SeaMemo
The best sailing logbook apps in 2026
The best sailing logbook app depends on what you want your log to do. If you want every trip tracked by GPS, a logbook your whole crew shares and a sea miles record you can prove, SeaMemo is built for that. If you want instrument data from your boat, a sailing CV for RYA and similar schemes, or mostly a community, one of the other six apps below will suit you better. Prices and features as of November 2026.
Quick answer: which logbook app fits you?
| You mainly want to … | best fit |
|---|---|
| track every trip and keep one logbook with your whole crew, with photos, journal and a printed photo book | SeaMemo |
| build sea miles for a German (SKS, SSS) or Austrian (FB2 to FB4) licence and get the certificate filled in | SeaMemo |
| pull wind, depth and engine hours from your boat's instruments (NMEA) into the log | Logbook |
| show your experience as a sailing CV with skipper signatures, for RYA, ASA or IYT | SailTies |
| community, chats, weather and route planning in one app | SeaPeople |
| keep all your data on your own iPhone | Skipper |
| have your boat logged automatically by a device on board | Nebo |
| a community of sailors on the move, with place reports from other boats | noforeignland |
How we compared
Everything below comes from the developers themselves: their App Store and Google Play listings and their websites, checked in November 2026. We haven't handed out stars, collected user quotes or claimed a lab test. Where a developer doesn't describe a feature, the table says "not stated". That doesn't mean the feature is missing.
To be upfront: SeaMemo is our own app. That's why we say for every other app who it suits better. Prices change; the price your store shows before you buy is the one that counts.
Comparison table (as of November 2026)
| App | Platforms | Price | Languages |
|---|---|---|---|
| SeaMemo | iPhone, iPad, Android | free; sea miles certificate export a one time $8.99 (US App Store), no subscription | 7: English, German, Italian, French, Spanish, Croatian, Greek |
| Logbook | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Android; iPhone app currently not listed in EU App Stores, says the developer | free, optional subscription $8.99 a year (US App Store) | including English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch |
| SailTies | iPhone, Android, Mac; profile also on the web | free; Plus $44.99 a year or $249.99 once (US App Store) | English, French, Italian |
| SeaPeople | iPhone, iPad, Android; live trips also on the web | free; Plus $6.99 a month or $64.99 a year, Patron $149.99 a year (US App Store) | English |
| Skipper | iPhone, iPad | 3 trips free, then Skipper+ as a weekly or yearly subscription or a one time purchase; the app shows the price for your region | 26, including English |
| Nebo | iPhone, iPad, Android; optional Nebolink device | free; Silver $59.90 or Gold $109.99 a year, Nebolink $249 and only with Gold (developer website) | English |
| noforeignland | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, web | free, no in-app purchases on the App Store | English |
| App | GPS recording | Crew | Photos and journal | Proof and export |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SeaMemo | automatic, in the background, offline | invite your crew, everyone keeps the trip in their own profile | yes, per leg | sea miles certificate as a PDF for SKS, SSS, FB2 to FB4 |
| Logbook | automatic entries in the background; NMEA 0183, NMEA 2000, Signal K | crew noted in the entry | yes | PDF for mileage confirmation, CSV, GPX, KML |
| SailTies | start and stop with a tap, offline | one person records, everyone gets the voyage | yes (videos with Plus) | sailing CV as a PDF with skipper signatures |
| SeaPeople | yes, in the background; ending a trip needs a connection | tag your crew | yes (unlimited photos with Plus) | no certificate or file export stated |
| Skipper | starts automatically when you leave, in the background, offline | crew and boat noted per trip | notes; photos not stated | GPX |
| Nebo | in the app; fully automatic with Nebolink | crew per voyage | yes | reports as PDF by email |
| noforeignland | record your track in the app and share it live | boat groups, chat | text, videos, blog links | not stated |
1. SeaMemo: logbook, crew and sea miles in one app
SeaMemo is built for sailors who sail with changing crews and want to keep, and prove, every mile. You start GPS tracking when you cast off and the app records route, nautical miles, duration and speed for every leg, in the background and offline, with separate modes for sailing and motoring. Each leg gets its photos, notes and weather in the travel journal.
