Der Beitrag Fuel prices – an interesting feature also for drivers erschien zuerst auf NavShip Boat Routing.

But anyone who has ever traveled with a dog or cat knows that there are different rules. Or needs, and challenges on board than there are on land. In this article, you’ll find a few important tips and tricks to help you be prepared for your next trip.

Why a boating vacation with your dog is so great

A boat often offers more freedom, flexibility, and a closer connection to nature on vacation than a lakeside cabin or a hotel room—especially when your four-legged companion is part of the crew. Many regions in Europe are ideal for this kind of trip, and with the right preparation, it will be a real highlight for both of you.

Are pets even allowed on board?

The short answer: Yes, in principle there’s no reason why not—not even for large dogs or cats. It’s important to make clear arrangements, especially if you’re renting a boat.

If you have your own boat, the choice is yours.
If you’re renting a boat, be sure to check in advance whether pets are allowed. Some rental companies may charge a small cleaning fee for this.

A quick call before booking will save you from disappointment later on.

Preparation is everything – here’s how to get your dog “boat-ready”

Even before you get started, you can make the transition to the water easier for your dog:

1. First Steps on Board
Let your dog get on the boat beforehand—preferably at the marina when the water is calm. This will give him a chance to get used to the sounds, movements, and smells at his own pace.

2. Safe boarding
Some dogs jump right on board—others need a little help. Especially with higher docks, a ramp or a little assistance is helpful. Not every paw likes a slippery deck!

3. Safety first – dog life jacket
Even if your dog is a strong swimmer, a well-fitting life jacket with a handle can make all the difference in an emergency. Be sure to test it out beforehand in calm water.

Handy essentials for your dog on board

To make sure your furry friend feels comfortable and you can enjoy stress-free days together, it’s worth putting together a well-thought-out packing list:

• Favorite blanket or dog bed
• Sturdy water and food bowls
• Plenty of fresh water – dogs can become dehydrated quickly, especially in warm weather on the water
• Non-slip mats on deck to give their paws a
• secure grip
• First-aid kit for dogs
• Sun protection & shaded areas – even four-legged friends can get
• sunburned
• Poop bags & possibly artificial turf “pee pads” for longer trips

Tips for daily life on board

Having a dog on board isn’t just about cuddle time—they also have needs that you need to actively manage:

Plenty of exercise and breaks
Regular outings are worth their weight in gold: for walks, little games, and just some fresh air. A tired dog is a happy dog.

Drink, drink, drink—sipping
water is part of it! Dogs shouldn’t drink from lakes or rivers, as this can quickly lead to stomach problems.

Create quiet spots to
retreat to. With so many feet, suitcases, and gear on a boat, set up a designated spot for your dog where they feel safe.

Legal Matters & Health on the Go

If you’re driving with your dog across state lines or even international borders, it’s worth checking the rules:

An EU pet passport with a microchip and a valid rabies vaccination is required if, for example, you’re crossing the Rhine into France.

And in Germany, too, there are leash laws and nature conservation regulations that apply outside of boats, which you should definitely respect.

Bottom line: All in all, having a dog on board means:

• More planning
• More responsibility
• But also more joy, more exercise, and more shared memories.

And that’s exactly why we love traveling by water.

We want to hear from you!
Have you ever gone on a boating vacation with your four-legged friend?
What were your favorite moments—or your best tips?
Tell us in the comments below

Der Beitrag A vacation on the water with your four-legged friend erschien zuerst auf NavShip Boat Routing.

Route Management Reimagined

Over the past few days, our team has discussed several new directions we’d like to explore this year, and route management is just one small part of that. With this, we’re taking a big step toward fostering community and collaboration. This feature will enable better connectivity and make it easier to share routes with one another. By giving you the option to set routes as private or public, we ensure maximum privacy at all times. Additionally, the routes are not linked to location data from your logs; they are exclusively planned routes where you can define the start and end points yourself. This allows our support team to assist you even better, for example, by letting you upload photos of missing navigation marks or harbors directly and then contacting us.

We’ll do a bit more testing before we integrate it into the NavShip app; we definitely plan to have it ready before the official start of the season in April.

We’d love to hear your feedback—feel free to email us directly at support@navship.org and share your favorite routes so others can enjoy them too.

Der Beitrag New Route Management erschien zuerst auf NavShip Boat Routing.

We’re expanding our target audience.

This can be a particularly interesting innovation for charter companies, allowing them to make popular or recommended routes directly accessible to their customers in the area. The system is also perfect for sharing with friends, just for fun.

The biggest new feature is the integration of your own photos. You can now attach and share them with your routes. Found a particularly charming café along the way? Or captured a stunning sunset on the water? Simply attach it to your route and you’re done.

Design updates for the start of the season

For improved readability, we’ve integrated a new font system-wide, that can be found on both the website and in the mobile apps.

The changes are minimal; sometimes you have to look very closely. Some menu items have already been consolidated in recent months. Older features that were rarely used have been removed from the app.

