Finished tools
Free Sailing Apps
iPad and Mac tools for logbook entries, boat inventory, provisioning, readiness checks, AIS dispatching and NMEA diagnostics.
See The AppsFree sailing tools, projects and guides
SailingKSF
A practical collection of sailing apps, onboard electronics experiments and plain-language seamanship guides. Some parts are finished tools, some are active boat projects, and some are notes written to make real sailing decisions easier.
Boat experiments
Autopilot And Sensors
My offshore autopilot work, attitude modules, NMEA/CAN ideas, weather logic, timer modules, voice alarms and onboard safety signals.
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Plain-language guides
Safety Articles
Practical notes about heavy weather, reefing, water ingress, rescue, electrical safety, MOB recovery and other problems sailors should think through early.
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Free
No subscription, in-app purchase or advertising in the public apps.
Practical
Built from jobs and questions that come up on a real boat.
Moving
This is a moving project. I add more when time permits, and when I get useful feedback from sailors.
Personal
Made first for my own sailing and shared when it may help others.
Free sailing apps
These apps were originally written for my own needs onboard. I share them here free of charge because they may also be useful for other sailors.
KSF Passage Companion for iPadUse one onboard app for logbook, inventory, provisioning, readiness checks and backups.Works standalone, offline and private, with no account, ads or subscription.
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KSF Passage Companion for MacPrepare, record and review passages from a Mac with deeper setup, exports and NMEA-assisted log entries.Works with shared boat data and iPad handoff without silent overwrites.
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KSF NMEA SnifferSee what is really happening on your boat data network without drowning in repeated frames and raw hex.Supports NMEA2000/CAN, NMEA0183, Signal K, USB serial, UDP/TCP and common adapter text formats.
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KSF AIS DispatcherForward selected local AIS data from your Mac to approved receiver services.Reads serial, UDP and read-only Signal K sources, validates NMEA0183 checksums and forwards approved AIS sentences.
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Sailing articles
Plain-language guides for real decisions
The articles started as reminders for myself. When I write a problem down, think through the steps, and read it again later, it becomes easier to remember when the boat is moving, the weather is getting worse, or I am tired. I share them because the same clear reminders may also help another sailor before a situation becomes urgent.
They are not meant to replace seamanship, training or official rules. They are plain-language notes about what to prepare, what to look for, and what actions may buy time when something starts to go wrong.
Example Articles
Sea Danger GuideFollowing seas, surfing, broaching, bow bury and pitchpole risk.
Heavy Weather ReadinessPrepare the boat and crew before the bad weather is already on top of you.
Reefing And Sail BalanceReduce sail early, keep the boat balanced and protect steering control.
Safety Equipment On BoardUnderstand safety gear, checks, expiry dates and where official rules begin.
Autopilot project
Electronics, sensors and boat safety logic
The autopilot part of SailingKSF is not presented as a finished commercial product. It is my working suite of modules: attitude sensors, heading work, timer units, blackbox logging, weather input, voice alarms and safety logic around what the boat is doing.
- Attitude and motion sensing
- NMEA2000 and CAN experiments
- Weather and watchkeeping alerts
- iPad, helm UI and timer workflows
SailingKSF is not one finished product. It is a practical toolbox: software, electronics and seamanship notes built around the problems I want solved on my own boat.