10 Free Mobile Apps Seafarers Must Have

Smartphones have become an integral part of seafarers’ lives, on land as well at sea. No matter how much we criticize, the fact is, it’s difficult to live without them. Mobile apps powered by smartphones, have changed the way we communicate, organize and remember things in our day-to-day lives.

Mobile Apps have found purpose in almost every aspect of our lives. Along with personal usage, they are also being used extensively for professional applications in order to provide users with essential data and information with utmost ease-of-access.

In this article, we have complied a list of some of the most important maritime mobile apps seafarers must have in their smartphones, no matter where they go.

Download and use this 10 FREE mobile apps made by the some of the finest organizations of the maritime industry.

1. ITF Seafarers – Helpline for Seafarers

The ITF (International Transport Workers’s Federation) organization which works for the betterment of seafarers offers an important free app for seafarers called “ITF Seafarers”. The smartphone app helps mariners to search for vessel information, contact details of ITF inspections/ affiliates and ITF helplines. The information displayed in derived directly from the ITF’s centralized system and is therefore as up to date as possible. The app is available for both iphone and android users.

itf seafarers

Download ITF Seafarers for iOS Users 

2. ITF Shore Leave – Information for Great Shore Leave

Seafarers Centers around the world help sea-going professionals with facilities to contact home, relax, seek advice/help etc. It is the ideal place for seafarers given shore leave when the ship is at port. The ITF Shore Leave Mobile App offers valuable information such as nearest seafarers’ centers, reliable transport options etc. without the need of internet. This is an extremely useful app for seafarers visiting new countries and ports.

shoreleave

3.  Greenship – Environmental Calculator 

DNV’s Greenship – Environmental Calculator App shows the IMO requirements on CO2, NOx, SOx and ballast water for a given ship. As the number of regulations that shipping companies have to comply with are increasing every year, seafarers need to consider several important factors such as Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), NOx emissions, SOx emissions etc. This app is a useful tool for seafarers to understand an approximate environmental impact from their ships.

greenship

Download Greenship for iOS users

Greenship is presently not available for Android users

4. Equasis – Database of Ships and Shipping Companies 

Looking for information on a particular ship or shipping company? Try Equasis.

Equasis is a comprehensive database of all sea-going merchant ships over 100GT (Gross Tonnage) and the companies that operate and own them. The Equasis database is fed by more than 45 different data-providers, from the public sector and the maritime industry. There are currently five Port State Control regimes that provide information to Equasis: Paris MoU (European continent plus Canada and part of Russia), Tokyo MoU (Pacific and Asia), Indian Ocean MoU, US Coast Guards and the Viña del Mar agreement (Latin America).

equasis

Each week, some 70% of the entire data is refreshed, including class and statutory certificates, PSC inspections, P&I, associations and vetting programs, ship’s particulars, etc.

Download Equasis for iOS Users

Download Equasis for Android Users

5. Cargo Handbook – World’s Largest Database on Transportation of Cargoes

Cargo Handbook is the largest database for cargo transportation in the marine industry. Made by BMT Surveys, the App offers information for strong understanding of cargoes and their specific transportation requirements to ensure that the cargo arrives at its destination undamaged. With this app users can have direct access to a large amount of carriage guidelines for more than 800 commodities.

Seafarers can not only access basic description, photograph of cargoes and their specific transportation requirement but also get information on the shipment/storage requirements including optimum temperature/humidity and moisture and risk factors associated with the particular product.

 

cargohandbook

Download Cargo Handbook for iOS Users

Download Cargo Handbook for Android Users

6. ILO MLC Pocket Checklist – A Must Have for all Mariners

The ILO MLC Pocket Checklist offers an interactive list of all the terms and requirements for the ILO MLC. The app allows seafarers to check activities off as they are completed. This is a must have app for all seafarers working on board.

ILO MLC

Download MLC Pocket Checklist App for iOS Users

Download MLC Pocket Checklist App for Android Users

7. Hazcheck DGL Lite – Information on Dangerous Goods

Hazcheck DGL Lite is a free database offering IMDG Code information contained in the dangerous goods list. The app has been updated to the Amendement 36-12 of the IMDG code. The app serves as in important reference tool for handling dangerous cargo at sea.

hazcheck

Download Hazcheck DGL Lite App for iOS Users

Download Hazcheck DGL Lite App for Android Users

8. ISM and ISPS Pocket Checklist – Avoid Ship Detentions

Knowledge of ISM and ISPS conventions is important for all seafarers. Port State Control detentions due to ISM failures are becoming more common as authorities are grouping deficiencies together to justify detaining the ship. The ISM and ISPS Pocket Checklist App provides a great checklist for all important points to ensure safety at sea, prevention of human injury or loss of life, and avoidance of damage to the environment and properly.

