# Anchor Watch — Guardian of your vessel > GPS boat anchor monitoring and alert system with real-time tracking. (iPhone/iPad app by Chris Lukassen.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anchor-watch/id389011510 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Chris Lukassen](https://appshunter.io/developer/334105944) - Category: Navigation, Travel - Price: $0.99 with in-app purchases - Rating: 3.07/5 from 15 App Store ratings · 45 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 12.0 · 21 MB - Languages: Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Norwegian Bokmål, Spanish, Swedish - Released: 2010-09-17 - Data updated: 2026-06-10 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anchor-watch/id389011510/reviews.md ## What is Anchor Watch? Yachting Magazine: "probably the best dollar you've ever spent" For more than a decade Anchor Watch has set the standard when it comes to guarding your boat and with over 40,000 users you know your boat is in safe hands. "Anchor Watch" uses the GPS on your smartphone to monitor your boat's position. If the boat moves outside its limits, the program will alert you immediately. Not only on your device but on any device using your iCloud id. No more sleepless nights, worrying whether your boat is dragging or not. Sleep sound knowing that a quick glance will assure you that all is ok. When you are onshore for dinner or a drink, you will receive an alert the moment your boat leaves the designated area. You can even track it in real-time. The third generation of Anchor Watch has been rebuild from the ground up to provide the best user experience. It features sea maps navigation and nautical maps. It conserves bandwidth and still uses sophisticated GPS filtering, which avoids false alerts. You can also run it twice as long on the same battery. Anchor Watch is meant to keep your boat safe, download now. ## Key features - GPS boat position monitoring - Real-time tracking - Cross-device iCloud alerts - Sea and nautical maps - Sophisticated GPS filtering - Low battery consumption ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: $0.99. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Upgrade to offline maps | $0.99 | one-time | | Upgrade to dynamic Sea Maps | $0.99 | one-time | ## Recent user reviews (10 of 45) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anchor-watch/id389011510/reviews.md ### 4/5 — Saved our bacon but… *2023-07-08* I’m giving this app four stars because it no kidding saved our bacon when a pop up thunderstorm w/ 80 mph winds came up and we drug. The notification gave us time to get the engine started and save the ship from hitting a marker piling. That said, this app would be more helpful if a great deal more instruction were provided w/ it. It doesn’t discuss where or how to set the anchor position and it doesn’t seem to differentiate between the boat position and the anchor position i.e. it shows one boat icon, not a boat icon w/ a separate anchor icon. Do I set the app at the location I dropped the anchor or do I set it after I let out scope and have backed down and set the anchor? It also supposedly provides connection between iOS devices using iCloud but provides no instruction on how to do that…and it is not intuitive. It also has some sort of ability to push notifications over an app called Pushover but again, provides no documentation on how to do that. So, it works but it takes a lot of experimentation to figure it out. ### 1/5 — No Alarm *2021-03-05* It would be great if it made an audible Alarm n my phone. Not much use otherwise ### 2/5 — Upgrade worse *2021-01-15* The new version appears to have lost several useful aspects of the version it has replaced: The vessel sometimes ‘disappears’ No breadcrumbs are left as the vessel moves - this was quite useful. The display shows Lat & Long but the box at top left just shows 2 rows of red dashes... what should be displayed here?? No distance and bearing to anchor is shown. The ability to use range and bearing to adjust relative position of anchor appears to have disappeared. Dragging the anchor to a guessed position is not as useful. Does the App now send message to another phone? This feature seems to have been lost?!! Whilst accepting that developments are necessary, the new version seems a step backwards. Very disappointing. ### 4/5 — Not working on iPhone 12 pro *2020-12-09, version 3.0.0* I have used this app for a couple of years now successfully. I just upgraded my phone to an iphone12 pro, and am unable to drop anchor anymore. The drop anchor icon is inoperable. Hope this gets addressed. ### 5/5 — Works Well For Me *2020-11-27, version 2.10.0* I have not had any problem at all with the app. Simple, straight forward. Do be sure to have device plugged in when using overnight just in case phone dies. After my last anchor dragging episode I set three alarms! Thank God for TowBoatUS. Didn’t cost me a penny! ### 2/5 — Used to be great *2020-09-07* Not working correctly now on either device. ### 5/5 — Used for years *2020-07-29* Consistent performance and used many, many times for a reassuring watch at night at anchor. For those who set the ring at 10m remember that GPS wanders. A realistic ring is 100m because you swing the length of the scope anyway. A great app that works. Thank you. ### 3/5 — Good be better but usefull *2020-03-29* Not a bad app but complicated to use ### 1/5 — Not current for IOS 13 *2020-02-04, version 2.9.0* Have an IPhone XS which has no home button. No user manual where indicated, no way to move around. Deleting ### 1/5 — Rubbish *2019-06-04* Frozen ## Frequently asked questions about Anchor Watch ### What does Anchor Watch do? Anchor Watch uses your smartphone's GPS to monitor your boat's location. It alerts you immediately if your boat moves outside a pre-defined safe zone, ensuring you are aware of any drifting. ### How does Anchor Watch alert me if my boat moves? When your boat leaves the designated area, you will receive an alert on your device. Additionally, if you use iCloud, alerts can be sent to any other device signed into your Apple ID. ### Is Anchor Watch free to use? The application is free to download and use. However, it offers in-app purchases, suggesting that some advanced features or functionalities may require payment. ### What kind of maps does Anchor Watch use? The app features sea maps navigation and nautical maps, providing detailed charting for marine environments. This allows for accurate monitoring and planning within the app. ### Can I track my boat in real-time with Anchor Watch? Yes, you can track your boat in real-time. This feature allows you to see the current position of your vessel if it deviates from its anchored location. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 3.6.1 — 2023-09-07 Persistent setting of anchor range background updates on ios 16.4 and higher change circle color on anchor down or diameter change Pushover events now have maximum priority ### 3.5.0 — 2021-08-27 A Pushy Release ---------------------- 3.5 provides a localised tutorial to explain how the app works. A small bug fix and experimental integration with PushOver. Install their app and copy/paste the api key in the settings to get instant push notifications on all devices that have been registered with pushover. ### 3.4.0 — 2021-05-26 The Brigitte Release ---------------------- The fourth feature release of 2021 brings two important features back; You can now adjust the anchor circle radius from the toolbar and you get the option to ignore an alarm for 5 seconds. ### 3.3.0 — 2021-01-23 The Pilkington Release ---------------------- The third feature release of 2021 brings two important features back; the last 100 locations are stored and displayed as a trail on your device. This has disabled the off-centre functionality. The instruments window now show the bearing and distance to the anchor as well as the location. ### 3.2.1 — 2021-01-07 Bugfix iOS 12.4 iPad Mini ## Apps similar to Anchor Watch | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Anchor Alarm / Watch](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anchor-alarm-watch/id1428485893) | 4.7 (779) | Free | Navigation | | [Anchor Alarm: ZENKOU PRO](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anchor-alarm-zenkou-pro/id1568849324) | 4.5 (159) | Free | Navigation | | [Boat Beacon](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-beacon/id494877039) | 4.6 (829) | $14.99 | Navigation | | [Anchor Sentry](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anchor-sentry/id1422478182) | 3.5 (2) | $3.99 | Navigation | | [PredictWind Race Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/predictwind-race-tracker/id569052528) | 1.0 (1) | Free | Navigation | | [AyeTides XL](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ayetides-xl/id383466582) | — | $7.99 | Navigation | --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*