# Boat Watch - Ship Tracking — Ferry, cargo & cruise ships > Global real-time ship and boat tracking with detailed vessel information. (iPhone/iPad app by Pocket Mariner Ltd..) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-watch-ship-tracking/id669023760 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Pocket Mariner Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/719592131) - Category: Travel, Navigation - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 4.60/5 from 3,773 App Store ratings · 320 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.0 · 31 MB - Languages: American English, European Spanish, German (Germany), French (France) - Released: 2013-07-29 - Data updated: 2026-08-26 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-watch-ship-tracking/id669023760/reviews.md ## What is Boat Watch? Ever wanted to know more about ships and boats, or track a vessel around the globe? Boat Watch lets you spot and identify boats and ships in an instant. The Pro In-App purchase even sends you alerts when a boat you track sets sail or arrives - perfect for people with loved ones at sea, for tracking ferries and rescue vessels - or following cargo across the world! Boat Watch is free to use for 1 month and offers... * Spot any boat or ship via real-time AIS network * See the name, type and destination of each vessel * Set any boat as a favorite, and track it on the map * Search and find boats and places After 1 month a Pro upgrade is needed to continue getting live ship positions. Pro upgrade ( lifetime or yearly subscription):- * Real-time ship positions updates * Full boat information - picture, speed, where its from, etc. * Show boats' recent tracks * Set multiple favorite boats, to find them easily * Get alerts when a tracked boat arrives or departs * OpenSeaMap charts with buoys, lighthouses & shipping lanes * Filter ships on type to declutter the view and show more vessels of the type required. 3 other optional IAP upgrades are also available:- Live View upgrade ( one time purchase):- *Augmented Reality view to identify and spot boats using your camera *View boats true to scale and with Apple Maps amazing 3D views when zoomed in PortWatch (subscription):- - set a radar alarm ring around an area (0.5 to 10nm) - get notified when any ship is entering or exiting a port or area. Early alert for all ferries, cruise or cargo ships arriving at a port. - alerts when ships are passing or approaching a location. Great for folks who live by the water and want to know when a ship is approaching. You can set your gps position or the current map centre as the PortWatch location and the radar alert range from 0.5nm to 10nm. Fleet upgrade ( subscription): * Fleet - set and receive arrival and departure alerts for multiple boats Boat Watch also gives you the option to buy official NOAA nautical charts for the US and UKHO Admiralty derived charts for the UK&IE so you get the same view of the ocean as the ship's navigator. See the shipping channels, buoys, lights and hazards and why a ship is taking a particular route. Our ship coverage is global and amongst the best in the world. You can find out how our system works and check our coverage here :- http://pocketmariner.com/coverage Pocket Mariner are committed to providing great customer service and continually improve our Boat Watch apps. If you have any questions please email us via help@pocketmariner.com and we'll be happy to help. Terms of Use: http://seanav.net/termsofuse.php Privacy Policy: http://seanav.net/privacy.php Support: help@pocketmariner.com Subscriptions:- Pro and Fleet upgrade" subscriptions are yearly and will automatically renew at the end of the subscription period unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase, and will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscriptions may be managed by the iTunes account holder and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to Account Settings after purchase. 
No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period NOT FOR NAVIGATION Boat Watch should only be used for basic navigation reference and should not be solely relied upon to determine precise locations, proximity, distance, or direction. ## Key features - Real-time AIS ship tracking - Vessel identification and details - Favorite boat tracking - Arrival and departure alerts - Augmented reality view - Nautical chart integration ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **Subscriptions** | Subscription | Price | Period | | --- | --- | --- | | PortWatch | $0.99 | per year | | Fleet Upgrade | $5.99 | per year | | BoatWatch Pro upgrade | $1.99 | per year | **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Full Version Upgrade | $4.99 | one-time | | Live View | $4.99 | one-time | | NOAA US Charts | $4.99 | one-time | | UK & IE Marine Charts | $4.99 | one-time | ## What do users think of Boat Watch? Overall sentiment: neutral **Pros** - 🚀 Excellent for ship tracking - 📍 Accurate ship location information - 🗺️ Useful NOAA chart overlay - 👍 Great app for enthusiasts **Cons** - 🐛 Inconsistent ship detection - 💰 Excessive in-app purchases - 🔍 Limited search functionality - 🕰️ Outdated ship position data **Commonly reported bugs** - Crashes and freezes - Inability to track ships in certain regions - Incorrect ship positions and directions **Most requested features** - Route history for ships - Improved cruise ship tracking - Automatic notifications for ship movements - More detailed ship information ## Recent user reviews (10 of 320) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-watch-ship-tracking/id669023760/reviews.md ### 3/5 — Gone down hill *2026-08-07, version 2.4.21* used to be good when free, used a couple of years ago. went to use this year and needed subscription at £1.99 no big deal .. apart from there's nothing listed! I'm in Sivota Bay, Lefkada with an abundance of yachts and boats .. but only 4-5 listed with no detail on the boat! Just downloaded marine traffic (for free) and gives a far batter picture. From my point of view - avoid this App until they get their data feeds sorted (Aug 26) ### 1/5 — Made app pay to use *2026-07-20, version 2.4.21* This app used to quite helpful for a Quick Look at what was on the water, unfortunately they now want to charge. I’d advise anyone reading this to simply Google ais ship tracking, you will get free live data of marine traffic. ### 3/5 — Miss lead *2026-07-08, version 2.4.21* When I signed up for this I thought I was paying for a lifetime subscription but now I have a $2.99 bill on my credit card every month ### 5/5 — Tracks everything but me *2026-07-02, version 2.4.21* Handy little marine tracker lets me favorite all the vessels I want, shows pictures of the vessels, filters views by commercial, sail, military, etc. and doesn’t capture any of my personal data. Buy the full