My wife says my sailing is an augmented reality, and while I beg to differ, with some of the new boating apps hitting the marine market you do have the ability to use an augmented view mode to keep your eye on your route. (Read up on nav apps in Navigation Apps for Boaters.) This is in addition to the standard top-down chart view that’s common in popular mobile apps. So we reviewed a couple of apps that are leading the way with this type of innovation: Nobeltec, and SeaNav from Pocket Mariner.

nobeltec

Here's the PhotoFusion view, from Nobletec.



Nobletec, with their 3D view, is more of a forward-looking aerial perspective of the route ahead of you. In their case the display engine uses PhotoFusion technology. This allows conventional nautical maps to be blended with satellite images in a 3D view, giving you a sense of looking forward over the water. The benefit is that you can line up the map contours with the real land around you. This is useful in the likes of Maine or Washington, though not so much in Florida. I would, however, buy this App for the pure navigation features and good overall performance and usability alone.

seanav

Using SeaNav AR view coming into Shilshole marina in Seattle.



SeaNav is pushing the envelope further by using your phone or tablet camera to overlay the compass, route and buoys in an AR display. The app changes from a standard top down map view when holding the device flat, to the heads-up view when holding it vertical. They use digital vector charts, so that chart elements can be selected to show distance, bearing and detail information.

The compass overlay was handy especially when down in the cabin, and I could see this being useful either at night or during times of low visibility. Performance is an issue with this app, though it can be improved by turning off layers to de-clutter the display, and it’s lacking some tools such as route and fuel planning. So overall, I wouldn’t rate it as high as other navigation apps such as Navionics or iSailor. The app also keeps GPS running in the background, which can dramatically decrease the battery life of your device.

seanav compass

SeaNav standard top down view with compass. The boat position and direction is too small for my liking.



Providing a nod to wearable tech, SeaNav integrates with the Pebble Smartwatch to provide live navigation data on your wrist. The Pebble watch can display speed, course, waypoint, wind, AIS, radar and alarms. I havn’t tried this first-hand, but can see how it could be useful way to keep your precious mobile device out of the elements. Plus, according to SeaNav can run for 24 hours without needing to be re-charged.

For the present, this technology is more of an interesting add-on to your standard navigation views than it is a cure-all to your navigational ills. But I see it becoming more practical as processing power on phones and tablets increases. And I’d be really excited if one of these companies found a way to combine with heads-up display glasses, such as those made by Afterguard.