# SEAiq

> Full-featured marine navigation app with custom chart loading and weather data. (iPhone/iPad app by Sakhalin.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seaiq/id529514298 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Sakhalin](https://appshunter.io/developer/517213477)
- Category: Navigation
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.66/5 from 191 App Store ratings · 56 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 13.0 · 51 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2012-06-01
- Data updated: 2026-09-07
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seaiq/id529514298/reviews.md

## What is SEAiq?

SEAiq is a full-featured marine navigation app.

It is the only marine navigation app that allows you to load your own charts in a variety of standard formats, including: S-57, S-63, iENC, BSB, and KAP.  It also includes the ability to automatically download charts from NOAA for the USA and download of raster charts based on satellite imagery.

Other features include:
* Waypoints
* Routes
* Tracks
* Night color modes
* Anchor alarm
* Automatic download and display of weather (wind & isobar)
* Chart measuring tools (EBL/VRM)
* WiFi-based NMEA and AIS

No purchase is required to use SEAiq to view charts.  All features are enabled during a 7-day evaluation period.  After that, many of the features require purchase of an in-app upgrade.

Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

## Key features

- Load custom S-57, S-63, iENC, BSB, KAP charts
- Automatic NOAA chart downloads
- Waypoints, routes, and tracks
- Anchor alarm
- Automatic weather downloads
- NMEA and AIS integration

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade for Premium Features | $49.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of SEAiq?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 👍 Highly reliable navigation app
- 💡 Tons of features
- ✨ Clean and sensical interface
- 🚀 Versatile for plotting routes/waypoints
- 📊 Estimating AIS target crossing range
- 💻 Visualizing vessel data
- ⚙️ NMEA data smoothing
- 🌙 Dark mode option
- 🚨 Alarm customization
- 🗺️ Custom satellite charts (.kap files)
- 🆓 Free NOAA charts (US)
- 📂 Easily accessible chart files/tracks
- 🚫 Never crashed
- 💬 Responsive developer support
- 🌟 Professional-grade tools
- ⚓ Chart tool functionality (EBLs, VRMs)
- 🧭 AIS functionality (course vectors, rate of turn)
- ✅ Official ENCs display
- 🛠️ Supports S-63 charts
- 💯 Good for marine pilots
- 🌐 Works with official maps (Hong Kong)
- 🚀 NMEA/AIS features
- 📊 Data bar on map
- ✅ Reliable app
- 🔌 Integrates with Active Captain
- 🔋 Offline use with Aye Tides
- 💨 Fast NOAA chart downloads (US)
- 💻 Planning/plotting on laptop
- 📈 NOAA Raster and ENC charts
- ⚙️ Tides integrated nicely
- 🇭🇰 Works in Hong Kong waters
- 🚀 VMG feature (missing)
- 🌍 Free world charts (CM93)
- 💡 Ability to use own charts
- 💯 Best nav software by far
- ✅ Coded by experienced users
- 🚀 Fast chart updater
- ⭐ First rate app
- 🌐 Offline functionality (99%)
- 💨 Download gribs via SSB
- 💯 Serious navigator app
- 💰 Upgrade worth the price
- 🛰️ GPS data from TCP/IP source (request)
- 🔄 NMEA data TCP/IP support (request)
- 🗺️ Display CM93 CMap charts
- ✅ Try-before-you-buy capability
- 🚀 Excellent software
- 💯 Miles ahead of the fleet
- 🌍 Sailing around the world
- 💡 Comprehensive app
- 🔄 Exporting routes easily
- ✨ AIS functionality excellent
- ⭐ Actual size feature (AIS)
- ✅ Solid feature set
- 🚀 AIS repeater from laptop
- 💰 Chart plotters for a tenth the cost
- 🚀 Works well now
- 💯 Outstanding bit of kit

