Guest Posted November 29, 2013 Share Posted November 29, 2013 A new smartphone app utilising data from the New Zealand Hydrographic Authority (NZHA) within Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) will make nationwide boating information more widely and easily available to recreational boaties just in time for summer. Available to download free of charge, MarineMate provides a wide range of vital boating information – including tide times, boat ramp locations and boating bylaws – that matches its user’s location. “Development of MarineMate was led by the Waikato Regional Council, with LINZ contributing expertise and providing its free tide data and Notices to Mariners to create it,” says LINZ Manager Hydrography Andrea McDonald. “This app will be a real asset to all water users this summer – and into the future – and is an example of how we are working to make non-private government-held data more widely available for reuse, innovation and enterprise.” Other agencies involved in MarineMate’s development included Maritime NZ, ACC, Water Safety NZ, and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). “MarineMate is one of a number of smartphone apps that LINZ has been involved in developing – the most recent being the Hydrographic Notes, or ‘HNotes’, that streamlines the reporting process for hazards at sea. “Smartphones are increasingly commonplace these days, and it just makes sense to take advantage of this – to ensure that the public can access non-private data and the information they need in the simplest and most convenient way.” MarineMate is available for download free of charge for Android from Google Play and the iTunes store. Anyone want to check it out and report? Link to post Share on other sites
erice 732 Posted November 29, 2013 Share Posted November 29, 2013 amazing how easy things can get read your post, am outside nz turned on my android nexus7 tablet tapped the google play icon tapped the search mic symbol said "marine mate" took me straight to the app tapped it to download and now it's in my tablet all within 5min of reading your post now being prompted to answer their damn questionnaire Link to post Share on other sites
Changed 10 Posted November 29, 2013 Share Posted November 29, 2013 Tried to get it from both the apps store and iTunes for my iPad and it doesn't show. Link to post Share on other sites
OYSTR 1 Posted November 29, 2013 Share Posted November 29, 2013 Tried to get it from both the apps store and iTunes for my iPad and it doesn't show. Seems like its iPhone only at the moment, no ipad version. Haven't reviewed it yet but you can get it here https://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/marine-mate/id716514873?mt=8 Link to post Share on other sites
OYSTR 1 Posted November 29, 2013 Share Posted November 29, 2013 They should ask for their money back from whoever they got to develop the Apple version of this. All screwed up when opening it on an iPad. Every app developed these days can run on both, albeit in 2x mode on the iPad. Link to post Share on other sites
Bimini Babe 0 Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 Results are in and the verdict is not great. App is basically a heap of 'bulk' info about boating safety, badly laid out in terms of what info is most important (e.g. link to 'About this app' in prime space at top of page above things like tides, etc), and fairly clunky to use too (e.g. too many clicks to get to required info). Tides part of the app is really the only bit I thought would be of any long-term use, and using it resulted in me taking the dog for a swim at dead on low tide. Great. One hyper dog returned home dry as a bone because I wasn't letting him wade about in three feet of mangrove mud. Thanks to the app's genius layout, the tide at the top of the page was for some time back in September. The one I wanted was actually at the bottom of the page (i.e. about 30 seconds of RSI-inducing thumb-scrolling down). Ace. Think I'll stick with the Coastguard app, which is actually bloody good, even though I think it might have set me back a couple of bucks. Failing that there's always the Navionics app too, which at $18 for full charts of NZ and Aus, plus tides, Predictwind integration and heaps of free downloadable cruising guides, is far preferable to this bloated, hurriedly-thrown-together piece of poo. Too harsh? Link to post Share on other sites
Marine Mate 0 Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 Hi All I have taken your feedback and released a new update for you to use on i-pads. Not all apps can work on i-pads - however if you lock your i-pad screen on portrait when you download and use an app designed for phones ...it will work on your pad. The tides have been changed to come up on the current day...sorry about your dogs exercise and play time We want to make this app better for all types of water users, so please send any feedback you have to marinemate@waikatoregion.govt.nz and I will put your requests on a list and as fund allow, these will be added. Have an awesome Christmas and smooth sailing Thank you Link to post Share on other sites
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