We’re looking forward to experiencing the 2026 season with you and also continue to appreciate your feedback on the app.

Der Beitrag Adapted design for the start of the season erschien zuerst auf NavShip Boat Routing.

2016 – An Unexpected Journey

Born out of necessity—the need for reliable route planning for the major waterways in Central Germany for an upcoming trip (from Frankfurt/Main to Lahnstein)—the NavShip app launched on the Google Play Store on July 17, 2016, embarking on a journey whose course was, at the time, unpredictable. Its design was simple. Only the Rhine, Main, and Lahn rivers were available. Information on water levels, marinas, and moorings was virtually nonexistent. Only locks with their call and radio channel numbers, as well as clearance heights, were included.

At that point, the app’s development time had been a mere few weeks. To explain how the idea even came about, a brief account from my subjective perspective is necessary:

Back in August 2015, after completing my self-built boat (see the post here) and taking it for a test run on the Main River, I started planning to use an app to navigate the Main and Rhine downstream. However, my Android device at the time was underpowered. The apps available on the market didn’t seem to offer the features I needed, or they didn’t even provide a route. So, I simply drew the route on a printed map (A4 size) and wrote down the phone numbers for the locks from the ELWIS (Electronic Waterways Information System). Just in case. And indeed, an emergency did occur. At dusk, under the Schierstein Bridge in Wiesbaden, the engine (built in 1970) suddenly died. After a friendly sailor towed us under motor to the harbor, and then the water police pulled us to the slipway, the trip was over – at least for that year.

I simply drew the route on a printed map (A4 size) and retrieved the phone numbers for the locks from the ELWIS (Electronic Waterways Information System) and wrote them down.

Second Attempt

The following year, I wanted to set sail again—this time with a new, more reliable engine (built in 1996) and more information about the route (travel time, distance I could cover each day, etc.). The NavShip app version 1.0, available in the Play Store, and a discussion in Boote-Forum got the ball rolling. I put my planned trip in August 2016 on hold and instead focused on developing the app.

Due to the numerous requests (“could you please add this or that river?”) and the strong interest in additional features, there was little time for vacations for several months. Trips were mostly limited to day trips, during which the app was almost exclusively tested.

Back then, the app certainly didn’t win any beauty contests. The design was very pragmatic, and the focus was on developing new features and collecting data.

2017 to 2019 – Years of Growth

NavShip didn’t have many users in the beginning. The support email address received perhaps one or two emails a day, mostly requesting new features. These were usually implemented quickly. It wasn’t until June 2017, almost a year after the Android version was released, that NavShip made its way to the Apple App Store. The reason at the time was that Apple equipment was quite expensive compared to Android.

Monetization of NavShip through the sale of premium memberships had already begun for Android in April 2017. It then took several more months to recoup the costs for the Mac version—which is unfortunately necessary for iOS development. Monetization of the iOS version then started in January 2018. At that time, the NavShip app still included advertising to finance the free version. In case you haven’t noticed: In versions since December 2025, we have completely stopped showing external advertising and only display our internal advertising.

Back to 2017 – The App’s Development

In the early days, most inquiries concerned inland waterways. The Netherlands, as well as the Havel and Müritz lakes, were the most popular destinations for a long time. The Croatian cruising area was frequently requested, but it failed to gain traction in the years leading up to 2020 due to the lack of optimal, straight-line routing. Routes were predominantly routed along the coast.

With improvements to the algorithms and increased device performance, coastal routing was finally integrated into the app in 2020.

Other features added for the first time in 2017 included anchor alarms, water levels, wind and weather data, berths and anchorages, slipways, and fuel stations.

AIS support was added in 2018. Initial reports about NavShip appeared in print media and online (e.g., in Float magazine), followed in 2019 by voice guidance and a major data overhaul.

2020 – And then came Corona…

Until January 2020, I was working as an employed software developer in a small development studio near Darmstadt. I had found a position there immediately after completing my Master’s degree in December 2017. For my next career move, I switched to another company in February 2020. Due to the lockdown in March, and because I, as the newest employee, would have been the first to be affected by reduced working hours, which didn’t fit with my lifestyle, I submitted my resignation immediately. NavShip’s revenues were sufficient last year to keep me afloat for another year. Therefore, I quickly commissioned a notary to establish CproSoft GmbH. Due to the lockdown, it wasn’t easy to even find one willing to handle the incorporation. In May 2020, the time had finally come:

All or nothing – in this case: All in on the app!

In August 2019, we had approximately 500-700 installations per day (and only 100-200 in December 2019). By April 2020, this number had already risen to 1,500, and by June to almost 2,800. We hadn’t anticipated such a sudden 300% increase. We quickly set up a new server. I immediately hired two employees to help me with customer support and development. Managing staff and double-entry bookkeeping were new territory for me at the time, as was running a real company with all the associated responsibilities.