license, it’s a bargain. ### 1/5 — This is not free *2026-06-12, version 2.4.19* You only get information for a subscription ### 1/5 — Disappointed *2026-06-02, version 2.4.19* The app works for the most part, but I am very disappointed to see they refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, which it most definitely is not. ### 1/5 — Make me pay? *2026-05-18, version 2.4.18* Boat watch created a paywall & took away the free satellite. Not good. ### 3/5 — 一點 *2026-05-17, version 2.4.18* 一點 ### 1/5 — Poor *2026-04-18, version 2.4.18* Very disappointed with the coverage overall ### 1/5 — Ais *2026-04-01, version 2.4.17* It’s not showing fishing boats. ## Frequently asked questions about Boat Watch ### What does Boat Watch do? Boat Watch allows you to track ships and boats globally in real-time using the AIS network. You can identify vessels, view their name, type, destination, and even set favorites to monitor specific boats. The app also offers features like arrival and departure alerts and augmented reality views. ### What are the key features of Boat Watch? Key features include real-time AIS tracking, detailed vessel information (name, type, destination, picture, speed), the ability to set favorite boats, arrival/departure alerts, augmented reality identification, and access to nautical charts. Advanced features are available through optional in-app purchases and subscriptions. ### How much does Boat Watch cost? The app is free to use for one month. After the trial, a Pro upgrade is required for continued live ship position updates. This Pro upgrade can be purchased as a lifetime or yearly subscription. Additional optional upgrades like Live View and Fleet are also available as one-time purchases or subscriptions. ### What devices is Boat Watch compatible with? Based on the mention of 'Apple Maps' and 'iTunes Account', the app is likely designed for iOS devices. Specific compatibility details regarding iOS versions would typically be found in the app store listing. ### Who would benefit from using Boat Watch? Boat Watch is ideal for anyone interested in maritime activities, including people with loved ones at sea, those who want to track ferries, rescue vessels, or cargo shipments, and maritime enthusiasts who enjoy following the movement of ships around the world. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.4.21 — 2026-06-24 PortWatch option added - set a radar alarm ring around an area (0.5 to 10nm) - get notified when any ship is entering or exiting a port or area - alerts when ships are passing or approaching a location. Great for folks who live by the water and want to know when a ship is approaching. You can set your gps position or the current map centre as the PortWatch location and the radar alert range from 0.5nm to 10nm. Fix for Fleet alarms getting unset on poor internet connection ### 2.4.20 — 2026-06-12 PortWatch option added - set a radar alarm ring around an area (0.5 to 10nm) - get notified when any ship is entering or exiting a port or area - alerts when ships are passing or approaching a location. Great for folks who live by the water and want to know when a ship is approaching. You can set your gps position or the current map centre as the PortWatch location and the radar alert range from 0.5nm to 10nm. ### 2.4.19 — 2026-05-18 Stability improvements ### 2.4.18 — 2026-04-06 Fix for Map freezing on iOS26 ### 2.4.17 — 2026-03-19 UI update for iOS26 ## Apps similar to Boat Watch | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [MarineTraffic - Ship Tracking](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marinetraffic-ship-tracking/id563910324) | 4.7 (64,971) | Free | Travel | | [Primo Nautic - Vessel Finder](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/primo-nautic-vessel-finder/id1204964581) | 4.6 (56) | Free | Travel | | [Ship Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ship-tracker/id6471243761) | 4.6 (1,754) | Free | Travel | | [Shipmate: Plan & Track Cruises](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shipmate-plan-and-track-cruises/id380449520) | 4.8 (49,759) | Free | Travel | | [Cruise Ship Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cruise-ship-tracker/id6503229331) | 4.4 (322) | Free | Travel | | [Carnival HUB](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carnival-hub/id925117977) | 4.7 (439,190) | Free | Travel | ## More apps by Pocket Mariner Ltd. - [Compass Eye Bearing Compass](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-eye-bearing-compass/id472314819) - [Boat Beacon](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-beacon/id494877039) - [SeaNav US](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seanav-us/id632635827) - [SeaNav UK & Ireland](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seanav-uk-and-ireland/id632692250) - [Boat Watch Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-watch-pro/id721609826) All apps by Pocket Mariner Ltd.: https://appshunter.io/developer/719592131 ## Related topics [travel tracker boat](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/travel-tracker-boat) · [boat watch](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/boat-watch) · [vessel tracker boat](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/vessel-tracker-boat) · [marine life tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/marine-life-tracker) · [boat tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/boat-tracker) · [boat watch pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/boat-watch-pro) · [ais boat tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ais-boat-tracker) · [boating radar](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/boating-radar) · [marine debris tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/marine-debris-tracker) · [ship and boat tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ship-and-boat-tracker) · [8888 cargo](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/8888-cargo) · [ship tracking](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ship-tracking) · [aton boat tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/aton-boat-tracker) · [boat tracker free](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/boat-tracker-free) · [yacht finder](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/yacht-finder) · [barge tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/barge-tracker) · [ship tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ship-tracker) · [free ship tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/free-ship-tracker) · [free ship tracking](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/free-ship-tracking) · [marine traffic & ship tracker free](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/marine-traffic-ship-tracker-free) --- *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 2026-08-26.*