If you have an apple device (there’s no Android version) Maptech’s iPlot is a navigation app you’ll love for its intuitive nature. Price: $4.99 for Apple plus in-app purchases free for Android’s basic version, $19.99/year for the enhanced Pro version. Figuring out the navigational basics isn’t made overly-complex by the additional features, but using the advanced functions will take some studying up. This app also allows you to do much more than simple navigational tasks, with quite advanced functionality like overlaying GRIB files (a form of current weather data) on your chartplotter screen, or connecting with NMEA (National Marine Electronics Association) compatible instruments on your boat via WiFi to display things like engine data and AIS (Automatic Information System, which uses transponders on commercial ships and boats to broadcast information regarding things like identification, speed, course, and destination) data. INavX provides you with amazing latitude in the charts you choose to navigate with, and has eight different providers in their in-app chart store (NOAA charts come free). Price: Free basic version with in-app purchases of varying costs for some map access and weather data. Nifty bonus feature: the app can “see” the lighting situation you’re in and automatically adjust color and contrast for the best viewing. It’s a goal C-Map reached, and although this does by design make it one of the more simplistic apps in our round up, that’s one of the reasons why we love it – it’ll take you all of 30 seconds to figure out how to accomplish essential navigational tasks like going from point A to point B. The concept behind developing this next-gen nav app was to make it as simple and easy to use as possible. We’ve put a number of marine navigation apps to the test through the years, and these are our favorites (in alphabetical order):Ĭ-Map has been creating digital charts for years and has had other nav apps in the past, but Embark recently replaced previous offerings. That means you have a valuable back-up to the electronics at your helm, and you can carry your tech with you even when aboard small boats with no electrical systems. With the best marine navigation apps you can quite literally turn your phone or your tablet into a full-blown chartplotter. And among the many types of boating apps out there, marine navigation apps are some of the most useful.

If you have a boat (or you're thinking about buying a boat) and you have a cell phone, you’re probably interested in learning all about the best boating apps.

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