**Cons**

- 😩 Tedious to plot a course
- 🔧 Complicated chart setup initially
- 🤔 Not user friendly
- 📚 Instructions not very helpful
- ⏳ Time wasted on simple things
- 🐌 Chart downloader excruciatingly slow
- 📱 App needs to be on screen for downloads
- ⚠️ Switching away causes download failures
- 🔄 Retrying updates needed
- 📉 Lazy software design
- 👎 Poor user experience
- 🤔 Chart suppliers issue with cross-device use
- 🐌 App speed could be improved
- 😕 Creating routes/waypoints clunky
- 🔍 Options hard to find
- 📈 Learning curve steep
- 🇺🇸 US charts take priority
- 📉 CM93 charts no longer supported
- ❌ No option to load older version
- 🗑️ Useless waste of money (charts)
- 💸 Expensive charts
- 🤷‍♂️ Gave up trying to get it to work
- ❓ ActiveCaptain feature not working
- 😭 Screwed by updates
- 💸 Waste of money
- 👎 Dropped support for CM93
- 💰 Hundreds of charts stopped working
- 📉 Update happened mid-trip
- ⚠️ Company willing to do this to customers
- 💸 Hundreds of dollars worth of charts useless
- 📉 Not unique feature set anymore
- 💰 Lost considerable money
- 🚫 App with no use
- 📉 Developer withdraws support
- 😭 Unhappy about lost money
- 👎 CM93 no longer supported
- 😩 Wasted money
- ❓ CM93 NOT SUPPORTED???
- 📉 Lost support for CM93
- 💸 Expensive app
- 📉 Bait and Switch
- 📉 Developers stopped supporting CM93
- 🗑️ App now worthless
- 👎 Dropped CM93 support
- 📉 Turned useful app into worthless app
- 💰 Full paid version, no refund
- 😔 Very un happy
- 🐌 Rendering can be slow
- 🐌 Full CM93 set is huge
- 😕 App doesn't allow selection of discreet areas
- 🤔 Confusing variations of same app
- 💰 Upgrade asks for more money
- ❓ Not explaining what you get
- 👎 Download yet another app for upgrade
- 🔄 Need to reinstall charts
- 🛠️ Needs a lot of work to be user friendly
- 💥 Crashes
- 🥶 Freezes iPad
- 💸 40 dollars to create waypoints is brutally expensive
- 💰 10 dollars would have been better
- 💸 Cost of charts on top of application
- ❓ Icons for vessels are basic
- 😔 It does nothing free
- ❓ Not intuitive on chart loading
- 💰 Everything is an upgrade
- 🗑️ Useless as a free app
- ⭐ Less than one star

**Commonly reported bugs**

- No access to premium features after payment
- Chart downloads fail if app is not on screen
- App freezes when trying to delete
- App crashes

**Most requested features**

- Simplify course plotting
- Add support for .MBTiles
- Add VMG feature
- Add support for .MBTiles
- Add support for .MBTiles
- Allow selection of discreet chart areas
- Add GPS data from TCP/IP source
- Allow disabling internal GPS
- Provide good integration/complement to OpenCpn
- Provide TCP/IP support for NMEA data
- Broadcast waypoint and NMEA data to external systems
- Lower price for waypoints creation
- Allow using purchased charts across devices

## Recent user reviews (10 of 56)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seaiq/id529514298/reviews.md

### 1/5 — No Access!!!!!

*2025-02-04*

I just paid for the premium and am still getting no access to the features offered!!

### 4/5 — Loaded with great features

*2025-01-26*

So many good features. Only down side is it is a little tedious to plot a course. I wish they would simplify that

### 5/5 — Daily driver

*2023-09-09*

I have logged over 10k offshore sailing miles on SEAiq and consider it an essential piece of equipment. I highly recommend it to boaters wanting a highly reliable navigation app, which boasts tons of features in a clean and sensical interface. 

To start, it is incomparably more versatile than Navionics for plotting routes and waypoints, estimating AIS target crossing range, as well as visualizing vessel data. For the last bit I use a YDWR02 NMEA-Wifi router, which wirelessly transmits all vessel sensor output to SEAiq on my iPads (such as GPS, speed, wind, depth, etc.). 

Features I especially appreciate include ‘NMEA data smoothing’ (for an easier read on COG/AWS/SOG) and the ability to switch into ‘dark mode’ (to preserve your night vision). The app allows you to modify all kinds of parameters, enable alarms (wind speed, depth, AIS, anchor, etc.) and check tides, to name a few. 

Similar to OpenCPN, you can also load custom satellite charts (.kap files from GoogleEarth or VentureFarther) which are invaluable when navigating in places where vector charts are inaccurate (ie. Navionics in Fiji) and/or when anchoring around rocks/coral reefs. 

You can also load vector charts from subscription-based services like ChartWorld or NZ ENC, although I did find it quite complicated to setup initially (‘certificates’ and ‘user permits’ are required for each device). As a result, I often use SEAiq in tandem with Navionics while navigating in coastal waters, as the latter still offers great chart detail in most places. On the other hand, if you don’t plan on leaving US territorial waters, the NOAA charts in SEAiq are free and very easy to load. 

Furthermore, all chart files and tracks are saved in an easily accessible folder, so you can backup, modify or share them across devices. I have never had any charts accidentally disappear, nor has the app ever crashed on me (unlike Navionics, which does so constantly). 

Lastly, I am thankful to the developer, who was quick to answer any questions I have had thus far. The only request I would have is to add support for .MBTiles :) Thanks and keep up the good work! Highly recommend.

