Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

You do not need any login details, premium access is stored directly in your Google or Apple subscription. The “Account” menu button is only used to link to a boatrouting.com account so that you can transfer routes from your PC to your smartphone.

If Premium does not activate immediately, restart the application. If it still does not work, check your internet connection and restart your device if necessary. Please also check the following link: https://navship.org/en/navship-premium-on-multiple-devices/ You may also find help for your problem there.

Naturally, your Premium version can be used with more than one device. Please see the following link for detailed instructions on how to do this for different devices: https://navship.org/en/navship-premium-on-multiple-devices/

Yes, you can try NavShip Premium free for 7 days. During this period you will occasionally see adverts and can calculate routes up to 40km. At the end of the trial period, you have the option of subscribing to the Premium version to continue using NavShip – with full functionality, no adverts and no restrictions on the length of the routes you can calculate. If you do not subscribe to the Premium version, you will only be able to use NavShip in view mode after the 7 day trial period has expired.

Prices vary slightly depending on the tax rate in your country.

In Germany, we offer the following subscription models on the Android and iOS apps:
2.99€ per week
5.99€ per month
14.99€ per season (3 months)
29.99€ per year
All prices include VAT.

On boatrouting.com, customers from EU countries also have the option to buy direct (= one-off payment) for 3 or 12 months.

Yes, it’s very easy. You can find the NavShip Premium annual version, the perfect gift for all hobby skippers, at the following link: https://navship.org/en/premium-vouchers/
Only €29.99 for a full year plus 4 weeks free. For EU customers only.

Yes, this is usually possible, but there are no benefits as Premium subscriptions are now standardised. Please make sure that you cancel your old Premium subscription and take out a new one if you want to switch to a different billing cycle (e.g. from weekly to annual).

The development of NavShip is very time-consuming and will never reach a point where everything is ready, as market requirements change too frequently. The map data is constantly being updated and improved. However, you have the option to purchase monthly packages and cancel them when you no longer need them. You can cancel at any time (for example, if you only need NavShip Premium in the summer).

If you prefer to make a one-off purchase instead of a subscription, you can also make a direct purchase on boatrouting.com for 3 or 12 months. In this case there is no automatic renewal.

It’s really easy. There’s no need to write time-consuming emails or letters, or to explain why you’re cancelling. You can find detailed cancellation instructions here: https://navship.org/en/cancel-your-navship-premium-membership/

An overview of all available areas can be found here: https://navship.org/en/area-coverage/. In principle, NavShip works near all navigable waterways in Europe, Canada and the USA. Some restrictions exist outside the 12-mile zone. Please use NavShip as an assistant only.

Simply report any missing waterways or locks via the NavShip app using the “Report error” button in the menu or by emailing [email protected]. Your sailing area will usually be available with the next update.

Here is a written tutorial with screenshots: https://navship.org/en/navship-tutorial-2/ The screenshots are from the iOS app, but the functionality is identical to the Android app, with minimal differences.

First, select the required sailing area from the menu. If you are planning a coastal route, the sea must also be selected. Please only select as many sailing areas as you need for your route to avoid slowing down the app.
Press and hold a finger near a river (Android) or tap the map (iOS) and select ‘Start’ or ‘Destination’. If you set a destination marker but not a start marker and you are near a waterway, the route will be calculated from your current location.

You will find an explanation of the symbols in the side menu of the NavShip app. In the iOS version, you can also tap directly on the symbols on the map in the activated HD sea sign layer to get a description.

Blue, dashed lines are used for aerial guidance to the next available waypoint. These can also sometimes lead over land, e.g. if you are not currently on the water. This line is not drawn continuously so that it is immediately clear that increased caution is required in the current section.

The start and destination markers do not have to be placed on the water. An air route is assumed up to the first waypoint and from the penultimate to the last waypoint. In addition, coastal and marine navigation is still in beta and is being developed. Routes may therefore take you over land or be longer than expected.

If the sailing area is deactivated in the area selection, the route cannot be loaded. Make sure that all required areas are enabled.

