Skipper
Worldwide
Recording uses GPS only, so it works with no Wi-Fi and no cellular signal, near the coast or far offshore.
Skipper: Ship’s Logbook App for Sailboats and Powerboats
Your whole ship’s log. Recorded automatically.
A ship’s log for sailboats and powerboats. Skipper starts a trip the moment you leave the berth, tracks your position, course and speed with GPS, and keeps every trip in a logbook stored on your device. Add the weather, the crew, the sails you set and the engine hours you ran, and any trip reads back as a story years later.
- 200+ Ratings
- 4.6
- out of 5
- Released in
- 2013
- August 15
- Languages
- 26
- English + 25 more
Features
Everything a paper logbook does, without the paperwork
A paper logbook asks you to remember things at the end of a long day, and to write them down. Skipper records the mechanical part on its own, and leaves you to add the details worth remembering.
Automatic boat trip recording
Leave the berth and the logbook starts itself
Skipper notices the boat has moved and starts recording the track on its own. GPS position, course, speed, duration, distance and the full track are recorded for the whole passage, with nothing to tap and nothing to remember.
- Starts recording the track on its own once you leave your initial position
- GPS position, course, speed, distance and track
- Works with no Wi-Fi and no cellular signal
Log all trip details
Log the wind, the crew and the sails while it is fresh
A track on its own does not tell you much a year later. Skipper holds the rest of the day: the weather for that time and place, who was aboard, which boat you were on, where you left and landed, the sails you set, engine hours, and any incident or repair worth remembering.
- Weather, wind force, wind direction and sea state
- Crew members and the boat
- Departure and arrival places, with notes for sails, engine hours, incidents and repairs
Relive the boating season
Every trip on a map, with real statistics
Walk each track on a map exactly as you sailed it, and read a whole season at a glance. Distance, duration, average speed and top speed are computed for every activity, so the logbook answers questions a piece of paper never could.
- Review past trips on a map
- Distance, duration, average speed and top speed
- Import and export GPX tracks
Search and filter your passages
Get any trip back in seconds
A logbook is only worth keeping if you can get things back out of it. Search your notes and place names across every trip you have ever sailed, or filter by the crew member, the boat, or the wind and sea state you recorded on the day.
- Search by trip name, notes or place name
- Filter by crew member and by boat
- Filter by wind force, wind direction and sea state
Crew
Log the family and friends aboard each trip, and see who sailed when.
Boats
Record each boat in the app, so every trip is tied to a vessel and you can filter your logbook by boat.
Open GPX format
Import GPX files recorded elsewhere and export your own, so your history is never locked in.
Nautical, metric or imperial
Speed, distance, depth and wind in the units you actually use, including knots.
External GPS receivers
Connect an external GPS receiver to your iPhone or iPad for higher accuracy on long passages.
Private by default
Your trips are stored on your device. Nothing is uploaded and your logbook stays yours.
Reviews
Loved by 15,000+ boaters
4.6 out of 5
Saved me HOURS of time!
Logging my trips used to be a chore. Now it’s automatic, organized, and I can even add notes to each trip. Absolutely love it!
Johnny S.Favorite app on my phone
Finally a digital logbook that feels designed for boaters, not paperwork. Clean, simple, and reliable. I wouldn’t go out without it.
Andrea H.Essential app
I use it for every trip. Tracks routes, times, and distances effortlessly. Plus, it’s great for reliving memories later.
Sean K.Pricing
Try the whole app before you pay for anything
Free to download. You get 3 recorded or imported activities free of charge; Skipper+ lifts the limit and keeps Skipper developing.
| Feature | Free | Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Trips | 3 | Unlimited |
| GPS track | ||
| Statistics | ||
| Weather | ||
| Crew members | ||
| Boats | ||
| Notes | ||
| Places | ||
| Search trips | ||
| GPX import and export | ||
| Nautical, metric and imperial units |
Skipper+ is optional and flexible: pay weekly, yearly, or once with a lifetime purchase. Find pricing info for your region in the app.
Why Skipper
Looking for a paper logbook alternative?
A paper logbook is easy to lose, hard to search and impossible to put on a map. A notes app gives you no GPS track, no statistics, and no way to answer “what were the wind and sea state on that day?”. A chartplotter records a track, but not the weather, the crew, and your own notes on the sails or the engine hours.
Skipper is a ship’s log app for sailboats and powerboats, built for iPhone and iPad. It records trips automatically, keeps a complete searchable history, imports and exports GPX, and stores everything on your own device. If you have been meaning to start a proper log, this is the version you will actually keep.
