's nice (not as often as we'd like) or row the hound to shore to hike around.

I'm interested in various applications for the Iphone that add to our experience, not detract. The AIS webpage is the thing I'm most interested in, simply because if it gets foggy, I can know reasonably for sure if there's something out there I need to avoid, and I'll know their speed & course, as well as their name if I need to hail them on VHF. If the sun's shining, I doubt I'll have the phone on me, but if it's pouring down rain, foggy, dark, etc., I want all the help I can get.

Edited by - on

piseas
Former Treasurer

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Response Posted - 11/30/2009 : 20:00:02

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Even Chance
 
How did the human race ever survive for a million years without being instantly available and constantly entertained? We must have been more self-reliant in the old days. We also may have been less stressed and much happier.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Unfortunately times have changed. We live in a world where service is extremely critical if you want to survive in business. Being self employed and having my IPhone with me, provides superior customer service to my clients.
When I leave my office early or don't go in at all I give my staff instructions to contact me only when my attention to my customers are necessary. Its rare that I am called while sailing and calls last less than 1 minute. That said, I feel less stressed and much happier knowing I can be contacted if needed while sailing.
Its a side benifit that I can pull up my local charts for safety reasons or take pictures using my phone.
Steve A

Edited by - on

Even Chance
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Response Posted - 11/30/2009 : 20:15:02

I understand all the arguments. There are plenty of people in my line of work who feel the need to be tethered to their cell phones as well. My sense is that our need to be always available says more about us than it does about anything else.

Now I'll leave this alone.

Edited by - on

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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3758 Posts

Response Posted - 11/30/2009 : 20:52:56

Current Practical Sailor has a phone/pda and apps afloat comparison. I was astounded to see no Iphone until I read that the Iphone and its massive catalogue of apps gets it own article in the future. Haven't read the whole article yet.

I agree with you Brooke, I don't consider myself so essential to the rest of the world that I need to be connected all the time, nor do I consider the rest of the world that essential to me. Finally old enough to be a curmudgeon.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 12/01/2009 : 13:01:55

Here's a good one. I didn't realize my handheld GPS wasn't aboard my boat until the end of the season when I stumbled upon it while rifling through my sock drawer. Apparently, I forgot to include it in my spring load out.

Edited by - on

Chris Z
Captain

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Response Posted - 12/03/2009 : 12:04:45

Another great app I found for the iPhone is called Windfinder.

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piseas
Former Treasurer

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Response Posted - 12/03/2009 : 13:09:37

Chris, thanks for that app. Don't know how I missed it.

Steve A

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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Response Posted - 12/03/2009 : 16:53:54

Yep, downloaded that one yesterday. But contrary to my post about never having a problem with refurbished stuff, looks like I'm going to have to send this phone back. The screen keeps locking up on me, completely unresponsive. Anyone else see that happen? It seems random, won't happen for a while, then no response to the screen at all until I press the little round button again, which seems to clear it for a while.

Edited by - on

Chris Z
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Response Posted - 12/03/2009 : 19:52:21

David,

I it well known that the iPhone seems to need to be turned off completely once in a while. You hold in on the top button until the slide to turn off button appears. Then just slide it. Top button alos turns it back on.

Let me know if that works.

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2009 : 22:47:59

Chris, I've given it a power cycle, let's see what happens. Thanks for the tip.

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 12/04/2009 : 10:00:06

Are any of you using the Google App on your phones? It has an applet called "Latitude" that allows you to share where you are on the planet on Google Maps. Would seem to be a handy thing to have turned on if you were off on a sail (or hunting for xmas trees like the couple in OR who were recently rescued) and things went wrong. At least the SAR teams could find your phone, hopefully with you attached to it.

If anyone's interested in sharing their data (you have full control on whether or not your position is broadcast), let me know. It'd be fun to be able to see when you guys are out on one of the blue spots on the maps.

Edited by - on

Chris Z
Captain

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452 Posts

Response Posted - 12/04/2009 : 12:17:44

David,

I looked for the app called latitude and could not find it on the app store. Am I missing something.

If i can get it loaded it would be fun to share. Especially when i am sailing at the Force 5 Midwinters in Key Largo in February 2010.

Edited by - on

piseas
Former Treasurer

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Response Posted - 12/04/2009 : 12:50:40

IPhone Users, I have the following apps:
(I have explained some but half fun is discovering on own.)
Navionics-Superb
Fly To Map-some info missing in my area
Vlingo-talk and ye shall find
Google- also talk into phone
Google Earth
Vela GPS lite
Speed
GPS lite
Wind Alert
Tide App
GPS Tracker
Everytrail
Trailguru
Where I'm at- tells you your exact position on Planet-address and coordinates!
IGCT
Track Thing
All the free(4) weather apps
wikihow
App Box Lite
I Handy level
Clinovint Lite
Distant Suns
Planets
NASA
WebMD
And now Windfinder, tks again Chris!

This list only includes sailing, other 50% non sailing. Sorry if I forgot one or two.
Please share yours.

Steve A
PS David, you will love this. I got a waterproof bag for phone called DryPak DP-46, from Walmart online. I will test this weekend and share results. Made in China, of course.

Edited by - piseas on 12/04/2009 12:57:18

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 12/04/2009 : 13:10:11

Chris,
Download & install the Google App from the App store, when you run it, the third applet from the top is Latitude. You have to add friends (I'm willing to add anyone from the forum) to be able to see their locations (if they've set it up to automatically share their location, otherwise they have to manually tell it to update, and you can deliberately hide your location if you want to).

Steve,
I'll take a look through the apps you've listed, I already have some, but I'll go through them tonight or over the weekend. Do you have a link for the waterproof bag?

Edit: Is [url="http://www.amazon.com/Dry-Pak-Cell-Phone-Shown/dp/B0015CQKI8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1259957693&sr=8-1"]this[/url] it? If so, I think it's the same company that makes my camera dry bag, but I'm not sure.

Edited by - delliottg on 12/04/2009 13:17:04

piseas
Former Treasurer

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USA
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Response Posted - 12/04/2009 : 15:02:51

David, Yes that is the same bag. The only downside I can see is that you cant take a picture in the bag like some others can. But it has lanyard and spring hook. I tested to see if phone works properly and it does. Callers can hear my perfectly fine and I can hear them. I am anxious to see if it really floats.
Steve A

Edited by - piseas on 12/04/2009 15:05:45

piseas
Former Treasurer

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USA
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Response Posted - 12/16/2009 : 14:25:02

Today only, free, 7 Cities. I nautical pirate game. Usually
$3. I have not played yet but good reviews.
Steve A

Edited by - on

ruachwrights
Captain

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USA
258 Posts

Response Posted - 12/18/2009 : 16:09:29

I have been using my i-phone for a while. Tidegraph, windbuoy, wind meter, NOAA NWS (from the web-site. Look for the smart phone format) and boaters reference are also very helpful. Navionics USA East is my favorite. It is my primary navigation app since I am in Narragansett Bay the phone coverage and gps is spot on. It is helpful to be able to touch an icon and see if there are any slips or moorings available as you approach a marina. Current info is pretty good too. You really have to make sure that you take a moment to zoom all the way in on what ever route you are planning, however- or else you might miss a few rocks and sand bars.

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