- One logbook for the whole crew: invite your crew via WhatsApp or email, everyone adds photos and entries, and everyone keeps the trip and their miles in their own profile.
- Sailor profile: total nautical miles, hours at sea, night miles, harbours and a Sea Map of every route you've sailed. That's the data you need for your RYA logbook, see how to log sea miles for RYA Yachtmaster.
- Sea miles certificate: for German (SKS, SSS) and Austrian (FB2 to FB4) licences SeaMemo fills in the official form from your legs. The skipper confirms once in the app and you download the PDF.
- Around the trip: charter check with signatures at boat handover, shared checklists, anchor alarm, friends radar and a printed photo book of your trip.
Where SeaMemo doesn't fit: the finished certificate form exists for German and Austrian licences only; for the RYA you copy the numbers into your logbook. To confirm legs, your skipper needs SeaMemo too. SeaMemo uses your phone's GPS and is not a chart plotter. If you want instrument data in your log, Logbook is the better pick.
2. Logbook: the classic ship's log, connected to your instruments
Logbook is made by a developer in Munich and is a ship's log in the traditional sense. It writes entries automatically in the background, fetches the weather for each entry and reads data such as wind and depth over NMEA 0183, NMEA 2000 or Signal K. Manoeuvres such as tacking, reefing or weighing anchor are quick entries. You also get statistics with sailing and engine hours, maintenance with due dates, packing and safety checklists, and export as PDF, CSV, GPX and KML. Data syncs across devices, including between iPhone and Android, and there's an Apple Watch app.
A better fit than SeaMemo if you own a boat with networked instruments and want a complete ship's log for her. Note: the developer says the iPhone app is currently not listed in EU App Stores because of a review by Apple; the Android app is available.
3. SailTies: a sailing CV and crew matching
SailTies comes from two sailors in the UK and combines a digital logbook with a sailing CV. You start and stop recording with a tap, and it works offline. Only one person on board needs to record; everyone on the voyage gets it. Your voyages become a CV as a PDF and a public profile link, verified with skipper signatures. You can store qualifications in your profile and import past voyages from GPX files or Garmin devices. There's also crew matching, groups and a live link for family.
A better fit than SeaMemo if you're working towards RYA, ASA or IYT tickets and want to show your experience as a CV, or find a berth on someone else's boat. Weather on your voyages and speed analysis come with SailTies Plus. The app is in English, French and Italian.
4. SeaPeople: community, weather and live tracking
SeaPeople is a US boating app that combines tracking, weather, route planning and a social network. Recording runs on your phone, also in the background; to end and share a trip the app needs a connection. According to the developer, tracking, groups, chats, live sharing in the app and a detailed forecast with route weather are free. Detailed statistics, unlimited photos and longer videos come with Plus. A certificate for sea miles isn't described.
A better fit than SeaMemo if community, chatting with other boats and free weather and route planning matter more to you than proof for a licence. For every detail side by side, see SeaMemo vs SeaPeople.
5. Skipper: a simple log that stays on your iPhone
Skipper is made by an independent developer in Paris and runs on iPhone and iPad. Recording starts automatically when you leave your starting position, runs in the background and without signal. For each trip you note crew, boat and notes on sails, engine hours or repairs, and the weather is added when you save. According to the developer your trips stay on your device and nothing is uploaded. GPX import and export are included. Three trips are free, after that you need Skipper+.
A better fit than SeaMemo if you only use an iPhone or iPad, don't want your data in a cloud and keep your log just for yourself. A shared crew logbook and a sea miles certificate aren't described.
6. Nebo: an automatic log with a device on board
Nebo comes from Australia. In the app you start voyages yourself; with the Nebolink device on board Nebo detects the start and end of a voyage automatically and alerts you when the boat moves. The log collects track, weather, speed, duration and photos, and reports arrive as PDFs by email. You also get crew per voyage, a startup checklist per boat, a live map and chats with other boats. Nebolink only works with Gold membership and, according to the developer, not in the Caribbean or Mexico.
