Comparison · October 2026
Boat maintenance apps for iPhone compared
Six iPhone apps keep a maintenance log for boat owners: Seaworthy, YACHTWAVE, Bosun's Mate, HullBook, BoatWorks Pro and SKIPILY. They differ most in four points: how you pay, whether you need an account, what data the app links to you, and how much it fills in for you from a photo.
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The short answer
- No account, no subscription, recognition on the device: Seaworthy. One-time purchase for Pro, 21 languages, Apple Watch app.
- Free for personal use: YACHTWAVE, the app with by far the most ratings in this group (164 in the US App Store).
- Fuel, cruising log and a safety tab, free for one boat: Bosun's Mate; crew sharing and AI receipt reading in the Pro subscription.
- Fuel, trips and a lifetime option: HullBook.
- Trip log with tides and weather, offline-first: BoatWorks Pro.
- Finding a yard or sailmaker nearby, in German-speaking waters: SKIPILY.
Comparison table
As of 12 October 2026, from each app's App Store listing (US storefront). "Not stated" means the listing does not mention it, not that the feature is missing.
| App | How you pay | Account | Data linked to you (App Store label) | Reads parts from a photo | Engine hours | Languages | Requires |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seaworthy | Free: 1 boat, 5 items. Pro: one-time purchase | None | No backend; label published at release | Yes, on the device: category, text, serial number, expiry date | Yes | 21 | iOS 26 |
| YACHTWAVE | Free for personal use, no in-app purchases listed | Not stated | Location, contact info | Not stated | Not stated | 2 | iOS 16.4 |
| Bosun's Mate | Free: 1 vessel, unlimited entries. Pro: subscription (monthly or annual), 7-day trial | Sign in with Apple or email | Purchases, location, contact info, user content, identifiers | Receipts (Pro) and survey PDFs, read by AI | Yes | 1 | iOS 15 |
| HullBook | Free preview (1 boat, 2 log records); Pro monthly, yearly or one-time Lifetime | No separate account | Data not collected | Not stated | Yes | 2 | iOS 18 |
| BoatWorks Pro | Free "Anchor" tier; annual plans | Not stated | Data not collected | Barcode scanning | Yes | 1 | iOS 18.6 |
| SKIPILY | Free; Basic and Plus subscriptions (monthly or yearly) | Not stated | Financial info, location, contact info, user content, identifiers | Damage photo analysis by AI (Plus) | Not stated | 6 | iOS 18 |
Of the six, only Seaworthy lists an Apple Watch app. Seaworthy has not been released yet, so its App Store privacy label is not public; the app has no backend and no account, so photos and logbook stay on the device and in the owner's private iCloud.
Where Seaworthy is ahead
- Photo to entry on the device. Seaworthy reads labels, serial and model numbers and expiry dates and sorts the part into one of ten categories, without uploading the photo.
- No account and no subscription. The free version covers one boat and five items; Pro is a one-time in-app purchase.
- Expiry dates read from the label. Seaworthy reads the date on flares, extinguishers or lifejacket labels from the photo and reminds you with lead days, for example 60, 30 and 7 days ahead. Bosun's Mate also tracks flare and extinguisher dates, in its Safety tab.
- 21 languages. The others list one, two or six.
- On the wrist and the Lock Screen. Apple Watch app, widgets, a Live Activity and Siri.
Where other apps are ahead
- Older iPhones: Seaworthy needs iOS 26. YACHTWAVE runs from iOS 16.4, Bosun's Mate from iOS 15.
- Track record: YACHTWAVE has 164 ratings at 4.8 in the US App Store. Seaworthy is new and has none yet.
- Trips and fuel: HullBook, BoatWorks Pro and Bosun's Mate keep trip or cruising logs and record fuel. Seaworthy logs maintenance, not passages.
- Finding help: SKIPILY shows yards, workshops, sailmakers and dealers on a map.
- Specs database: YACHTWAVE offers an engine and equipment specifications database.
Coming to Seaworthy at launch
Seaworthy is not in the App Store yet. These features are in development for the first release; this page will be updated when they ship.
- Sharing a boat with a partner or skipper through iCloud, read-only or with editing. Today Bosun's Mate (Pro) and BoatWorks Pro (paid plan) offer crew access.
- Checklists for leaving, arriving, safety checks, laying up and commissioning, with a history of every run.
- Spare-parts inventory with stock, minimum stock, storage location and a shopping list.
- Receipts read on the device: date, items and total from a photo or PDF, without uploading it.
- Barcode and QR scanning when photographing a part or its packaging.
- CSV export of the logbook and costs for a spreadsheet.
Which app fits which owner
| If you… | look at |
|---|---|
| want no account and no subscription, and photograph parts instead of typing | Seaworthy |
| want a free app and do not mind an account | YACHTWAVE |
| want a free app for one boat with fuel and a cruising log | Bosun's Mate |
| track fuel and trips and prefer a one-time Lifetime option | HullBook |
| want a trip log with tides and weather that works offshore | BoatWorks Pro |
| sail in German-speaking waters and want to find a yard nearby | SKIPILY |
How this comparison was made
Seaworthy is published by DigitalFreedom, which also publishes this page. To keep the comparison verifiable, every statement about another app comes from its App Store listing as shown on 12 October 2026: description, release notes, in-app purchases, privacy label, languages and compatibility. We did not test the other apps. Listings change; the links below show the current state.
Included are iPhone apps that keep a maintenance log for private boat owners. Navigation apps, marketplaces and fleet software for yards are left out. App names are trademarks of their owners and are used here only to identify the apps.
Common questions
What is the best boat maintenance app for iPhone?
It depends on what you need. Seaworthy fits owners who want no account and no subscription and want parts recognised from a photo on the device. YACHTWAVE is free for personal use. Bosun's Mate is free for one boat and adds fuel and a cruising log. HullBook and BoatWorks Pro add trips and fuel.
Is there a boat maintenance app without a subscription?
Yes. Seaworthy Pro is a one-time in-app purchase, HullBook offers a one-time Lifetime purchase next to its subscriptions, YACHTWAVE is free for personal use with no in-app purchases listed, and Bosun's Mate is free for one vessel.
Which boat maintenance app does not collect my data?
HullBook and BoatWorks Pro carry the App Store label "Data Not Collected". Seaworthy has no backend and no account; its label is published at release. YACHTWAVE, Bosun's Mate and SKIPILY list data linked to you.
Which boat maintenance apps track engine hours?
Seaworthy, Bosun's Mate, HullBook and BoatWorks Pro list engine hours. Seaworthy and BoatWorks Pro schedule a service by hours or by calendar, whichever comes first; HullBook plans recurring work by engine hours or calendar months.