Tutorial

As soon as the App is installed you will be driven thru our automatic Tutorial. This Tutorial can be recalled anytime from the Setting page .

GPS

The upper left button is the most important for Marine Navigation: it tells you if your screen is centered on the GPS position or not. Everytime you press this button you cycle between three map status that correspond to different icons on the screen, as follow:
In this status the screen map is NOT centered on the GPS position. This button icon will be shown everytime you pan or zoom manually.
In this status the screen map is centered on the GPS position. If you want the map to follow your GPS position then this icon must be on the screen.
In this status the screen map is rotating on the GPS position along your direction. If you want the map to follow your GPS position while rotating with your direction, then this icon must be on the screen.

Map Download

  A worldwide basemap will be available as soon as the Aqua Map app is installed on your iPhone/iPad, then you will able to download the detailed Boating charts with the dedicated button.

Zooming in or pressing this button , you will be able to download the most detailed maps for FREE (in your area). Tap on the tiles you want and press the Download button. Selected Blue tiles become Green when downloaded.

Once you downloaded detailed Boating charts, they will be resident on your device to be used offline (no internet connection required once the download is over). You can now zoom in to get the best available detail.

A red dot with the number of modified tiles will appear on the Map Download icon as soon as the maps are updated. A "update" red stripe will cross the tiles should be updated.

mapXpan

  mapXpan is a new revolutionary way to display the map on the screen. Run the mapXpan to extend your horizons.
The mapXpan shows 64 times the coverage of your current display, mantaining the same level of detail on the focus.

From the Settings page , or with a long pression on the mapXpan button , you will be able to configure your mapXpan for your need.
Choose your detailed view size (Small, Medium, Large) and postion (Auto, Middle, Bottom).


The AUTO position option will automatically switch, when the device is in rotation mode, from the Middle to the Bottom position of the plan view. This because in rotation mode the map will be oriented cursor up and so it is expected you will need more map ahead than behind your position.

Click here for the full story of mapXpan exclusive function.

Marker

Pressing your finger on the screen for a couple of seconds will cause a Marker Pin to fall down in that position. Tapping on the marker it will open a pop-up window where you will be able to "delete" the marker or get/modify its "info" (tapping on the marker name in the center of this dialog) or set it as starting point of a new Route.
On the right is the marker "info" panel, you will be able to:

• change markers symbol
• assign a name
• type a description
• assign a photo from your archive or shot a photo within the app
• change visibility on the screen
• share the marker
• delete the marker
• change marker coordinates

Routes

  To start drawing a Route just tap on the map, it will open a pop-up window selecting the left button it will place the first Route Waypoint on the map.
Add new Waypoints tapping on the map, or modify an existing Waypoint just dragging it. The Route Waypoint shows in realtime the Compass angle and the distance from the previous point.
While dragging an existing Waypoint you will be able to Delete it or modify its coordinates by typing them (tap on the coordinates in the dialog to open the typing window).
To add an intermediate Waypoint just tap on the Route line while editing and it will be added automatically in the tapped position.
While editing you will see this window on the top side of your screen , here will see your Route lenght and estimated time (initially based on the Average Boat speed you can set up in the Setting page). Pressing the Stop Edit button you will be asked to Save or Delete the created Route.
Once the Route is saved then the system will automatically make it Active and start to follow it. In the top side of your screen will appear this window .
Here will be able to see some information about your Navigation on the Route like:
- distance and estimated time to final destination

- distance and estimated time to the next Waypoint

- Compass angle to the next Waypoint

- in this window tapping on a Waypoint number it will become the Active Waypoint

this button will put the Route in Pause. this button will make the Route Active and so the app will start following it.

When you tap on the Route (not in Editing mode) you will be able to access the Route Info page:

From these pages you will be able to modify your Route info as well as assign a dedicated Boat Fuel Consumption and Boat Speed only for this Route (while the same info in the Setting page is applied to all Routes do not have their own values set).

Get the new iBook by C.J.Medway with a full explanation and suggestions about the Route Planning using Aqua Map.

Tracks

To start record your Track Log tap on this button (), it will start blinking (), tap again to stop and save the track log.

Tapping on the track it will open a pop-up window where you will be able to "hide" the track or get/modify its "info" (tapping on the track name in the center of this dialog) or share it . Below the track "info" panel, you will be able to:

• view Track information like total lenght, average speed, total time
• change tracks color
• change name
• change description
• change visibility on the screen
• share the track
• delete the track
• view the Speed Profile and other Speed info

Active Captain

Over 70.000 POIs to make your Marine Navigation safer and relaxed. Marinas, hazards, anchorages and local knowledge all this at a finger tip.

• Enabling the Active Captain the first time will start downloading the database in the device for Offline usage.
  NOTE: the first time downloading will require some minutes, while you can continue using the app.
  
  From this page you can update the ActiveCaptain data by pressing the "Update now" button. Or you can chose one of the available automatic update options.
  
  

  

• 4 object's type are available: Marinas, Hazards, Anchorages and Local Knowledge. For each object there are different information available like name, description, opening time, etc. and the rating by other users.
  
  

  

• Just tap on an object and you will open the relative info dialog. From this page you will be able to see the various information available and add your rating and review about the selected item.
  Press the upper right STAR icon to enter your comment/review.
  
  NEWS: now you can also edit the content by pressing the upper right PEN icon
  (note: this operation will redirect you to the Active Captain website)
  
  

  

Waterway Guide

Marinas, hazards, anchorages, bridges, free docks and much more to cover the entire US coastline.

• Enabling the Waterway Guide the first time will start downloading the database in the device for Offline usage.
  NOTE: the first time downloading may require some minutes, while you can continue using the app.
  