Boating & Logbook Guides
Guides for people who keep a log
How to keep a boat logbook, what to write in one, and the seamanship reference behind it.
What to Write in a Sailing Logbook
Learn what to record in a sailing logbook, from date and position to weather, crew, engine hours and important events, with practical examples.
All boaters
How to Keep a Sailing Logbook
Learn how to keep a sailing logbook with a simple routine, practical entries and tips for recording every trip consistently.
All boaters
Why Keep a Boat Logbook?
Discover why keeping a boat logbook matters, from documenting sailing trips and improving your skills to tracking boat usage and preserving memories.
All boaters
Sailing Logbook Examples: 4 Practical Entries
Explore practical sailing logbook examples for day sails, longer passages, changing weather, and incidents. Learn what to record and how to structure your entries.
All boaters
Sailing Logbook Template: A Practical Format for Every Trip
Use this sailing logbook template to record boat trips, navigation, weather, crew, and important events. Includes a practical format for day sails and longer passages.
All boaters
Digital vs. Paper Sailing Logbook: Which Is Best?
Compare digital and paper sailing logbooks, from GPS tracking and trip history to reliability and ease of use. Find the right format for your sailing and discover Skipper for iPhone.
All boaters
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions? Answers.
What is a ship’s log and what should one record?
A ship’s log is the running record of a vessel’s time on the water. Most skippers record the date and route, position, distance and duration, the weather and sea state, who was aboard, any engine hours, and anything that broke or needed repair. A useful log answers “where did we go, in what conditions, and what happened?”. Skipper records the trip itself automatically, for both sailboats and powerboats. The rest — the sails you set, the engine hours you ran, anything that broke — goes in that trip’s notes, in your own words. See how to keep a logbook, or the glossary entry for logbook.
Is Skipper for sailboats or for powerboats?
Both. Skipper works the same way on a sailboat and a powerboat: it records GPS position, course and speed either way, and sails and engine hours go in the trip notes, so each kind of vessel records what applies to it.
How does Skipper decide when to start recording a trip?
It watches for movement. Once the boat leaves the position where it was sitting, Skipper records GPS position, course, speed, duration, distance and the track for the whole passage.
Does the ship’s log app work without cellular signal or Wi-Fi?
Yes. GPS is completely independent of any data connection, so trip recording keeps working with no signal at all. You need a connection to download map tiles, and to attach the weather when you save a trip.
Where does the weather in my ship’s log come from?
Apple Weather, and it is fetched when you save the trip, not while you are sailing. Map tiles are also provided by Apple, so both need a connection at that moment. Everything else in Skipper works offline.
Can I keep a ship’s log on an iPad?
Yes, on any iPad with a built-in GPS. Only Wi-Fi + Cellular iPads have one; Wi-Fi only iPads do not. On an iPad without GPS you can connect an external GPS receiver, which Skipper also supports.
Can I import my old GPS tracks into Skipper?
Yes. Skipper imports and exports GPX, so you can bring in tracks recorded on another device or chartplotter and take your own logbook elsewhere. GPX is an open format, so your history is not locked into the app.
Is my ship’s log private, and where is it stored?
On your device. Skipper stores your trips locally and the data is not linked to your identity, which is why the App Store lists purchases, location and usage under “Data Not Linked to You”. Use GPX export if you want your own backups. Details are in the privacy policy.
What units of measurement does Skipper use?
Nautical, metric and imperial are all supported for speed, distance, depth and wind, so you can work in knots and fathoms, or in km/h and metres.
Will a ship’s log app drain my battery?
Any app using GPS in the background uses power, so a long passage will cost you some battery. Skipper is designed to start and stop on its own rather than run all day. On a multi-day trip, plug in a power source when you can.
Can I use Skipper for navigation or collision avoidance?
No. Skipper is a logbook, not a navigation system. It cannot replace AIS, radar or ECDIS, and it is not a substitute for safe watchkeeping. Always carry and use proper navigation equipment.
Do I need a ship’s log for official record keeping?
Requirements vary by country and by authority. Skipper is built as a personal and club-level record, so check the rules that apply to your vessel and waters before relying on it for anything mandatory. Our guide to whether a logbook is required covers the position country by country.
Get Skipper on the App Store
Remember your days at sea.
Skipper is a ship’s log app for sailboats and powerboats, available on iPhone and iPad. It records every trip with GPS and keeps your whole sailing history in one searchable logbook. Free for your first three trips.
