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Boat Monitor R (iPhone/iPad app)

8K views 25 replies 9 participants last post by  Minnewaska 
#1 ·
First night out at anchor this season!

I'm sufficiently impressed with this app. I used to use Anchor Watch, but this one is ahead by a neck. I set it aboard on my ipad. It has the ability to set the anchor at a bearing and distance from the device, so you do not need to be at the bow, with the device, when you drop the anchor. It also has the ability to send you a text message, if you drift outside the protected zone that you established. Very cool.

But this was the neatest part. We took the dinghy in to see the Kentucky Derby and left my ipad running. At the bar, I opened the same app on my iPhone and it asked if I wanted to monitor the session already in progress. Naturally, I did!

There, on my iPhone screen was a pic of the harbor, with my boat location and its relative spot within the protected zone I established. It also showed me the tracking line from the last couple of hours, so I could see if she was drifting, even if not outside the alarm range yet. She was just slightly swinging on a 10 deg arc, as expected.

Of course, you need 3G service and two devices, but this was way cool. If your spouse has one too, you just leave one aboard.
 
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#4 ·
Thanks for this write-up Minnewaska. I am currently trying to decide what equipment to purchase for navigation, chart plotters, etc. I have a Dell laptop. Plus, I have a MacBook Air - that I love. So...I'm leaning towards getting an Ipad 3G or 4G and an IPhone. I have an Android now. Anyhoo, I appreciated reading how you are using your Apple products. It is helping to steer me towards going all Apple.
 
#5 ·
Typical experience this morning. I almost never remember to shut the monitor off before weighing anchor. Previously, I would find emails when got home, after motorin outaidethe protected area. Now, with the text feature, my phone rang in my pocket at the helm. I looked and it said we were drifting. Very cool.

The good part is that I now know it works, even after the ipad goes to black screen.
 
#9 ·
ok so you guys pay roaming interntionally just to have your fone call you if your alarm goes off, which is an international call, at best,do you know how much that will cost you every time??? is not payiong attention woirth that extra fee each andf every time your alarm system thinks you drag anchor in foreign lands......and there is no verizon in mexico, or many other places that cruisers go. mebbe in usvi and puerto rico..
.....
 
#10 ·
Well it is not international for all of us, but I did get good signal for Verizon along the west coast of Mexico 5 years ago. I had to arrange for a temporary international plan but it was not much, like $25 or so. But if you don't have an international plan watch out. My boss at work went for a week conference in Costa Rica and got a 6,000 bill and that was without even using it. Just the phone sitting on the dresser and in the background checking for email. Ouch.
 
#15 ·
There is no substitute for properly setting your anchor and maintaining good watch. However, these apps clearly improve your odds. You have to sleep and you have to be out of sight eventually. For most of us, there is no cell coverage problem. If you're out of range, your only out of luck with shoreside communication. It will still wake you between evening watches, if you drag or if you want to be alerted that you have swung around. We've all gone to sleep on a blustery night that predicted a hard swing. We set a watch schedule to be sure we get up to confirm the anchor has reset. This device will alert you the moment you've swung and not rely on a schedule.

As for being ashore, one feature I love is being able to access the Ipad that I left aboard with my iPhone in my pocket. It will show me precisely where my boat is on a satellite image, along with a persistence line that shows where the boat has been swinging or dragging. Even if it has not gotten in trouble yet, I can see if she has swung around or is beginning to drag. That is an incredible relief. I suppose it will also tell you if someone stole the boat, or at least the iPad. :)
 
#14 ·
Here is the website for it. Try clicking on the link in the lower right corner.

Boat Monitor - Remote Boat Monitor and Alarm

However, I believe it now says it is not available in the US. Makes me wonder if it is a liability thing. While I'm a big fan of these apps, they are no substitute for proper technique, they just improve your odds.

While the App is still operational on both my iPhone and Ipad, it is no longer listed in my purchased Apps either.

Try Anchor Watch. I used that prior to Boat Monitor and also liked it. It only had email functionality and full circle protected ranges, but it was still good. You can't check from ashore to see exactly where your boat is either. It went through a couple of update mess ups, which sent me looking for another, but it was still pretty good.
 
#16 ·
Also, if you have a walkie talkie with voice actived transmission, you can leave one next to the device aboard and bring the other. You can then hear the alarm go off from shore without needing cell coverage. In Voice mode, it will read out the bearing and distance from the anchor, rather than just sound an alarm. Seriously, this thing is pretty cool.
 
#24 ·
I like the FRS radio next to the iPad to transmit the drift warning. I'll try that with DragQueen app. I like the find my iPhone/iPad to track the boat. I guess you could use a Delorme Inreach or other Sat tracker also. A little peace of mind goes a long way.:)
 
#25 ·
our peace of mind is 160'170 ft chain attached to a bruce anchor set firmly and affixed to boat´s sampson post, accompanied by occasionall sweeps and sights using our eyes. do not trust alarms as you will find they do not actually work in the heat of battle. enjoy your toys. i am able to sleep fine and dandy without the added expense of a false alarm or a no notice when the real thing happens.
happy sails.

roaming is a major beeyotch oput here, as there are not always signals to effect telephone warnings.....
 
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