Apps for ipad 2 +3g

[cdogg]

Just succumbed to buying an iPad 2 64GB Wi-Fi 3G.
Any tips on good usable 'boaty' apps (and where to buy them) and 'essential' accessories ?
I'm sure it will have been covered here before, but you will all have more experience now!
Thanks
cdogg

 

[richardm47]

Chart plotter: I've used the Navionics HD iPad app for navigation all summer, very pleased. About £35 for that, chart covers all uk and holland. All uk admiralty charts £50 with another app from Memory Map is a bit of a luxurious addition.

Mobile broadband service: been very happy with my 3 mobile broadband contract. Good connections in all sorts of places.

Waterproof case: look at walking map cases.

Charging: I didn't find 12v charging much good, so got a small 240v inverter. Mine is a semi sine wave inverter, which charges well but it interferes with the iPad somehow so that ipad is unusable whilst charging. So doing it again I'd pay more for a pure sine wave inverter.

 

[Martin_J]

I like Star Walk... not totally boaty but a wonderful view of the night sky.. Just aim at the sky and you see the constellations, planets etc... even aim below the horizon to see what is there as well..

Demo here.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgCkXUecS14

 

[cdogg]

Thanks chaps,
It is Navionics Gold I use on my Raymarine C70 chartplotter so I will stick with that for the ipad. It will be interesting to compare.

Thanks also for the info on the Night Sky app. it looks fascinating.

Any other sailing apps worth a look at?

 

[fireball]

Not iPad specific ... but:
TidesPlan, ShipFinder & WindGuru are on my iPhone

 

[scottie]

See earlier thread on this subject


Charging is funny your boat battery needs to be well up or even engine running to charge at the higher rate I think the amount of charge in the pad affects it too.
I am going to try one of the thee pin to cigar plug things next year
Aqua pac bag is a useful thing to have.

 

[JSYmartini]

Search app store for "magnetic declination" and you'll find an app that gives you the variation to apply in your chart work for your current position. Or any other place you wish.

+1 for Navionics HD as well

 

[Elessar]

Atomic web - a browser that's so much better than safari. Kills ads, has tabs, private mode and it can pretend to be a pc or mac to display proper pages.

 

[dunedin]

Charging: I didn't find 12v charging much good, so got a small 240v inverter.

Was it an iPad specific 12v charger ?
Infuriatingly Apple as ever don't like standards / open-ness, so my regular USB charger didn't work for the iPad - but an Apple specific 12v USB charger works perfectly for me

 

[BlueSkyNick]

Not iPad specific ... but:
TidesPlan, ShipFinder & WindGuru are on my iPhone

ShipsAhoy provides a good party trick !