While the best boating apps cannot replace proper preparation, boat maintenance, and yacht insurance, there are many that can make your life a lot easier when you set sail.

Here are some of apps our yacht insurance specialists like to use:

• My Anchor Watch – this handy app, available for Android and iPhone, can be set to make sure you don’t drift outside a set area while you’re at anchor. It uses the GPS on your smartphone and will alert you by any combination of the following: dialog text alarm, vibration alarm, sound alarm, or sending an alarm to another phone via SMS.

• Memory Map – this free GPS mapping software for iPhone, iPad, Android or Windows Mobile gets consistently good reviews for boating. It’s handy because you can access free downloads of US charts available through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and you won’t need Wifi or cellular data to access the information needed for navigating.

• Boat Essentials – USCG Safety Gear – this free app by the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) should be on every boater’s smartphone! It lets you quickly figure out which safety items you are required to have and recommends others that might also be helpful. You can use it to track details unique to three different vessels and items you need on a shopping list. Additionally, this app lets you save a list of your boating contacts, file and save Float Plans, and set reminders for scheduled maintenance and when items like flares or fire extinguishers need to be replaced (don’t forget to record when you need to renew your yacht insurance!).

• iRegatta – a very useful app for yacht racing enthusiasts, the iRegatta has garnered much praise for its start line feature. In the race view, this app offers four configurable readouts, a speed and VMG history graph, and performance bar among other options. Features in the start view include marking the start line, calculating the distance and time to the start line, and a burn/gain bar.

• Tides Planner – with this clever free app you can track tides and currents at 8,000 locations around the globe (including the US, Europe, and Australasia). It also provides tidal stream data for the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Holland, and some areas in Germany and Denmark.

In addition to downloading helpful apps to your smartphone or tablet, make sure your marine investment is protected with a specialized yacht insurance policy. Contact the yacht insurance professionals at Global Marine Insurance for a comprehensive review of your insurance coverage.