Anchoring App - Opinions?

[aussi]

Hi all,

Myself and a colleague have just created a mobile app, 'AnchorBuddy', to help with the calculations of depth and scope when anchoring. I would be very grateful if anyone with a little time could take a look and let me know what you think and whether you have any suggestions.

It's completely free, is available for both Android and iOS, and doesn't need an Internet connection once it's downloaded. It should run on both phones and tablets but I don't have a lot of test devices, so if you come across any issues it would be helpful to know about them - post here if you like.

Get the Android version here.
Get the iOS version here.​

Please feel free to leave a review on the App Stores, but if you're going to give it a bad review, please get in touch first with your problems so I can try to sort them out if possible!

Note that this app comes with no warranty, and you use it entirely at your own risk.

 

[GHA]

Works on a Samsung galaxy tab s2. Thanks, usually work it out in my head but sometimes that gets bit slow after a long passage, nice to double check

 

[aussi]

Works on a Samsung galaxy tab s2. Thanks, usually work it out in my head but sometimes that gets bit slow after a long passage, nice to double check

Yes, that's exactly the same with me - I like to do the calculations manually, but once they are done I wanted a way to quickly cross-check them when I'm tired, cold and wet. It's a "second opinion" app

Oh, and thank you for testing on your tab, that's good to know.

 

[Hacker]

Works on an iPhone 6 with latest iOs.

 

[captainboo]

Working fine on an older Sony Xperia Z3 Compact with Android 6.0.1

 

[LadyInBed]

I guess Apps are the vogue, but several years ago I printed and laminated an XL chart I made with that info on.

 

[GHA]

I guess Apps are the vogue, but several years ago I printed and laminated an XL chart I made with that info on.

You're allowed both

 

[Ian_Edwards]

Works on a Samsung Galaxy S5 Android 6.0.1

 

[prv]

It’s an app for multiplying by three?

(Sorry, someone had to say it )

Pete

 

[langstonelayabout]

It’s an app for multiplying by three?

(Sorry, someone had to say it )

Pete

Well done for saying it before me.

I'm all for technology making our lives easier but where was it when I was at Junior school learning my three times table? (oh no, that's over forty years ago!)

Hope the app is a good one. For me I'm happy leaving my phone in the cabin and seeing how deep 'straight up and down' is before paying out three to five times that depth.

 

[LadyInBed]

It’s an app for multiplying by three?

(Sorry, someone had to say it )

Pete

Wot! No keel / water depth, height to bow and scope options? (I didn't bother to look at the app)

 

[GHA]

Wot! No keel / water depth, height to bow and scope options? (I didn't bother to look at the app)

Yes. Remembers draft, height of roller & safety margin, put in low tide height, high tide height, scope and actual tide height it will give you minimum depth you can anchor in now and scope at that depth or put in depth of water now it gives you scope.

Handy to have stashed on the phone to double check back down below when you're cold and tired .

The Luddites down have to bother but good on the OP for giving away a little app like that :encouragement:

 

[LadyInBed]

That all sound pretty good.

 

[mersey]

Worked on android oreo 8.1 mostly, but one time going into it got an error "Could not load request from https://exp.host:443/@aussi/anchorbuddy: the request timed out".

Other thoughts are swiping left/right should work as well as tapping on help and about. Add settings button in top right or somewhere, let people set dark theme, preferred depth unit (I know that is just cosmetic).

 

[prv]

Worked on android oreo 8.1 mostly, but one time going into it got an error "Could not load request from https://exp.host:443/@aussi/anchorbuddy: the request timed out".

Does that imply it needs an Internet connection to work?

Pete

 

[[70521]]

It’s an app for multiplying by three?

(Sorry, someone had to say it )

or four ...

You are quite right, people are relying on technology to do the simplest of things.

Does it work if your smartphone has 2% battery and had decided to update 250 apps after 72 hours at sea?

 

[GHA]

or four ...

You are quite right, people are relying on technology to do the simplest of things.

Does it work if your smartphone has 2% battery and had decided to update 250 apps after 72 hours at sea?

How does cross checking turn into relying?

 

[mersey]

Does that imply it needs an Internet connection to work?

Pete

I thought it might, but after turning on airplane mode on the phone, it does still work (and without an advert, I guess because it can't reach the ad server).

The error took up the whole screen, and needed me to kill the app and restart it.

 

[NormanS]

I'm sorry but I see that sort of App as an example of useless technology. Anchoring will never be an exact science, and I am perfectly capable of carrying out the required multiplication in my head. Things like height of roller and draught don't alter. Does the App take into account all the other factors, like wind strength, fetch, type and condition of seabed, closeness to obstructions etc, which do alter? I can quite understand that the OP has great fun creating things on his computer, but my own opinion is this one is completely unnecessary. Sorry, but I'm out!

 

[GHA]

I thought it might, but after turning on airplane mode on the phone, it does still work (and without an advert, I guess because it can't reach the ad server).

The error took up the whole screen, and needed me to kill the app and restart it.

Similar on tablet, won't run with WiFi turned off. Major bug to sort out but then v1 software always has something .