In the age of smart phones, there’s an app for every aspect of the boating lifestyle. We round up the best apps for gadget-happy sailors.

1. Boating Suite

Boating Suite is the ultimate boating enthusiast’s app designed to help boaters organise and manage all aspects of their boating lifestyle, from activities to expenses. The single app, with an easy-to-use interface, offers “six apps-in-one” so you no longer need to spend time writing things down in different books or spreadsheets. There’s a Log Book so you can maintain a detailed record of every boating trip, a Fuel Log to track your fuel usage, Maintenance Log, Expense Log, To Do List, Shopping List and several customizable reports – all you need to do is select the date range and information you want to see.

Available for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
www.boatingcafe.com/

2. Navionics

Long time producers of digital marine charts, Navionics, is now one of the most popular boating apps on the market. They have 24 apps providing excellent coverage in HD of different regions around the world, including oceans and lakes. Boaters can use the charts to map out a trip, while also logging details like the boat’s safety depth and fuel consumption, and tracking the expected wind conditions for a given route. The apps also provide information on tides, marine repair shops, restaurants and other useful data. You can access your charts at any time without the need for Wi-Fi or signal. And the best bit? You can create a virtual travelogue of your entire trip and share it with friends and family via email or Facebook.

Available for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android and Nokia
www.navionics.com

3. Boat Load

Boat Load is a great go-to for boat owners in the US. You can create and send the requisite digital Float Plan, view real-time weather and tide forecasts, search for marinas and even file insurance claims. There’s also a useful SOS feature that allows you to dial 911 in an emergency from your phone. We like the graphics too.

Available for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad
www.boatloadapp.com/

4. NauticEd

NauticEd allows budding sailors to build their very own online sailing resumé and keep track of their experience. Every time you go sailing or have lessons, you can log your outing with this easy-to-use app and you’ll gain “credit,” increasing your sailing Certification Rank and Levels. You first have to sign up for a free account on the NauticEd website and create a personal profile, recording your sailing experience to date (specifying boat and crew position). The app also helps you to determine your strengths and weaknesses and recommends courses based on your level.

Available for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Android
www.NauticEd.org

5. MyLite Flashlight

A flash light is an indispensable tool when out at sea. Download a free flashlight program such as MyLite Flashlight (free on Apple) and you’ll be surprised how often it comes in handy in the dark out at sea. The app offers a powerful digital LED lightbeam and you can adjust the brightness and the colour changes when you move or shake the phone. It also comes with an SOS feature if you’re ever stranded and in distress.

Available for iPhone, iPod Touch and IPad
www.doapps.com/products/
(For Android phones, try Color Flashlight HD)

6. Aye Tides

Before you set sail in the morning, get the day’s tides and currents for over 9,900 locations around the world with AyeTides. The app provides you with comprehensive tables and interactive graphs for tides over the next week or even year. You can also get data on sun and moon rises and how the tides respond. Once you’ve downloaded the app, no network connection is necessary.

Available for iPhone and iPod Touch. Aye Tides XL is available for iPad
Ayetides.com

7. Pro Knot

Tying a bowline or a fisherman’s knot doesn’t come naturally to everyone but with apps like Pro Knot you can quickly teach yourself the ropes. Pro-Knot is one of the most trusted how-to-tie-a-knot guides in the world and their app gives you step-by-step instructions with large illustrations on how to tie over 30 different knots. There’s also an animated version available, which covers 17 knots.

Available for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad
www.proknot.com/html/iphone_app.html

8. My Harbours

Italy is one of the world’s most popular yachting destinations and My Harbours provides you with a comprehensive guide to Italy’s best harbours. The app that’s available in English and Italian and is regularly updated provides all the necessary technical and commercial information that a boater needs such as coordinates, depth, VHF Radio, mooring information and contact information for local services and authorities. You can select the harbour of your interest from the map or a list of over 400. There’s also a compass feature (on iPhone 3GS and 4) to guide you to your chosen harbour from your current location and you can read and share your comments. You can also use the app to find a good restaurant to dine in once you’re docked.

Available for: iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad
www.myharbours.com

9. Sailboat Championship Pro

If you’re craving some water time but can’t get it, the next best thing is virtual sea time with Sailboat Championship Pro, a sailboat-racing game app. You become a virtual skipper and can race in different regattas and compete against computer-controlled opponents in changing wind conditions. As you improve, you can sail new challenging courses, as well as new boats, and build up your collection of trophies. The graphics and sounds are impressively realistic right down to the sound of the waves crashing against your hull as you move through the water. And you don’t have to be a real-life expert skipper to play.

Available for: iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad
www.idreams.pl/SailBoat/

10. SailSim

Use this sailing simulator app to get yourself up to sailing pro status before you hit the water. The screen presents a basic outline of a Monohull and you can play with it to discover how changes in boat heading, the set of the sails, centerboard, and boat speed relate to wind direction. You can turn your boat (by turning your smart phone) and adjust either the sails or wind direction to see how they work together. It’s a simple and effective way of teaching yourself the different positions of sailing before you take on the waters for real in your sail boat.

Available for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Android
www.thedigitalforge.com/iPhone/