iPhone nav is a hot topic

I always look forward to the arrival of YM each month and enjoyed the March edition as usual.

- James Moncrieff

However, I was intrigued by the article on 'sailing around the world with just an iPhone'. It was an interesting read, particularly the way in which the apps were used in quite an integrated way. However, to say that it was done with just an iPhone is really something of a misnomer.

The critical apps for information on AIS and weather, for downloading or updating charts, and for communications when offshore, all depended totally on a working Starlink system. The Flat High-Performance Starlink kit would cost close to £2,500. Professional installation could be in the region of £300, with any complex integration of systems and secure mounting challenges adding anything up to a further £1,000. With the critical apps being dependent on the system, it would need to be on 24/7 and would download a lot of data, so the annual service charge for 50GB of priority data per month would cost just under £2,500. So, with around £3,800 setup costs and £2,500 usage costs, a year of sailing around the world could cost around £6,000, considerably more than just an iPhone. And the system would be using 100-150W around the clock.