Here you find answers to frequently asked questions about Sailmate.
These instructions concern the new Sailmate-application ("Sailmate Nova").
The instructions concerning the older Sailmate-application ("Sailmate Classic") you can find here.
If needed, please contact Sailmate customer service with e-mail at the address tuki@nautics.fi.
Instructions
Taking Sailmate application in use:
1. Download Nautics Sailmate from your app store.
2. Open the application and register using your email-address, which will be confirmed with a pin-code. If you have a previous Sailmate-account at this or another email-address, you can use the information and licenses there.
3. If you do not have a previous Sailmate-account, a new one will be opened for you. Then you will get access to Free-level, and you can see the sea charts via internet.
You can then purchase a "Sailmate Premium" -feature package for navigation for only 19,99€/year.
Also you can purchase a "Scout Routes" -content package, which contains natural harbour and unmarked boating routes information for only 19,99/year.
You can make the purchases either at the application menu, or at our web-shop.
Route planning principle
1. Sailmate Premium users can create and save route plans either directly in the application or using a bigger screen in the Sailmate route planning service at sailmate.com .
2. Routing can be done automatically along fairways or as line routing, one waypoint at a time. By entering the average speed of your boat, you will see the time it takes to drive the route.
3. After saving the routes created will be displayed in the routes menu in all your mobile devices and the route planning software. The routes can be used in boats to support navigation, much like with a plotter. However, the Sailmate is not a true chartplotter, and caution and safe navigation must be followed when navigating the waters.
4. A Sailmate Free -user can create routes, but saving routes is only available for Premium users.
Sailmate account
How does Nautics Sailmate work?
Sailmate is a cloud service, which consists of a mobile application and a route planning software, which is used with a browser over internet. The user has a Sailmate-account, and he logs into the account with his applications and with the route planning program. Users personal routes and points of interest (PoI) are shown in all devices, which are logged into the same Sailmate-account.
What is the purpose of a Sailmate-account?
A Sailmate -account is mandatory to all Sailmate users. The account is personal to you, and only you can access it. Sailmate does not share the information in the account to third parties. If you log into the same account with all devices you are using, you have your subscriptions and personal routes and PoI´s in all your devices.
What is the user name of a Sailmate-account?
Your e-mail address is used as the user name of your Sailmate-account. It is important that you choose an email address, which is in active use so that you can receive messages related to your account (such as pin-codes). We recommend a private address, as company addresses sometimes cause usage issues.
Do I need a password to my account?
If you use Sailmate application only, you do not need a password, because your email-address is confirmed with a pin-code. If you use the route planning service or the old application, you need an account password.
How can I define a password to my account or change it?
The password management address is https://app.sailmate.fi/forgot-password?lang=en. You can also access the link from the sailmate.com -page ("Define password"), or from the route planning sign-in window. If your browser remembers previous passwords, you have to either log out from Sailmate before clicking the link at the home page, or use the browser in incognito (private) -mode.
How can I change the e-mail address I use as the user name?
The best way to change the e-mail address is to log out from the old address at the application menu, then register using your new address and specify the old address as an account to be synchronised.
How can I find out which e-mail address I have used to log in?
The login-address is shown in the application menu profile page.
Can I use Nautics Sailmate in several devices?
Yes you can. You have to log into the same account with all your devices, and then you have your subscriptions and personal routes and PoI´s in all your devices.
How many devices can I connect into one account?
A Sailmate-account is personal, and the usage of the account is limited according to fair usage policy. You can connect as many devices to your account as you have in your personal use.
Services
How much does Nautics Sailmate cost?
The application download is free. With the free version you can see the sea charts, you can mark personal PoI´s and see the service desrciptions of marinas.
"Sailmate Premium" is a feature package, which is intended for navigational use. Sailmate Premium license costs €19,99 per year. When you have activated your Premium service, you will see your exact position on the map with course indicator and speed display, and you can see marina maps. As a Premium user you can also plan routes, save a track and download the maps to the device for offline use.