  You can update anytime the Waterway Guide database by pressing the "Update now" button. Or you can chose one of the available automatic update options.
  
  

  

• 6 object's type are available: Marinas, Hazards, Anchorages, Bridges, Free Docks and Gates. For each object there are different information available like name, description, opening time, etc. and the rating by other users.
  
  

  

• Just tap on an object and you will open the relative info dialog. From this page you will be able to see the various information available and add your rating and review about the selected item.
  
  Press the upper right STAR icon to enter your comment/review (no registration/login is required. Your comment/review shall pass thru an approval process).
  
  

  

Tides & Currents

Over 5800 Tides and Currents stations in USA and around 1000 in Canada: the largest list of position where you can predict tides or currents.

Great graphic experience for a realtime tide and current prediction.


Everytime you will see on the screen one of these icons, a realtime Tide or Current prediction is in progress.

Let's explain the meaning of the icon content.
Tides icon:

On the left you will see a rising tide of 0.3 ft, while on the right a falling tide of 0.2 ft.
NOTE: sometime the number is red that means it is a negative tide.

Current icon:

On the left you will see a rising current of 1.9 knots, while on the right a falling current of 1 knot.

As far as the current icons, you may see some of them are semi-transparent . That means the current prediction is at a certain depth.

Tapping on the Tide or Current icon you will open a popup window like this:

- Clicking on the left icon you will start a prediction simulation over all the Tides and Currents icons on the screen.

Moving the slider
you will simulate the prediction along the selected day. You can tap on the arrows to move to the next or previous day, or you can tap on the day to select a date and time.

- Clicking on the center you will access the Map Information page listing all the objects available in the tapped position.

- Clicking on the right icon you will access the selected Tide or Current detailed page.

Anchor Alarm

The Anchor Alarm function will check, in realtime, your GPS position against your anchor position previously defined. An acoustic and visual alarm will run once your GPS position is out of the preferred range.

From the Settings page you will find the Anchor Alarm setup page.

Below the list of available settings and the relative description:

• Enable Anchoring mode. First of all you will find the switch to enable/disable the Anchor Alarm.
• Anchor position. You can type coordinates or use the current GPS position. Once you set it then you can also, as a third option, go on the map, tap on the Anchor Alarm ring and drag it to the preferred position.
  This represents the Anchor position you want the app to calculate the distance to the app GPS device position. BE CAREFUL THIS POSITION SETUP IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!
• Alarm radius. This represents the distance, in the unit of measure you set for the app (feet or meters), between the Anchor position and your GPS device current position, out of which the Alarm will start alterting you.
  The app will draw a colored circle centered on the Anchor position of this radius. The circle will be shaded with three possible colors:
  - Green, until the GPS device position is within the circle Warning Area (see next point)
  - Yellow, until the GPS device position is between the Warning Area and the full Circle Alarm radius.
  - Red, when the GPS device position is outside the full Circle Alarm radius.
  BE CAREFUL THIS SETUP IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!
• Warning Area. It rapresents a percentage (%) of the Alarm radius out of which the app will start rasing a warning (change circle from green to yellow color)
• Alarm delay (seconds). This field sets the number of seconds to wait, once the GPS device position is outside the Alarm circle, before running both the visual and acoustic Alams. As you know the GPS position is sometimes jumping around the real position, so maybe it is worth to wait a bit before raising the Alarm.
  BE CAREFUL THIS SETUP IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!
• Anchorage tracking. This feature will permit to track the GPS position for the whole period you enabled the Anchor Alarm. This is very helpful after a whole night of track recording, in order to learn and fine-tune the Anchor Alarm setup as you prefer.
• Background power save. REMOVED FOR SAFETY REASONS. We strongly suggest you, especially during the night, to plug-in the smartphone to a power socket in order to avoid battery consumption.
• Alarm volume. Better set it to the max.
• Distance alarm. Enable this to run an alarm when your GPS device position is outside of the Alarm circle.
• Low battery alarm. Enable this to run an alarm when your GPS device is battery low.
• GPS quality alarm. Enable this to run an alarm when your GPS position quality is low.

The Anchor Alarm is a very important feature in the GPS navigation, as well as it is the attention the Captain shall put in its use.
The setup of this function has been reduced to the minimum but also left enough flexible in order to obtain the best user-experience possible.
Remember to check our Disclaimer.

Search

We have implemented 5 Search types:

1. Around you..... Selecting this will search any chart objects in a range around your GPS position.
2. User data........ Will search Routes, Tracks and Markers. Here you can also download user data from your GEC Account.
   
   

   

   Once you logged in to your GEC Account you will be able to select a file from your archive and load it into the Aqua Map App.
   
   

   

   For more information about the GEC Account click here
   
   
3. Worldwide....... This function can search locations in a worldwide database (only online).

   

4. Tapping.......... on the Map you will be able to Search any chart object in a range around the tapped position.
5. Go To ............ tapping on the map and then on the search button you will be able to type precise latitude and longitude coordinates to move to.

Sharing

All Routes, Photos, Markers and Tracks can be shared with other devices, friends and communities by clicking this button .

Try our Marine Sharing, thru the well known Google KMZ, KML and GPX formats you will be able to send your Routes, Tracks and Markers via:
- AirDrop (bluetooth)
- SMS (texting message)
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Email
- GEC Account (NEW!!!)

Connect now your Aqua Map App with your GEC Account. With this new function you will be able to store your Markers, Tracks, Photos, Routes and all marine experience on your Account to be reviewed at home with friends, or just to be archived to save space on your smartphone, or plan your next trip drawing your own itinerary. Improve your Marine Sharing experience.
Click here for more information about the GEC Account.