Ropin’ the Wind // $2.29 (Android), $1.99 (iOS)
For the wind-hunters among us, the calm summer days can be a real drag. Where is the wind? The sailor sighs and reaches for the rum. The kiteboarder spreads out the beach towel. But you’re not a quitter, you pull out your phone and consult the Windfinder app to make the most out of your day.
Windfinder draws from real time observations from more than 18,000 weather stations and forecasts for more than 40,000 locations worldwide. Wind speed and direction, air temperature, clouds, precipitation, air pressure, and wave height, period, and direction are all there. User-friendly features like configurable units, display options, and lists of favorites make the data your own. The pro version includes hourly weather prediction models for Europe, North America, and Egypt.
It’s always windy somewhere, it’s up to you to find where. The basic version of Windfinder is $2.29 for Android and $1.99 from the Apple Store.
Knot-icle Knowledge // iOS, $4.99
Are you sick of the sea salts one-upping you with their old-school knowledge? Sure, you’ve got the bowline down (most of the time), but a Carrick Bend? A Stevedore knot?! Give me a break, old-timer!
Thanks to the Animated Knots by Grog app for iOS, just about every knot imaginable is at your fingertips. What’s more, each knot is profiled with a photographic step-by-step process so you can nail it. Additionally, the app has encyclopedic knowledge of nomenclature regarding mooring lines, knot characteristics, and more.
The app is $4.99 at the Apple Store and, depending on your social circles, can be a small price to pay in order to one-up grandpa. You may just have him on the ropes in terms of knot trivia in no time.
Boatrax // iOS 7.0+, Free
Owning a nice boat is just the beginning of the voyage. Organization and resource management is important, but only the natural bookkeepers among us are eager for the task. Luckily for the rest of us mortals, Boatrax can help.
Boatrax is an app that keeps track of your trips, boat maintenance, and expenses in an easy-to-use interface to make your boating life less of a hot mess. The Boat Snapshot gives the user a quick view of the weather forecast, current fuel level, last trip information, and a categorized list of shopping items to be purchased. The trip and maintenance logs keep records of your past activities, and the fuel and expense log helps keep track of where your dollars are going.
What’s more, you can share your logs and lists with fellow crewmates and even assign tasks. Your kid isn’t doing anything, send him off to the grocery store and chandlery with the Boatrax to-do list. You’re in control now. The app is free for iOS 7.0 or later.