In addition, you can activate a "Scout routes" -content package. This package includes descriptions of over 450 harbours, including natural mooring places and smaller village harbours, and over 2000 sea miles of unmarked boating waterways, which have been explored by Turun Partio-Sissit ry, a scout troop operating in Turku archipelago area. The Scout routes -content package is sold separately and it costs €19,99/year. The harbours and waterways are located mainly in the Turku archipelago, Åland, Gulf of Finland and Bothnian sea areas. The Harbour descriptions are mostly available only in the Finnish language.
How can I get the chargeable packages?
You can buy the chargeable packages in two different ways: Either as an in-app purchase in the menu of your application, or in the web shop at the Nautics Sailmate homepage www.sailmate.com.
If you choose to use in-app purchase, you will be charged by the payment method, which you have specified to the application shop (Appstore/Google Play).
If you buy at the web shop, you can use a credit- or debit card. You can use most cards, also Visa Electron works. PayPal can not be used to pay at the web shop.
After a successfull payment the license is activated to your Sailmate-account, and it can be used right away. Depending on your device type, in some cases you need to log out and log in again to your Sailmate-account to synchronize the activation to your device.
How long is the subscription of Premium or Scout Harbours and Routes -packages? Will it renew automatically?
The order period is either fixed term for one year or a continuous subscription. A fixed term order is valid for one year from the day of purchase or from the expiry date of an existing subscription. You can renew also before the previous subscription has expired, since the renewal will automatically extend an existing subscription period by one year. A continuous subscription renews automatically every year, unless you cancel according to the terms of your payment agent. At Sailmate application menu page you have links to the order management page of your payment agent,
At this time you get a continuous subscription if you buy in-app. At the web shop you can buy a fixed term subscription. Also, in the older Sailmate application version you can buy fixed term licenses.
I bought a license but it does not work - what should I do?
Apparently your device does not know about the license yet. You should try to log out from your Sailmate-account and back in, because then your user data is synchronized. If you accidentally bought the license to a wrong account, please contact Sailmate support at tuki(at)nautics.fi, and we can move the license to another account.
How can I find out how long my subscriptions are valid?
You can see the expiry dates of your subscriptions at the profile page of the menu of your applications. The route planning software shows the expiry date at the user profile page (the top key down on the right).
Can I cancel my order if I am not satisfied?
The order can be canceled. If you have made a purchase in the Google Play Store or at sailmate.com web shop, and cancel within 14 days, we will refund the amount you paid. If you made a purchase in the Apple Appstore as an in-app purchase, we are unfortunately unable to process the cancellation, but you have to cancel your order and request a refund in accordance with the terms of the App App Store itself. We will provide instructions if necessary. If you want to cancel your order, please contact customer service at support (at) nautics.fi.
Scout routes
Do I have to be a Premium-subscriber in order to buy the Scout Routes -content package?
No. You can buy the Scout routes -content package both at the Free- and Premium-levels. The scout routes are switched on/off in the app settings or route planning setting.
Does the Scout Routes -content package replace the printed Harbour Book or Route Book of Turun Partio-Sissit?
No, it does not replace a printed book. These medias do not contain exactly the same information and they are two different ways to use the information. A printed book format has many clear advantages, while mobile use is in many situations easier. We believe that most users will use both formats depending on the situation.
Does the Scout Routes -content package include the same routes as the printed Scout Route Book?
Sailmate shows about a half of routes of the Route Book on the nautical chart, but the other half are other useful boating routes which are not in the book. Some of the routes in the book require information about shallow areas which are not shown on the official charts, and therefore these routes cannot be shown in Sailmate.
How safe are the Scout Routes?
The scout routes have been defined by Turku Partio-Sissit scout troop. The routes are unofficial boating routes, which have been tested and found useable based on aerial photographs and satellite images. The routes are intended to be used in ordinary boating situations up to about 2,3m depth. However, the routes have not been probed, and the actual depth of the routes cannot be guaranteed in all possible situations. The scout routes must be used based on visual observations and with care. The routes must be used with low speed assuring sufficient safety distance to shallow water. Outside the marked routes the depth information in sea charts is often inaccurate.
Remember, that the master of the watercraft is always responsible for the safety of his crew and his boat. If you experience suspicious depth measurements while using the scout routes, please inform us immediately at e-mail address tuki@nautics.fi and we will figure it out. We appreciate your feedback!
