Keeldragger Sailing SoCal

New in 1.2: find and message other Keeldragger boats in the directory, Open Waters AIS on the chart, and Sea Comfort Limits for every forecast.

Keeldragger Sailing SoCal is a free reference for sailing Catalina, the Channel Islands and the Southern California Bight: for planning, under way and at anchor. It brings together charts, mariner's information and first-hand guidance written by sailors who have sailed and anchored here. It puts the information in front of you; the skipper decides.

KD CHARTS, NOW IN 3D • KD Charts are Keeldragger's own charts, drawn from NOAA's electronic navigational chart (ENC) data and updated as NOAA publishes. Download them once at the dock; they work with no signal. • 3D view (Preview): zoom in and the islands and coast rise in relief under satellite imagery, with KD Charts on the water, waypoints and landmarks from Avalon's Casino to Ensenada. It streams as you look, or download it for no signal. • Island topography: contours and spot heights ashore, beside the soundings.

FIRST-HAND GUIDANCE • Every published waypoint is written by a sailor who has been there: approach, holding, depth, moorings, contacts and photos, credited to its author. • Each anchorage's exposure, with a comfort forecast from the NWS swell. • Conditions reports and photos from other boats, shown with their age. Your own notes are never overwritten.

MARINER'S INFORMATION • From Coast Pilot: NOAA's U.S. Coast Pilot 7 on 43 waypoints, entrance cautions on the chart and on planned legs, and "Read the rule" on charted areas that cite a regulation. • Military & security zones: 61 areas with their rules, from Navy danger zones to Coast Guard security zones, and San Clemente Island's scheduled closures. • Marine protected areas, and La Jolla's swim and 5-knot areas. • Coast Guard Notices to Mariners, with hazard areas drawn on the chart.

PLANNING • NWS marine forecasts in their own words, coloured against your own wind and sea limits, and live buoy reports. Wind, seas and current animated three days ahead. • Routes drawn on the chart or typed point by point, with each leg's bearing, distance and time at your speed. Shipping lanes, land, an after-dark arrival, charted shallows and Coast Pilot cautions are flagged once; the decision stays yours.

UNDER WAY • Connect your boat's NMEA Wi-Fi gateway for AIS targets, a collision (CPA) watch and an instrument display. The app only listens. • MOB: one tap marks the spot; the screen becomes bearing, distance and elapsed time. • The ship's log keeps itself: passages open and close on their own, and each prints as a PDF with its track. • Night mode: red on black, dusk to dawn.

AT ANCHOR • Anchor alarm with a rode helper, and wind, depth and feed-loss alarms, which keep watching with the screen locked. • Shore Watch: the device left aboard sends a drag or an alarm to your phone ashore. • Apple Watch: alarms with Mute and Acknowledge, instruments, and the bearing and ETA to your waypoint.

FOLLOW ME AND BUDDY BOATS • Share My Boat is off until you turn it on. While a passage is open it sends your position, boat details, instruments and the AIS you receive to Keeldragger, and anyone signed in to a Keeldragger account can follow you live. • Buddy Nearby, and messages to a buddy, a sharing boat or a group, with check-ins, report and block. Not for emergencies: use VHF 16.

YOUR DATA • No account needed. No ads, no analytics, no tracking. • Syncs through your own iCloud. An optional free Keeldragger account adds end-to-end encrypted sync with the web edition (app.socal.keeldragger.com) and other devices, and is needed for Follow Me and Messages (Messages are not end-to-end encrypted).

Data from NOAA, the NWS, the U.S. Coast Guard, USGS, USDA, Whale Safe and others, credited in the app.

NOT FOR NAVIGATION. Keeldragger Sailing SoCal is reference and planning material. KD Charts, the 3D view and the NOAA chart are not official and not certified for navigation, and forecasts can be wrong. Navigate by official charts and publications, proper instruments and your own eyes. The skipper remains responsible for the vessel and crew.