Boat Beacon App Now Android Capable

Press Release August 23, 2012

Image credit Pocket Mariner

Boat Beacon App, for smartphones & tablets now on Android following its success on iPhone; improves safety at sea for boaters.

Mariners can now use their Android devices to keep a watch on nearby boats along busy coastlines while enabling other boatsto follow their current location using Boat Beacon Maps and Global Marine AIS systems.

The Boat Beacon app, developed by a skipper for other skippers, does not require an external AIS receiver or transponder equipment and provides location tracking at a fraction of the cost of an AIS system.

Boat Beacon was developed by Electric Pocket , the same company that last year made a big splash with the introduction of its Compass Eye augmented reality app for iOS. Steve Bennett, the company’s CEO, sought an easy and relatively inexpensive way for his family to keep an eye on his location when he was sailing on his boat in the Bristol Channel. He also wanted a means of spotting ships heading toward him, enabling him to trim his sails accordingly.

Bennett knew there is a large network of AIS shore stations collecting and sharing AIS data that an app could tap into. Also, most coastal and popular ports now have 3G or 2G data coverage - the UK has nearly complete coast coverage out to 12 miles to sea as do all the major U.S. ports, coastal areas and inland waters in the US.

Boat Beacon offers a professional, easy and inexpensive way to experience the benefits of AIS navigation. Features of Boat Beacon include:
    •    Real-time “Map View” of both the user’s and other boats via AIS.
    •    Continuous Collision detection using Closest Point of Approach (CPA)
    •    “Compass” mode to sight ships on the map including bearing to and distance from.
    •    Enable friends and family to see the user’s location and course on Boat Beacon and Global AIS Systems.
    •    Current Speed, Course and GPS location
    •    Details about other ships including photos.
    •    MMSI numbers to contact nearby boats via VHF.

By enabling Boat Beacon’s “Transmit” mode, the user’s boat will appear on other Boat Beacon-equipped devices. With its AIS Sharing feature, the user’s boat will also appear on live ship tracking websites such as AIS Hub, Marine Traffic and Ship Finder.
Boat Beacon is available in the Google Play Store for US$9.99. For more information click here. . A real-time map of the several thousand Boat Beacon boats can be viewed on this website.