What do the markings in scout harbour maps mean?
The harbour maps as shown in the Scout Routes -package feature the following special markings:
Black dotted line: about 1m depth line
Red dotted line: about 2m depth line
Blue dotted line: 2,5-3m depth line
Red dashed line: 4-6m depth line
Black arrow: mooring site which has been manually checked
Red arrow: mooring site, which has been checked using aerial and satellite images and topographic maps
Red depth markings: Uncertain estimate
Red shallow water mark: Shallow area is reported in either a nautical chart or topographic map, but the actual existence has not been confirmed.
Yellow circle around a red shallow water mark: with high probability an error in the nautical chart.
Ports, own places and routes
How do I use personal places (PoI´s)?
You can create your own personal place by tapping the chart at the point where you want to have the PoI. A window opens, where you can name the place or write information, and then save or delete the point. With some devices you can also see the coordinates of a point and the distance to the current location.
How long the personal routes and PoI´s are stored in the Sailmate-account?
Your personal routes and PoI´s are stored in your Sailmate-account as long as the account exists. The Premium-level information you see if your Premium-license is valid. If your e-mail address changes, change the address of the account so that you do not loose your data (see "How can I change my e-mail address").
Does the Sailmate harbour data feature the same information as is available in other marina guides?
The marina data, which all users can see, and the marina maps, which the Premium-users see, are the same as in the "Käyntisatamat" -book (satamaopas.fi). Some of the harbours in the Scout Routes -content package are the same as in the Harbour Book of Turun Partio-Sissit (satamakirja.fi), but the majority of the harbours are natural mooring places, which are not available in the book. The harbour descriptions are currently mostly in Finnish - we apologize this, and we are working to introduce more descriptions also in Swedish and/or English.
How safe are Sailmate harbours?
The purpose of the harbour information as presented in Sailmate is to help the skipper to choose a usable mooring place for normal boating purposes. The information in the blue marina maps has been collected by Suomen Vierassatamat Oy, and the information is based on marina operators reports. The harbour information as shown in the Scout Routes -package has been collected by Turun Partio-Sissit, a scout troop operating in the Turku Archipelago area. The majority of the information of the scout harbours has been manually checked. The usability of all scout mooring places has been confirmed with aerial photographs and satellite images. The indicated depth figures are estimates of the average water depth in the area, but actual water depth cannot be guaranteed. You must approach the harbour carefully and slowly enough, and if necessary the depth of the mooring site must be confirmed before mooring. If you experience suspicious depth measurements while using these harbours, please inform us immediately at e-mail address tuki (at) nautics.fi and we will figure it out. We appreciate your feedback!
Route planning
How do I plan routes with the application? (new application "Nova")
You can plan routes with the Sailmate application in two different ways:
1. A route to a destination from the current position
If you one a harbour page, or your own saved place, or open a new own place, you can create a route to this destination from your current position along the waterways. The route is created by pressing in the harbour/place window the light blue calculate route -button. Then you can see the route by pressing the green route-button in the lower end of your display, and you may remove the route, or name and save it. You also see the length of route and travel time using the set average speed. The average speed can be set at the application settings.
2. A route through several independent waypoints:
Choose the waypoints in the right order either by opening a harbour page or your own saved place, or open a new own place. The starting point is chosen by tapping a button "set as starting point" in the window.
The subsequent waypoints are determined in their windows by choosing a button "add a waypoint in fairway", if you want that fairways are used, or by choosing a button "add a direct waypoint", if you want that the route will be created as a direct line in this section.
When you have determined the endpoint, you can see the route by pressing the green route-button in the lower end of your display, and you may remove the route, or name and save it. You also see the length of route and travel time using the set average speed. The average speed can be set at the application settings.
How do you use the route planning service?
You can access the route planning service with a browser at the address www.sailmate.com and by choosing route planning. Alternatively, you can type the direct address app.sailmate.fi to your browser address field. When you choose to "log in" you are asked to log in unless your browser remembers your credentials. The principles of the route planning are:
- Two modes: routing along the marked channels ("väyläreititys") or direct routing ("viivareititys"),
- You mark the starting point with a long press, then the point turns into a coloured mark,
- Then you mark the waypoints in a similar manner, the software connects the points,
- The route log can be seen in the middle key down on the right, where you can also give a name to the route and save it.