ISM

Download ISM and ISPS Checklist for iOS Users

Download ISM and ISPS Checklists for Android Users

9. Maritime World Ports 

The maritime world ports app offer a great database of ports around the world. You can search the desired port by country or port search selection aided by quick searching tool tips. The app also offers information such as harbor characteristics by size and type, water depth, port website etc. This is a great app to explore the ports you are visiting.

worldmaritimeapp

Download Maritime World Ports for Android Users

10. Duolingo – Language Learning App 

Working on ships means interacting with people from all over the globe having different cultures and languages. The language barrier among seafarers is an issue which has been addressed several times in the past. Moreover, people from many countries do not speak or understand English. If you are traveling to such countries, wouldn’t it be nice to learn a new language, at least the basic words and phrases, whenever you have some free time?

The Duolingo is one such app which helps in learning new languages. Try it out, this app makes learning language simple and fun!!

duolinga

Download Duolingo for iOS Users

Download Duolingo for Android Users

Bonus App:

– KR- CON – The IMO Convention App ( 7-days free trial)

Termed as the world’s first mobile app containing all updated IMO conventions, the KR CON App by Korean Register (KR), an IACS member classification society is a valuable smartphone app for seafarers. The app offers an international database program containing the full up-to-date texts of all IMO Conventions, Codes, Resolutions and Circulars. It enables users to identify regulations relevant to a specific task and helps ensure all IMO requirements are applied correctly. KR-CON is currently being used by surveyors, port state control inspectors, shipping companies, shipyards and design houses in more than 30 countries across the world. (FREE only for 7 days)

KRCON

Registration for username-password

More Free Apps Worth Mentioning: 

Seabook -A great app for seafarers to learn basics and essential nautical information

Download for iOS Users

Download for Android Users

– FleetMon Mobile – AIS Live Ship Tracking

Download for iOS users

– Maritime Calculator – For Conversions

Voyage Calculator 

Over to you…

Do you know any other FREE smartphone app that can be added to this list? Let us know in the comments below.

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About Author

Raunek Kantharia is a marine engineer turned maritime writer and entrepreneur. After a brief stint at the sea, he founded Marine Insight in 2010. Apart from managing Marine Insight, he also writes for a number of maritime magazines and websites.

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32 Comments

  1. Free ios app which is essential for sea farer MARINUS ( rule of roads)

    Thank you

  2. Another app, Rules of the Road by bhandarkar publications. It’s a free app and have all the ror cards in a easy mode.

  3. The American-based mariners’ service agency the Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI) has put together a free webapp for seafarers on United States environmental law. Published in five different languages—Russian, Greek, Tagalog, Spanish and English—SCI designed these guides to equip seafarers with information on their rights and responsibilities while working in US waters. It should work on any device. Navigate to https://enviroguides.us, and pin it to your home screen.

  4. I want to appreciate the developers of these apps, it’s a good develpoment even for a beginner but what of people who do not have android or ios phones? I think that needs to be considered.

  5. welldone MarineInsight for being a dependable source of vital information to keep us ahead.

  6. A worth mentioned app is Captain’s Tool Box. It’s not free (at least for IOS Users) but it has helped me a lot. Especially with the COLREG’s

  7. Another accurate ship tracking app: “Marine Traffic”
    Good to know about the above helpful info 🙂

  8. few more;polaris navigation,LR marpol pocket check list,LR fire safety pocket check list

  9. Seabook by Captain Ozgur is the best.

    It is free and it is comprehensive.
    It supports iOS, android, blackberry.

  10. CoNav – app for iPhone. Quick and accurate compasses error and magnetic compass deviation calculations.
    Input your date, time, course, position, select one of planet or star( all are available) and app will give you TGHA, LHA, deviation, A, B, C, Zn, True bearing, gyro and magnetic compasses error, magnetic compass deviation.

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