2021 to 2025 – Onward to New Horizons

NavShip gradually became more and more well-known. A key player when it comes to route planning on the water. The risk of investing 100% in self-employment paid off in the very first year. In comparative tests (e.g., in the boating magazine), NavShip consistently ranked among the top performers. Our 2023 sailing feature, which improves the visualization of wind data and displays sailable areas, now opens the app to a wider user base. On April 13, 2024, we surpassed the milestone of one million users. Currently (as of March 22, 2026), we have approximately 1.3 million users.

In the meantime, we were able to hire another employee for support and data entry, as well as a marketing employee.

After years of focusing on functionality, we finally had enough time to update the app in terms of usability and design.

Admittedly, design isn’t my favorite thing. I much prefer working with algorithms and the deep codebase. But the result is still impressive.

In addition, we’ve launched other apps over the past few years. These include the boat routing app, which complements the web version, and the waterway information system. These apps are also available in the app stores.

The web version, boatrouting.com, is enjoying increasing popularity and offers up to five calculations per day free of charge (unlimited for premium members). We have also been able to integrate additional data sources.

2026 – Where the Journey Will Lead

AI is on everyone’s lips. We are deliberately bringing this up here because our business is constantly offering opportunities for collaboration based on AI. However, we remain reluctant to use AI beyond image generation and text support (this article, by the way, contains neither AI-generated images nor AI-generated text). At NavShip, people work – and that’s how it will stay. We plan to hire another person for customer support and data collection by mid-2026.

App Comparison

Source: chartoo.de, January 26, 2026

As a global player, we consistently hold our own against the competition and are always among the top performers. Our customers particularly praise our excellent support, ease of use, and the speed of our route calculations. We will continue to maintain these standards.

With freenauticalchart.net, we’re now also integrating depth data for the German and Dutch coasts. We consider this project highly worthy of support. Our newest feature, introduced in March 2026, is the new route management system. To answer the question “where are we headed?”, we’re definitely moving towards networking and community building. Sharing, liking, and commenting on routes with each other is the first step towards social boating. We will closely analyze its progress and introduce further features in this direction. Your data is safe with us! A route will not be published unless you explicitly grant permission – for each route individually.

We look forward to another ten fantastic years with you and would like to extend our sincere thanks to the entire community.

Chris and the NavShip Team

Der Beitrag NavShip Anniversary Year – A brief app time travel erschien zuerst auf NavShip Boat Routing.

We’re even throwing in an extra 4 weeks free. That’s 56 weeks of free driving! That’s just 33 cents per week for premium! This offer is only available until November 30, 2025, at 10:00 PM.

Cash redemption of the voucher is not possible. After booking, you have 3 years (until December 31, 2028) to activate your voucher in the app; only then do the 56-week period begin. It is possible to purchase multiple vouchers. A voucher can be redeemed once on a different device (e.g., at partner locations or on a second device).

Der Beitrag Our biggest Black Week deal yet! erschien zuerst auf NavShip Boat Routing.

Therefore, in November we’re offering a discount for everyone who wants to take advantage of this opportunity and purchase an annual version as a voucher. The best part: You can buy the voucher now and activate it later.

With the code “offseason,” you can get the annual version for just €32.99 (incl. VAT) instead of €36.99 (incl. VAT), which is more than a 10% discount. Cash payment is not possible; this offer is only valid for our voucher portal and purchases via boatrouting.com (please note that when purchasing via boatrouting.com, unlike when purchasing via our voucher portal, the voucher is activated immediately). As an added bonus, you’ll also receive 4 weeks of free access. Buy now and enjoy almost 13 months of travel! No subscription! No automatic renewals!

* This offer is valid until November 27, 2025, 12:00 PM.

Der Beitrag Off-Season, save over 10%! erschien zuerst auf NavShip Boat Routing.

Unfortunately, we cannot fix this issue because it is an internal Google development bug. However, we are working on finding a workaround.

We therefore recommend the following to NavShip app users who encounter this issue:

Open the Google Play app and search for Google Play Services, a separate app. Check for a recent update and install it. Then try again. If it still doesn’t work, open your device’s Settings app and select the Google Play Services app under “My Apps.” Then remove all updates for this app. It should now work.

According to our current knowledge, this mainly affects newer Samsung Galaxy series devices with Android 14 and 15. We expect this problem to be resolved by Google in the next few days and apologize for this inconvenience.

Der Beitrag Problems after recent OS update erschien zuerst auf NavShip Boat Routing.

This issue only affects Android users who have installed the app for the first time (or deleted and reinstalled it). Existing installations or the iOS version are not affected.

We apologize for this inconvenience.

Der Beitrag Latest Android error erschien zuerst auf NavShip Boat Routing.

We will therefore ask you in due course whether you would like to agree to these new terms and conditions. Consent is optional, but if you want to purchase a new Premium plan or use the new features, it is highly recommended so that you have access to them.

We have also updated our privacy policy.

Der Beitrag Changes to our terms and conditions erschien zuerst auf NavShip Boat Routing.