### 4/5 — My favorite for beyond harbor

*2023-08-05*

We use SEAIQ and Navionics on a daily basis. Navionics primarily for new harbors in the US due to their sonar charts but we use SEAIQ whenever underway outside the harbor. There is room for improvement but likely features I am interested are geared towards weekend cruises whereas SEAIQ is focused on professionals. I still love it though.

### 3/5 — Good for S-63 charts

*2023-05-24, version 5.4.4*

This app is one of the very few that supports official hydrographic charts (S-63).

The setup process is the simplest I have seen. 

I have logged a bug about it and the team was responsive.

I would personally like to see it become a bit easier and more fully to use like Navionics although I do understand it is targeted at marine pilots and their needs.

### 2/5 — Not user friendly

*2022-08-15, version 5.2.13*

Instructions for chart installation and initial setup are not very helpful. So much time wasted trying to work out simple things that should be easy or at least have simple easy to follow instructions

### 5/5 — Great navigation program

*2022-03-25, version 5.2.8*

This is a great navigation program for displaying official ENCs and the backup assistance is great, I had an issue with getting to display the ENC correctly when I changed over to another device, I sent an email describing the issue and included a screenshot and the tech guys email me within an hour and provided a solution, very happy

### 3/5 — Please Add MBTILES Support

*2021-12-04, version 5.1.8*

Works well on iPad, but it’s sadly lacking MBTILES support.

### 5/5 — Blown away!

*2021-06-25*

Impressive number of professional-grade nautical navigation tools right on your personal device, and the ability to import your own ENC charts. Great product - very well done!

### 5/5 — Only “real” navigation app out there

*2021-06-02*

SEAiq is what I consider to be the only real navigation app around for iOS.  The chart tool functionality (multiple EBLs, VRMs, and other markup functions) mean you can, if needed, perform similar operations that you might be used to on paper charts.  I’ve added danger bearings, marked out anchorage areas, even plotted a running fix with it.  (That last just involved creative use of a handful of EBLs.)

The AIS functionality is also incredibly useful; the course vectors and rate of turn indicators make it very easy to visualize crossing situations.  Also useful is the ability to attach a VRM or EBL to AIS targets.

If you’re in the US you have free future access to all the official NOAA charts, and the tiling is handled reasonably well.  I’ve also loaded New Zealand ENC charts as well as purchased others from Chartworld.

My workflow involves planning and plotting on the laptop, then transferring the files to phone and iPad for reference underway.  I see the same notes on every device.  What could be improved is the overall app speed, and being able to use purchased charts across devices (I know that last is more a problem of the chart suppliers).

## Frequently asked questions about SEAiq

### What does SEAiq do?

SEAiq is a marine navigation application that provides comprehensive charting features. It allows users to load their own charts in various standard formats, download charts from NOAA, and utilize tools for waypoints, routes, tracks, and weather data.

### What are the key features of SEAiq?

Key features include the ability to load custom charts (S-57, S-63, iENC, BSB, KAP), automatic NOAA chart downloads, waypoint and route management, an anchor alarm, automatic weather downloads, and WiFi-based NMEA and AIS integration.

### How much does SEAiq cost?

The app can be used to view charts without any purchase. All features are available during a 7-day evaluation period. After this period, many advanced features require the purchase of an in-app upgrade.

### What devices is SEAiq compatible with?

While the description doesn't explicitly state compatibility, it is a mobile application, implying it is designed for smartphones and tablets. Continued use of GPS may impact battery life.

### What are common use cases for SEAiq?

Common use cases include planning and executing voyages, monitoring vessel position and weather conditions, setting anchor alarms, and integrating with onboard NMEA and AIS devices for enhanced situational awareness.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 5.6.3 — 2026-08-24

* Minor improvements and fixes

### 5.6.2 — 2026-08-07

* Minor improvements and fixes

### 5.6.0 — 2026-02-19

* Minor improvements and fixes

### 5.5.3 — 2026-01-01

* Minor improvements and fixes

### 5.5.2 — 2025-12-09

* Fixes for IOS 26

## Apps similar to SEAiq

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
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## More apps by Sakhalin

- [SEAiq USA](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seaiq-usa/id519545162)
- [SEAiq Pilot](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seaiq-pilot/id595198842)
- [SEAiq Pilot VPP](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seaiq-pilot-vpp/id896469937)
- [SEAiq Watch](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seaiq-watch/id1463247792)

All apps by Sakhalin: https://appshunter.io/developer/517213477

## Related topics

[seaiq](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/seaiq) · [seaiq pilot](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/seaiq-pilot) · [seaiq usa](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/seaiq-usa) · [seaiq watch](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/seaiq-watch) · [seaiq pilot vpp](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/seaiq-pilot-vpp) · [mkart marine navigation](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/mkart-marine-navigation)

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*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 2026-09-07.*