I've reviewed several dozen apps for sailors and other boaters and have found a lot of really useful things out there, but I've been frequently disappointed too. I've found that apps developed by companies or associations (sometimes for self-promotion) often fail to meet users' needs the way apps developed by, well, boaters themselves, do. Another case in point is a new app for Apple devices receiving some press in marine media because of its promise to give good information about boat safety equipment required by the US Coast Guard as well as other recommended gear. It's called Boat Essentials-USCG Safety Gear and was developed by an organization called the American Boat and Yacht Council, a nonprofit with the stated mission "to improve boating safety and reduce the number of injuries and fatalities." All this sounds very good, I admit, especially having the Coast Guard in the app's name.
But in reality, this app does little more than simply list gear you should have on your boat in the most general terms, not identifying the specifics of what's needed. Say you have a 27-foot sailboat. You put a bunch of information about the boat and your boating habits into the app, and it tells you, for example, that you need to carry visual distress signals. OK, but what kind? Parachute flares - or are handhelds good enough? How many? Would a smoke canister be enough if you don't intend to be out at night? No answers from the app, but instead the general statement: "check local boating authorities for specifics." Well, duh, I could have done that from the beginning, since I have to now anyway. And the same kind of vague generalizations are given for many types of safety gear you need to have. It would have been easy to include the detailed information that's really needed (such as this list of federally required equipment for recreational sailboats).
Read the full review of the app here if you're interested. It may be a good starting point for a very new boater, but just know it's far from being everything it's cracked up to be.
