A LOT of function and value – SEAiq USA IAP Review

I've looked at various iOS charting apps to find one that leveraged the information available on my boat network - speed, heading, COG, depth, etc. I never found anything that really met my needs. I went back and found an app I had liked and rejected a year or so ago: SEAiq Pilot. There was a lot to like about the app but I'd be danged if I was going to spend $400 on an iOS app. However... I discovered I was confused by how they sell their apps. There are really 3 different versions available: * SEAiq Pilot is intended for use by professional pilots on big ships. It has a lot of features focused on that market such as showing separate course vectors for the bow and stern, showing the swept path of the vessel, showing a trial Rate of Turn, and tons of stuff I don't understand. $400 * SEAiq USA is the 'recreational' version of the program. It has 80%-90% of the functionality of Pilot. It can download and display NOAA and Army Corp of Engineer charts (vector and raster). $25 * SEAiq Open is the same as SEAiq USA but adds the ability to install S-63 as well as charts from PRIMAR and ChartWorld. $50 As a recreational boater my take on this is: $25 if you need the US Govt charts; $50 if you want to buy and load international charts. So what did I get for my $25? The things that are important to me: * Integrated, free downloads of NOAA charts * Management and quilting of both vector and raster charts * Decent WP and route creation (and no auto-route) * Very nice route export/import/backup via GPX files * Export of WPs to my MFDs via WPL sentences * Very nice import/export/backup of the app configuration via files * Excellent NMEA 0183 handling including diagnostic displays of sentences received, data, and errors * Excellent handling and display of AIS data. AIS data is much more useful to me in this app than on my MFDs. Nice to haves include: * Tide and current options (several options, free and paid) * Download and display of GRIB data * Active Captain integration * Various alarms * A very cool anchor monitor Also include with the app is the most detailed documentation I've seen in a product of this kind. The doc is available from within the app even when the app isn't connected to the internet. Maybe this is old-school but I view it s a huge positive. I've dealt with their support on a few questions and received some of the best answers--quick, complete and informative. I'll also note the apps are updated in the app store every few weeks. Again this appears to me to be a 'professional grade' offering with serious ongoing development.
Review by Dave Anderer on SEAiq USA IAP.