SailSim for Android

11 things about SailSim

1. As you turn the iPhone (boat) the wind direction stays constant relative to the boat and the sails adjust and change shape as they would do in real life.

2. iPhone 3G/2G/iPod Touch - as this hardware does not have a compass, you have to manually tell the SailSim where the wind is blowing from by touching the screen.

3. Then there came an app that calculates your windspeed based on the roar of the wind through the iPhone microphone, perhaps enough to distract you from studying that other chartplotter screen just at the moment when you, well, might avoid running aground.

4. Using the mast as the center point, touch the screen around the boat to set the wind direction.

5. Using the iPhone’s accelerometer and the 3GS’s compass, SailSim shows how a sailboat reacts to changes in direction relative to the wind.

6. You can set the wind direction and then see how changes in boat heading effect the set of the sails, centerboard and boat speed.

7. To set the wind direction, press the i button, point the iPhone into wind, hold it there and press 'Done'.

8. iPhone 3GS - with this hardware, your iPhone turns into a sailing boat.

9. You turn the phone (boat image) and watch how the sails move to stay trimmed to the new wind direction.

10. Twice before I’ve written about fun things that you can do with your iPhone on a sailboat that might dangerously distract you from the sailing at hand.

11. Check out our other apps: NavStation - for big boat navigation, VitalStatistics - for travelers, LedOTron & LedOTronFree for musicians and music makers and LedOthel, a retro version of the classic 'Reversi' strategy game.