Mac app
KSF Passage Companion for Mac
A native macOS passage logbook, readiness checklist, Voyage Story, vessel passport, NMEA input, Where Is? inventory, provisioning, shared Mac/iPad boat data, and voyage archive tool for sailors who want cleaner passage routines and better records.
Requires macOS 12 Monterey or newer. Supports Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.
Use this when
You want to prepare, record and archive a passage from a Mac.
It is the larger-screen companion to the iPad app, with deeper setup, exports, NMEA-assisted log entries, printable checks and voyage review.
Technical details
KSF Passage Companion for Mac is built around practical jobs sailors repeat before and during a trip: checking readiness, writing log entries, keeping document and service dates visible, finding gear, recording useful instrument snapshots and creating a clean archive afterwards.
- Formal logbook with manual and scheduled entries.
- One-click live NMEA fill for position, COG, SOG, heading, wind, weather, depth, attitude, and sea-state.
- Smoothed attitude snapshots using a 30-second average so logbook roll/pitch values are more useful.
- Voyage Story notes, media links, and route markers.
- Where Is? inventory/location register for safety gear, tools, spares, ditch-bag contents, service items, and expiry dates.
- Provisioning planner for crew food profiles, calorie and water targets, real shopping quantities, watch snacks, and food storage locations.
- Passage reserve planning so long passages do not get quietly under-provisioned.
- Readiness checklists for Coastal, Passage, and Ocean use.
- Checklist filtering by boat, crew, passage days, offshore distance, and children onboard.
- Readiness snapshots with SHA-256 verification.
- Printable walk-around checklists for paper use onboard.
- Crew & Vessel Passport for documents, safety gear, medical items, contacts, service, and expiry dates.
- NMEA0183 input from USB/serial and UDP.
- Shared iCloud dataset handoff for controlled Mac/iPad sharing of boat identity, logbook, Voyage Story, Where Is?, Provisioning, and readiness data with visible reload/save status.
- Departure packets and voyage archives with manifests.
- Export tools for KML, GPX, CSV, printable logbook, route map, animated route tour, and local Voyage Replay demo.
- Versioned backups and upgrade-safe data files.
What Changed
v0.1.48
- Added explicit labels for the Boat Identity & Trip Defaults fields in Settings.
- Renamed the offshore planning field to Distance from shore (NM) and documented that it is a passage planning value, not live GPS data.
- Added clickable question-mark field help for boat name, make/model, MMSI, boat type, length, flag, crew, passage days, distance from shore, private use, and children onboard.
- Replaced the centered modal help sheet with a draggable in-app help panel so help can stay open beside the setting being edited.
- Expanded page help text with more practical details for Logbook, Voyage Story, Where Is?, Provisioning, Readiness, Passport, Inputs, Map, and Settings.
- Kept the existing Mac/iPad shared iCloud dataset and Voyage Story media improvements from the previous build.
v0.1.47
- Improved the explicit Mac/iPad shared iCloud dataset workflow for boat identity, logbook, Voyage Story, Where Is?, Provisioning, and readiness handoff.
- Added clearer shared-data status so reload/save activity is visible instead of feeling like a silent background action.
- Updated backup handling so app backups include a complete shared-dataset copy with manifest/checksum verification.
- Moved raw NMEA blackbox recording out of Passage Companion and into KSF NMEA Sniffer.
- Added 30-second averaged attitude values for logbook and Voyage Story snapshots.
- Fixed Voyage Story live NMEA fill so COG and SOG refresh together with position.
- Hid live NMEA diagnostics behind an optional checkbox to reduce normal CPU load.
- Improved visible pressed/action feedback on buttons and added shared iCloud busy status.
- Changed the default visual scheme for new installs to Blue.
v0.1.43
- Added Open Replay Demo on the Voyage Outputs and Map pages.
- Added a TravelBoast-style local Voyage Replay demo using sample sailing data.
- Animated route playback now draws a thick red completed track behind the boat.
- The replay sailboat rotates smoothly with turn-rate limiting instead of snapping to each route segment.
- The replay opens as a local HTML preview and keeps GPX/KML export available for external tools.
v0.1.42
- Added the Provisioning planner for crew food profiles, calories, water, reserve days, and shopping quantities.
- Added printable provisioning reports and CSV/PDF exports.
- Added food-storage integration with Where Is? locations.
v0.1.41
- Added the Where Is? inventory and location register.
- Added searchable item categories, locations, status, reusable custom fields, and due/expiry overview.
- Added printable inventory output and backup integration.
Application Preview
Newest screenshots are shown first. Click any image to open it full size.
Package
Release type: Public production
Requires macOS 12 Monterey or newer. Supports Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.
Advanced verification: SHA-256 12daad1f807275ff0cdaab46d8b06116bb2c3397dae28f588829c54ad6d31605
User Manual
Read the manual before relying on the app for passage work. The same manual is bundled inside the app under the Help menu.
Part Of The SailingKSF Ecosystem
The Mac apps are ready to use now as standalone tools. KSF Passage Companion for iPad is available free on the App Store and can work by itself or as an onboard companion to this Mac app. The autopilot suite remains under test during the 2026 sailing season, with a small group of interested sailors planned after the first sea-trial phase.
SailingKSF Autopilot Suite
The onboard control and safety platform with steering intelligence, UI, gateway, sensors, weather, logs and iPad workflows.
KSF AIS Dispatcher
A native macOS utility that reads local AIS/NMEA0183 and forwards approved AIS sentences to internet receiver services.
KSF Passage Companion for Mac
Logbook entries, readiness checks, Voyage Story, Where Is? inventory, provisioning, route exports and passage archives.
KSF Passage Companion for iPad
The onboard iPad companion: standalone manual logbook, Where Is? inventory, provisioning, readiness, Files backup, and optional shared iCloud boat data with this Mac app.
KSF NMEA Sniffer
A native macOS diagnostic viewer for USB NMEA2000/CAN, USB NMEA0183 and read-only Signal K over WLAN/LAN.
Safety Note
The app is for passage organization, record keeping, diagnostics and export. It does not steer the boat, transmit on NMEA/AIS/VHF, replace watchkeeping, or replace official safety/navigation equipment.