Occasionally. The large VTGs are all programmed and you will be informed (in the form of a red exclamation mark) if a VTG is exceeded. The crossing must be vertical.

NavShip can display a wind layer on the chart, showing the direction and strength of the wind. Above the compass, you can display a wind rose. You can also activate a sailing area layer, which shows you the areas on the map where you can sail in relation to the wind. You can also use the beta Crossing feature to head for where the wind is blowing from.

In settings, you can display map data with depth contours from the Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (BSH). These are available for German sea and coastal waters. However, they are not approved for navigational use in this form and are intended only as an additional aid.

Another option is to enable depth data (beta) in the settings. This allows you to view depth data for specific points. However, this is not official data, is not intended for navigational use and is not a substitute for official nautical charts.

For North America, we have integrated NOAA depth data, making navigation safer and more accurate. This can also be enabled in the preferences if required.

In Germany, you can also display water levels on the map, including a history diagram of the last few days. This data is not included in the route calculation. Please note that water levels are not the same as water depths.

The display of AIS data is possible with separate hardware. More information can be found at https://navship.org/en/ais-gps-reception/.

Yes, you can display the weather forecast for the next five days at any location. All you have to do is tap on the map at your desired location and select “Weather” from the menu that appears. You will then receive information on sunrise and sunset, cloud cover, temperature, humidity and pressure as well as wind strength and direction.

Yes, you can display both water and land petrol stations. You will also see the current prices for the land petrol stations in Germany. If no more petrol stations are displayed, try again later. Requests to the www.tankerkoenig.de server are limited.

Yes, you can. You can enter them in the search bar in decimal degree format (for example: 48.85837641213684,2.294468879699707).

Yes, this is possible. You can either download offline maps directly in NavShip, or use the following trick with Google Maps to save data and still navigate offline: https://navship.org/en/offline-map-trick-with-google-maps/

Your details will only be used to log into your account in the app. Passwords are encrypted and cannot be efficiently recalculated using current technology. Location data is only sent to the server when an error is reported, for faster troubleshooting and to send direct requests to the geocoder, e.g. to find the nearest place name. The data generated by using plugins and external software (e.g. Google Maps) is handled differently. Please check our privacy policy by following this link: https://navship.org/en/legal/

All Android versions from 7.1 are currently supported. For an optimal user experience, we recommend using at least Android 12. NavShip runs on current tablets and smartphones. Under certain circumstances, devices may not be supported, especially devices prior to 2015 that can no longer be upgraded to Android 7.1. If your device is not supported, the download will not be available via Google Play.

NavShip runs on all Android devices from Android 7.1, including Samsung tablets. However, older Samsung tablets cannot be used to log in, register or use vouchers, as these devices do not support our new server certificates, which we use for encrypted transmission, due to the manufacturer. However, other functionalities should not be restricted.

Try updating your operating system. If that doesn’t help or is already up to date, look in the Play Store for the app “Google Play Services”. If you are unable to install these, try the app Fix Play Services.

On Android in particular, permission is required for almost every operation. The app can only function properly if this is granted (by being displayed to users in the Play Store and possibly having to be confirmed the first time the app is started). NavShip uses location to locate your boat and calculate the route, access to phone and contacts to dial the lock number from the app, the internet to download the map data, wake lock to prevent the screen from turning off while the app is running, and external storage access to store downloaded offline maps.

All iPhones and iPads from iOS version 15.0 are supported. You can find an overview of devices here.

You can find a tutorial on the basic functionalities of NavShip on iOS here: https://navship.org/en/navship-tutorial-2/

Yes, you can also use NavShip on your PC at boatrouting.com. Here you can plan your routes and transfer them to your smartphone or tablet. To do this, you need to be logged into the same account on your computer and mobile device.

Please update your browser. We recommend modern browsers such as Google Chrome, Safari or Mozilla Firefox. Please note that JavaScript must be activated in your browser in order to use boatrouting.com.

You can calculate up to 5 routes per day that are longer than 40 kilometres. Shorter routes are possible without restriction.