Boaters Guide - App for exploring the Salish Sea

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ptessier

New member
Boaters Guide is a new app, just published, to encourage boaters to use their boats more often.

It’s an intuitive presentation of over 60 marinas in the Salish Sea offering fuel, overnight moorage, pumpout and local services. Provides summary info for each marina and includes a comprehensive Buyer’s Guide.

Fundamentally a community service, it is a free download with no registration requirements. Supported by sponsors in the Buyer’s Guide and Local marina services.

Download the app in the Apple App store or Google Play store, just search for Boaters Guide

Find your happy place!

Patrick Tessier
16 Angler Owner


https://apps.apple.com/us/app/boaters-g ... tscg=30200

https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... 0af1d7.app


PS: Yes, the poster and the author of the app are the same. Me. The app is a passion project for me. I needed an easy way to quickly check marina services. Plus get the UHF Channel and Marina map, as we pull into the marina. Couldn't find anything, so I built my own.

I wanted to make it free, without any registration, to lower the barrier to obtaining this info and make it a boating community service. Asking for sponsors to pay for the expenses. Just like C-Brats.

We are going to add BC later this year. Need to get off the ground first.

Patrick

PSS: The location is a little flakey right now. We are getting a big upgrade in a few weeks that should fix it. But you can still use to check out the marinas on US side of the Salish Sea.
 
Just downloaded the app and tried it out. Worked pretty slick for the 30 seconds I looked at it. (Just to see how it worked.) I live in the Midwest, but will be traveling to the PNW and cruising in the San Juan Islands in May or more likely June. Will try it out more then. Just curious, how often will the points in it be updated? And how complete is it for the area it's currently serving? Colby
 
Howdy Colby,

All the marinas in the US side of Salish Sea, including Puget Sound, Hood Canal and San Juan Islands are included and up to date. Including marina maps, UHF channels, etc.

Some of the local shops and restaurants may have been left off, but I tried to get them all.

Happy Boating and welcome to the PNW!
Patrick
 
OK, Cool. I have been a continual user of the "Boater's Blue Book" and have carried and used that since I started boating on the Salish Sea, and it is good all the way to the North end of Vancouver Island. Same info, but this is better, (At least in the marinas I checked -- several of the ones I am fairly acquainted.) Here the maps are more usable, and looks like a nicely done, useful app. Loots of things besides the marina map too.

Only thing I didn't find is a way to type into a search box to find a marina. Yes I can find it on the map, but to just hear "Brownsville" and find the marina info without knowing where it is on the map. (Search box --> hint)

I just downloaded to my phone but it is going to go onto my tablet as well.

Thanks for posting here, and for all your work. Good job.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

3_Bellingham_Line_of_C_D_s_2009_917.highlight.jpg
 
Probably the easiest way to find a marina is with the map. If you know the approx location, you can zoom in and tap on the marina.

No search function on this version. Maybe in the future. Thanks for the comment!

Patrick
 
My tech guys say the app is available in the app store .ca

The link on the original post was to the US app store, so maybe you need to first launch the app store on your phone and search for Boaters Guide.

I'm hoping that will work.

Let me know!
Patrick
 
ptessier":2mpbo8x6 said:
Probably the easiest way to find a marina is with the map. If you know the approx location, you can zoom in and tap on the marina.

No search function on this version. Maybe in the future. Thanks for the comment!

Patrick
Click to expand...

Thanks for the quick reply. OK, I didn't miss something that was there, (believe me that could happen) and for most of us we can still navigate around by finding the place on another map site and then using that to orient us to where geographically, it is, and then find it on Boater's Guide.

" . . . Yes I can find it on the map, but to just hear "Brownsville" and find the marina info without knowing where it is on the map."(Search box --> hint)
Click to expand...

Nice work Patrick. Thank you again. You did say that it would include BC coast, right? eventually? Yea, that would be great.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

7_SleepyC_at_Port_Harvey_001.thumb.jpg
 
Definitely will be adding Victoria to Campbell River

I’m a Duel citizen and have lots of family up there

Thanks for the kind words. I was hoping this would be useful to others
 
ptessier":3ifnvnwx said:
Definitely will be adding Victoria to Campbell River

I’m a Duel citizen and have lots of family up there

Thanks for the kind words. I was hoping this would be useful to others
Click to expand...

Yea Canucks. I grew up in Sidney, BC. Victoria to CR is a good start.

Thank you again.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

6_June_2017.thumb.jpg
 
Love the idea and nice job with the app!

Is there a way for others to contribute marina info? I'm spending most of my time on the Columbia right now and would like to help to include the marina info for this area.
 
Here's another question/option.
Have you given any thought to including launch ramps for the area. I know there are DNR ramps with various accoutrements - side docks or restroom facilities, there are park launch sites -- some with side docks and some without, and there are state and county parks with various launch ramps too.

Might be a big order, but if you are encouraging folks to get their boats out, many of those sites are accessible, just not listed in any one place.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

IMGP2234.thumb.jpg
 
hardee":3suzjecs said:
Here's another question/option.
Have you given any thought to including launch ramps for the area. I know there are DNR ramps with various accoutrements - side docks or restroom facilities, there are park launch sites -- some with side docks and some without, and there are state and county parks with various launch ramps too.

Might be a big order, but if you are encouraging folks to get their boats out, many of those sites are accessible, just not listed in any one place.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

IMGP2234.thumb.jpg
Click to expand...

I would try to include satellite views of the launch ramps/parking areas for each launch facility in the app. It would also be helpful if you could show the most common wind and current directions. Perhaps tie it into a wind and current app to show realtime info.
 
Do you have a format for the data so that those of us that want to contribute can make it easier for you and include as much of the info you can use as possible?
 
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