After this the route can be displayed in you application.
How do you use the track recording?
You can record your track and display it on the sea chart. The recording is started and stopped with the record-key. The recorded track remains on the display, and you can then decide if you want to save the track as a personal route for later use. If you do not save, the track remains displayed as long as the application remains open. The recording works also in the background when the device is used for other purposes.
The background recording requires, that you give a permission to your device to record your position "always". Sailmate is not using your position for any other purpose than to record your track and to show your position in the map.
How do you use the saved routes?
All the saved routes are listed in the menu of the mobile applications. The route to be displayed can be chosen in the list. The route menu works also offline without data connection.
General
How can I know if Nautics Sailmate will work in my device?
Sailmate works fine in most commercial smartphones and tablets, but unfortuntately there is no straightforward way to confirm this beforehand. The easiest way to confirm this is to download the Sailmate Free and test it. In some tablets (e.g. some iPAD-models) the GPS-receiver, which is needed for location, is installed only in those devices which are equipped with a SIM-card slot. If you intend to use location, make sure that your terminal supports GPS.
Also, it is mandatory that your device can access either Apple´s Appstore or Android´s Playstore in order to download the application. Some Huawei´s models do not support this requirement, and unfortunately Sailmate cannot be used with such devices.
To Windows-phones Sailmate-application can unfortunately not be downloaded any more.
Can I download the nautical charts to a device (offline use)?
The Premium-users can download the nautical charts to device at the menu page. The downloaded charts work well also without data connection. It is highly recommended to download the charts to the device, because the data connection is often slow at sea. The charts are downloaded at the application settings page, and they use approximately 800 Mb memory space.
I am using the free version, but my position is not shown. Why?
Sailmate Free is used to see and browse the sea charts license free. Sailmate Premium is intended for navigational aid, and it shows your location accurately.
How accurate is the position in Sailmate?
The mobile device of the user determines the position of the vessel as shown on the chart. The accuracy of the position depends on the quality, features and software of the device. The position of the device in the boat, the changes in the orientation of the device, reflections or other disturbance in the satellite signal propagation, and the time used to track the location satellites can also affect the location accuracy produced by the device. Also it is technically possible, that the satellite positioning system is intentionally interferred by a hostile outside party, which would deteriorate the accuracy of the positioning. In normal use the position is usually accurate enough to be used as a navigational support, but Sailmate does not replace a plotter. The real position of the boat must always be verified by a marine plotter and by visual observations.
How much battery Sailmate consumes?
Due to constant location process Sailmate drains battery relatively fast. Plase make sure that you have charged your battery sufficiently and use a charger or power pack if necessary. Please also take into acoount that in direct sunlight the device may shut itself down due to overheating.
What Sailmate is not?
Sailmate is not an officially approved sea chart as is required by the law. Sailmate is not either an official safety product, and it has not been designed to prevent accidents. Sailmate cannot be used to alert rescue forces and it cannot be used to contact rescue officials.
Although Sailmate application has been designed to be used while boating, the devices have generally not been designed for boat environment. Therfore there may be restrictions in the useability of the devices, and as an example the location display may not be accurate. Sailmate is not a replacement of a real plotter designed for boat use.
In spite of these restrictions, Sailmate is an excellent navigational aid and safety improvement, and it can well serve as an emergency back-up device.
How can I get help?
We help our customers by e-mail. If you need help, please write a message to tuki(at)nautics.fi, and we respond as soon as possible. You help us to give a more useful answer, if you write as specifically as possible. Please also tell which product and what device you are using. If you do not see a response, please check your junk mail folder. We do our best to serve in Finnish, Swedish and English.
Who is doing Nautics Sailmate?
Sailmate is done by Nautics Oy, a privately owned and operated Finnish startup company. The harbour data and marina maps -content are provided by Suomen Vierassatamat Oy. The scout routes -content is provided by Turun Partio-Sissit Ry. We do this with love and passion to boating, the sea, and Finlands thousands of lakes!