Please select your home edition
Edition
Pantaenius Sail 2025 AUS Leaderboard

Boat Beacon AIS App saves sailors in fog

by Sail-World Cruising Round-up on 10 Mar 2013
Boat Beacon App SW
Boat Beacon, a very inexpensive App you can have on your Smartphone, has helped some South African sailors to avoid a collision according to the story they told after the incident. As reported recently by Afloat, the two sailors were on a delivery trip between Cape Town and Durban when their AIS equipment on-board failed and they found themselves in thick fog.

They resorted to the only alternative they had, their Boat Beacon app on their smart phone. This did the job reporting that there was a container ship advancing on them. The only problem was, unlike the AIS, they could not tell the Closest Point of Approach (CPA), so in the foggy conditions, they still had some anxious moments.

Nevertheless, with heightened awareness, the collision was averted. The developers of Boat Beacon have since said that they will add the feature of CPA to the App.

In fact, Boat Beacon was designed and developed by Pocket Mariner’s sea-faring CEO after his own near miss at sea – and provides an affordable and reliable AIS-based collision detection system for iPhone and iPad or Android smartphones and tablets.

About Boat Beacon:
Features:
Real time map view of your boat and boats near you via AIS.
Over the horizon collision avoidance and alarm using Closest Point of Approach (CPA)
CPA calculations and AIS position updates continously in background
Compass mode to sight ships on the map
Current Speed, Course and GPS location
Share your location with friends and family (iOS only at present)
Man Overboard tracking (iOS only at present)
Anchor Watch and Theft Alarms (iOS only at present)
Ship to Ship instant messaging – chat with other Boat Beacon boats. (iOS only at present)
Magnetic or True North setting. (iOS only at present)
MMSI numbers to contact nearby boats on via VHF.

With transmit enabled your boat will appear on other Boat Beacon devices. If you enable AIS sharing and have an MMSI number your boat will also appear on live AIS traffic sites and their associated mobile applications, eg:

AIS Hub
Marine Traffic
Ship finder

Boat Beacon supports iPhone, iPad & Android
Requirements:
iPhone or iPad with GPS. e.g. iPhone 3GS, 4, 5 or later, with an active Internet connection.

Android device with GPS and an internet connection.

Fortunately Cellular data coverage extends up to 15 miles out to sea and most popular boating areas are covered.

For more information, go to http://pocketmariner.com/boatbeacon/

NOT FOR NAVIGATION
This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY. Boat Beacon should not be relied upon to determine precise locations, proximity, distance, or direction or make navigational decisions. The author assumes no liability for damages arising from use of this program.
AIS data is sourced from a variety of voluntary shore stations across the world and there is no guarantee of service or availability.
The accuracy of digital compass headings can be affected by magnetic or other environmental interference, including interference caused by proximity to the magnets contained in the iPhone earbuds. The compass may need to be calibrated from time to time. When the device displays the calibration alert, move the device in a figure 8 motion until the calibration screen disappears. See http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2767 for more information.

N.B. This is not an AIS VHF Transponder. Your boat will not show up on other Ship based VHF AIS systems (unless they are linked to a common Global AIS system).
Switch One DesignX-Yachts X4.0Maritimo 2023 M600 FOOTER

Related Articles

RORC centenary Rolex Fastnet Race
All set for another record-breaker Less than two months now remain until the start of the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race, this year coinciding with the Royal Ocean Racing Club's centenary.
Posted today at 10:06 am
Team Racing Worlds at Newport, RI, overall
Corinthian Yacht Club puts on top notch performance to win Sustained winds in the low 20-knot range and choppy seas brought on another challenging day in the final stretch of the 2025 Team Racing World Championship.
Posted today at 4:19 am
Young Aussie squad ready to shine at Europeans
Australia's fast boat sailors are set for the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 Europeans in Greece Australia's fast boat sailors are set to take on the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 European Championships this week in Thessaloniki, Greece. With up to 18 races scheduled over the next six days, it's set to be a high-intensity regatta.
Posted today at 4:04 am
The call of the mighty
See the words Admiral's Cup and you immediately think approachable, real, hardcore action See the words Admiral's Cup and you immediately think approachable, real, hardcore action, braving the elements, and glory for the victorious. As an Australian, you have King Louie (the late Lou Abrahams), and the late Sir Jim Hardy as the poster boys.
Posted on 1 Jun
Southern Wind Rendezvous overall
A Perfect Conclusion to a Perfect Event The horn sounded right on time for the fourth day of the Southern Wind Rendezvous and Trophy. Blue skies, warm sun, and 6-7 knots of breeze with gusts up to 10 knots accompanied the fleet on a 15-mile course rounding Monaci and Secca Tre Monti.
Posted on 1 Jun
16th 151 Miglia-Trofeo Cetilar concludes
Mylius 60 crossed the finish line to win the IRC Over 60 maxi class It has been a long time coming after spending much of the 2024 season finishing second and even continuing this in the recent IMA Maxi European Championship, but finally Guido Paolo Gamucci's Cippa Lippa X has won a race.
Posted on 1 Jun
PONANT Sydney Noumea Yacht Race draws to a close
With all three competing yachts now officially retired The 2025 PONANT Sydney Noumea Yacht Race has concluded with all three competing yachts now officially retired.
Posted on 1 Jun
Casa Vela Cup 2025 at St Francis Yacht Club overal
Pauline Courtois and her Match in Pink Normandy team claimed a decisive victory French match racing skipper Pauline Courtois and her Match in Pink Normandy team claimed a decisive victory on Saturday at the 2025 Casa Vela Cup, held in the iconic waters of San Francisco Bay and hosted by the St.Francis Yacht Club.
Posted on 1 Jun
Team Racing Worlds at Newport, RI, Day 3
Epic breeze cuts racing short; clear division between teams sets scene for final day Sunny skies met big breeze on Day 3 but by 12:30 p.m. racing was postponed, and as the wind built to 25+, the Race Committee abandoned racing at 3:00 p.m.
Posted on 1 Jun
Ponant Sydney Noumea Race Start in Images
A light and variable breeze got the three-boat fleet away in the afternoon light It was a quiet start to the Ponant Sydney Noumea Race, with the fleet the leaving Sydney Harbour in a light and variable breeze. Grant Wharington and Adrian Seiffert's Wild Thing 100 led the fleet of three down the harbour on a close reach
Posted on 31 May