Whether you’re an expert on technology or you’re always asking your kids how to check email on your phone, everyone knows the role smartphones play in modern life.
Checking finances, paying bills, playing games, making poor decisions on Amazon late at night – whatever you want to do, there’s a good chance there’s a phone app somewhere that can do it for you.
But above and beyond keeping your electricity bill up to date and reminding you when you need to reorder laundry soap, phone apps can serve very important, serious, and even life-saving roles when used correctly, especially for seafarers.
Whatever bodies of water your work takes you through, whether you’re a cruise ship worker, an oil rig worker, a cargo ship seaman, or anything in between, there has been a recent surge in phone apps that any seafarer can find useful in a variety of situations.
Here’s five phone apps that any sailor or offshore worker should consider downloading:
BMT Surveys Cargo Handbook
BMT Surveys, a UK-based provider of cargo shipping information and surveys the world over, offers a phone app version of their renowned cargo transport guidelines database. This app allows easy access to safety tips, loading advice, national/international restrictions, and more for over 800 commonly shipped products and commodities. By keeping this information easily accessible, you can use this app to prevent damage in your cargo and gain a better understanding of how to safely transport anything your ship may have on board.
Available for iPhone/iOS and Android
ASAM (Anti-Shipping Activity Message)
As any sailor in international waters knows these days, the risk of piracy is at an all-time high in many parts of the world. The ASAM app helps to reduce to the risk of an encounter with pirates or thieves by tracking reports of hostile activity such as piracy, robbery, or hijacking, and creates a virtual map of these reports to better illustrate dangerous areas and get an understanding of where these incidents could take place.
Available for iPhone/iOS and Android
Maritime World Ports
Produced by Maritime Logic, this app provides a breakdown of many of the world’s largest and most commonly-used ports, sorted by country. Included in this app are information on port size, type of port (cargo, etc), water depth, contact information, and so on, to ensure you get the answers to any questions you may have when arriving at a new port.
Available for iPhone/iOS and Android
ITF Shore Leave
The International Transport Workers Organization (ITF), an organization devoted to the betterment of seafarers and sea workers the world over, has provided an app for sailors on shore leave in ports they may be unfamiliar with. The ITF Shore Leave app provides information like seafarers’ centers, transportation options, even lodging ideas and options for relaxation. The app works offline even if you don’t have service or wi-fi available, allowing you to get the information you need wherever the job takes you.
Available for iPhone/iOS and Android
Red Cross First Aid
While not specifically designed for sailors, the Red Cross provides a first aid app that shows you how to properly treat a wide variety of injuries, some of them very common on ships like burns or cuts, as well as how to prepare for major emergencies. The information on this app is worth knowing for both sailors and civilians, and could be the difference between life and death someday.
Available for iPhone/iOS and Android
With the use of these apps, you should have an easier time than ever before locating the information you need as a seafarer, and it may even make your journeys safer.
