Seven Years of Savvy Navvy: Enhancing Boating Accessibility
by Mark Jardine 21 Oct 04:00 PDT
Course planning on the east coast of the UK considering times and directions © savvy navvy
The ascent of Savvy Navvy in boating navigation has been remarkable, with over 2 million app downloads.
To learn more, I interviewed founder Jelte Liebrand about his experience, philosophy, the app, its functionality, and ongoing developments.
Although Savvy Navvy is relatively new compared to traditional brands in navigation, it boasts a user base comparable to leading names, something Jelte referred to as ‘humbling and amazing.’ This isn’t surprising given his background with Google.
He understands that mainstream tech companies can experience rapid growth, and he has the clear goal of creating ‘the Google Maps for Boats.’
Upon opening the Savvy Navvy app, users will find it reminiscent of Google Maps. The intuitive layout, functionality, and user interface align with what users expect.
Jelte articulated the rationale behind this familiarity: “The ultimate goal was to ease people’s fears when they venture onto the water – they should feel comfortable in an environment where everything is straightforward. On the water, this is crucial; if conditions become challenging, you don’t want to be fumbling, asking ‘How do I use this? Where’s the manual? What should I do?’ You need immediate clarity on what actions to take and what information to access.”
Similar to Google Maps’ continual updates on traffic, accidents, and roadworks, Savvy Navvy provides real-time updates for weather, tides, and hazards. Unlike cars that are limited to roads, boating allows for navigational freedom in 360 degrees as long as water is present. Access to critical information about shallows or rocks is essential.
For routing, the Savvy Navvy app perpetually updates your course, considering tides, winds, and forecasted conditions, while offering a dynamic estimated time of arrival (ETA) to your destination. Furthermore, as Jelte noted, “We may suggest starting the engine for sailing or increasing throttle for motorboats to pass a tidal gate at a specific time. Our app performs such tasks offline, downloading essential data—charts, weather, tides—so users have the best route and advice while out on the water.”
This scene transitions us to smart routing, where algorithms determine the best departure time to maximize tide and wind for optimal passage. Many are familiar with planning departure times in cars to avoid rush hour, and Savvy Navvy brings this concept to boating.
For instance, when navigating the Solent heading west on a flood tide, you’re likely to encounter a five-knot tide at Hurst Narrows, often limiting you to similar speeds. Departing earlier to pass through on the ebb tide can result in a much quicker journey!
Employing this technology can transform a demanding sail against the tide into a pleasant experience. Jelte explains, “We offer a visual departure scheduler showing the outcomes of leaving every half hour. Will you encounter fair or foul tide? Will your travel time be three or five hours based on your boat? With a glance, you can easily see that 11:30 am is the optimal departure time due to tide considerations.”
Our objective is to enjoy our time on the water. Savvy Navvy can help maximize that quality time. Choosing to delay departure allows for a leisurely breakfast at the marina or in the aft cockpit while anchored, knowing you’ll sail to your destination far more efficiently than if you hurried off.
So, what technologies are employed within Savvy Navvy? How is the processing handled, and critically, where does it occur? Google Maps combines real-time cloud data with processor capabilities on devices for route suggestions, yet boaters often find themselves without mobile reception.
From the beginning, Savvy Navvy was designed as an offline tool. Once you download the necessary charts, tide information, and weather forecast for your area, all route processing is performed on your device continuously. If your speed deviates from predictions, the tides and winds adjust dynamically along your route. When you regain mobile reception, it updates with the latest forecast and alters your route accordingly. This feature is referred to as ‘smart routing.’
There might be instances when your progress falls short of expectations. Sailors know that actual weather can significantly deviate from forecasts, altering boat speed. What do you do when you realize you won’t reach your intended harbor by nightfall? This is where Savvy Navvy’s smart routing and established partnerships become invaluable.
Jelte mentioned, “We collaborate with various partners like Navily in Europe, who provide excellent data about specific anchorages and available shelter. For instance, if the wind is coming from the north, you’d want to avoid certain anchorages due to potential swell. If weather deteriorates or you’re tired, we can pinpoint shelter options for safety.”
Gone are the days of scanning anchorage guides or zooming in on charts to find suitable bays. Savvy Navvy considers required depths, wind directions, and available facilities to promptly present anchoring options.
When first setting up Savvy Navvy, you can specify your boat’s type. Basic details include sail versus power; length, depth, monohull versus multihull, fuel type, and consumption give the app crucial data about your speed, anchoring potential, and refueling locations.
As electric vehicles become mainstream, electric boats are beginning to emerge in the market. High-speed charging stations are being installed at marinas, but ‘range anxiety’ persists on water as it does on land. The Savvy Navvy team is diligently working to mitigate this concern using predicted battery usage curves along routes.
By leveraging their existing smart routing capabilities, Savvy Navvy can provide intelligent range assessments, as Jelte explains: “We can inform you of your reachable destinations based on your current charge. If you’re approaching a tidal gate, we might advise using more battery now so you can successfully pass the gate and arrive with sufficient charge left.”
As an application, Savvy Navvy receives continuous updates through your app store. Adding new features often necessitates changes to the user interface while preserving familiarity and ease of use, which is essential. Balancing functionality and simplicity is an ongoing journey for all app developers, and one that Jelte and his team take seriously.
Interacting with customers offers valuable insights, fostering loyalty. Moreover, new features might be presented differently to existing users versus newcomers to preserve familiarity. Savvy Navvy’s development centers around its users, with feedback guiding future enhancements.
Visualization remains a compelling area in chart development, with varying boating activities having distinct requirements. Racing sailors may prioritize wind and tide data, while fishermen require depth visualization to locate fish. Integrating and displaying these ‘layers’ in user-friendly ways is fundamental to Savvy Navvy’s charting.
Similar to Google Maps, users can toggle between default views and satellite imagery, with options to overlay additional layers like navigation markers available in settings.
Upcoming developments for Savvy Navvy include integrating boat sensors. For example, an internet-based AIS layer exists, but directly connecting to a boat’s AIS transceiver would allow overlaying this data for enhanced navigation.
This illustrates that Savvy Navvy’s capabilities are continually evolving. Ideas transition into features rapidly while utilizing devices users already possess. The ‘Google Maps for Boats’ is becoming an indispensable companion for many sailors and is steadily enhancing its functionality.
Want to learn more? Visit the Savvy Navvy website, download the app, and begin simplifying your boating experience!