A better fit than SeaMemo if you own a boat, want it logged automatically without remembering to start the app, and value movement alerts.
7. noforeignland: a community for sailors on the move
noforeignland is a companion app for sailors who travel: discover destinations, document your journey, meet other boats. You record your track in the app, share it live with family and friends and build a permanent log with text, videos and blog links that also shows on the website. At its heart are thousands of place reports from other sailors with photos and reviews, plus boat groups and chat. On the App Store it's free with no in-app purchases.
A better fit than SeaMemo if you're out for a long time and mainly want place reports from other sailors and contact with other boats.
Logbook app vs. navigation app, which do you actually need?
Search for a "sailing app" and you'll mostly find navigation apps such as Navionics, savvy navvy or Orca. They show charts and plan routes, and they're brilliant while you're underway. But they're not built to be your logbook: the running record of where you've been, how far you sailed, who was on board and what happened along the way. Many sailors run both: a plotter for navigating, a logbook app for remembering and documenting.
Quick rule of thumb: if you're asking "which way do I go?", you want a navigation app. If you're asking "where have I been, how far, and with whom?", you want a logbook app.
What makes a great sailing logbook app
- Automatic GPS tracking that works offline. Out at sea there's often no signal. The app has to record your route on GPS alone and sync later.
- Legs, not just a total. Good apps break a trip into legs, harbour to harbour, with distance, duration and the track on a chart.
- Sea miles and sea time that add up automatically. Total nautical miles, hours at sea and night hours are the data you'll need for RYA, ICC or national licences.
- Crew sharing. One trip, shared with everyone on board, so the miles land in each person's own logbook.
- Photos and journal per leg. A logbook you enjoy re-reading is a logbook you'll actually keep.
- Export and proof. A clean PDF you can hand to an examiner or a charter company.
- Light on the battery. A passage is long.
Speeds are logged in knots; the knots to mph converter helps if you think in mph, and how long a nautical mile is explains the distances. What belongs in a log is covered in how to keep a sailing logbook.
Get SeaMemo for free
Logbook, travel journal and crew in one app. For iPhone and Android, works offline at sea.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free sailing logbook app?
All seven apps in this comparison are free to download. SeaMemo (tracking, logbook and crew are free, only the German and Austrian sea miles certificate export is a one time purchase), SailTies (unlimited logbook on the free plan) and noforeignland (no in-app purchases on the App Store) work without a subscription. Skipper gives you three trips for free, after that you need Skipper+.
Which app is best for logging RYA sea miles?
Any app that records distance, time at sea, night hours and your role on board gives you the numbers for your RYA logbook. SeaMemo adds them up per trip and in your sailor profile. SailTies turns your voyages into a sailing CV as a PDF with skipper signatures. How to record miles for the Yachtmaster is explained in our guide how to log sea miles for RYA.
Which sailing logbook app works on both iPhone and Android?
SeaMemo, SailTies, SeaPeople, Nebo and noforeignland are available on iPhone and Android, and so is Logbook (its developer says the iPhone app is currently not listed in EU App Stores). Skipper is for iPhone and iPad only.
Do sailing logbook apps work offline?
GPS recording needs no mobile signal. SeaMemo records your route offline and in the background and syncs when you are back in range. Weather, live position sharing and community features need a connection in every app.
What's the difference between a logbook app and a navigation app?
A navigation app such as Navionics, savvy navvy or Orca shows charts and plans routes, it helps you decide where to go. A logbook app records where you've been: distance, sea time, crew, photos, and the record you keep and, when needed, prove. Many sailors use both.
What does SeaMemo cost?
Tracking, logbook, crew and photos are free. The sea miles certificate export for German and Austrian licences is a one time unlock, currently $8.99 on the US App Store, with no subscription. The app shows the current price before you buy.