EssentialSail
Version 1.59 · Android 8.0+

EssentialSail — NMEA app for boats

Display NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000 data over Wi-Fi on any Android device: wind, depth, speed, heading, AIS collision awareness and anchor watch. The complete sailing instrument guide, manual and interactive tutorial.

Explore the guide Download manualGet it on Google PlayRate us on Google Play
N
S
W
E
EssentialSail application icon

EssentialView

1–5 widget pages

Wind & sails

Apparent & true

Depth

Keel clearance

Data tiles

SOG, STW, VMG…

EssentialAIS

CPA / TCPA / CBDR

EssentialAnchor

Drag alarms

EssentialCAM

RTSP / ONVIF

See it in action

EssentialSail in 15 seconds

Five short demos recorded on a tablet with live NMEA data: AIS collision alarm, true and apparent wind, anchor drag alarm, helm compass and your own EssentialView dashboard.

All your boat instruments on one screen — EssentialView

AIS collision alarm on your tablet

Apparent and true wind on one dial

Anchor dragging? You'll know — anchor watch

A real helm compass on your tablet

Get it on Google PlayFree 15-day trial — no card required

Pricing

Simple pricing, every feature included

Try all of EssentialSail free for 15 days — no card, no commitment. Then choose the licence that suits your sailing.

Monthly

€2.99/ month

Ideal for the season or a charter. Cancel whenever you like.

  • EssentialView, wind & sails, data tiles
  • EssentialAIS collision alarms
  • EssentialAnchor watch & MOB
  • EssentialCAM & EssentialWeb

Annual

Save 58%

€14.99/ year

A whole year on board.

  • EssentialView, wind & sails, data tiles
  • EssentialAIS collision alarms
  • EssentialAnchor watch & MOB
  • EssentialCAM & EssentialWeb

Lifetime

No renewal

€34.99one-time

One payment, no renewal. All features, forever, on all your Android devices with the same Google account.

  • EssentialView, wind & sails, data tiles
  • EssentialAIS collision alarms
  • EssentialAnchor watch & MOB
  • EssentialCAM & EssentialWeb

How it works

  • 115-day free trial inside the app from first launch: every feature, no card and no commitment. Nothing is charged during or after the trial.
  • 2When the trial ends, all functions pause until you choose a Monthly, Annual or Lifetime licence at the prices above. Any active anchor watch, AIS alarm or MOB watch stops; all your settings are kept.
  • 3Buy inside the app with an internet connection. Restore Purchases finds a licence bought with the same Google account after reinstalling or on a new device.
  • 4Your licence works offline: lifetime always, subscriptions for the last verified period plus 30 days. After that, connect once to verify your subscription — you are not asked to pay again.
  • 5Subscriptions renew automatically; cancel them in Google Play → Subscriptions. During the trial, enable Automatic date and time and automatic time zone; if asked, correct the clock and tap Retry.
  • 6The OEM / head-unit version is always fully unlocked, with no trial, reminders, pause or plans screen. Configuration export and import are always available.

Prices in EUR including VAT. Google Play shows the exact price in your local currency in the app.

Get it on Google Play

New in 1.59

Try everything free for 15 days

The 15-day trial now runs inside the app, from the first launch: every feature, no card, no commitment. Then choose a Monthly, Annual or Lifetime licence — your settings are always kept.

Classic wind dial

A wind dial in the classic style with the apparent (A, light blue) and true (T, yellow) arrows shown together, the same colours on every screen, and a real red night theme.

Export & import

Save your whole configuration to a file and load it again on another tablet (with a licence). Plus the new EssentialSail typeface on every instrument.

Onboard handbook

Know every screen

Practical guidance based on the complete EssentialSail NMEA manual.

From dockside to live data

Connect your Android device to the same Wi-Fi network as your NMEA gateway or multiplexer.

  1. 1

    Prepare the connection

    Have your gateway IP address and port ready. Common defaults are 10.10.100.254 and port 10111 over TCP.

  2. 2

    Allow location

    Location access powers device GPS for Anchor Watch, AIS range, and GPS speed when boat GPS is unavailable.

  3. 3

    Connect

    Open Settings → Connections, enter the IP address and port, choose TCP or UDP, then tap Connect.

  4. 4

    First-launch tips

    Seven quick tips introduce swiping, themes, page settings, display options, EssentialView, Hold & Move, and the online guide and support page.

Safety comes first

EssentialSail NMEA is a supplementary aid. It does not replace certified navigation equipment, a proper lookout, or good seamanship. Never rely on Anchor Watch as your only safeguard.

Interactive tutorial

Learn at the helm

A guided tour of EssentialSail 1.59 with real screens from the app: tap the glowing circle at each step.

Interactive simulator

EssentialView: swiping through 4 pages

Page 1 holds the Wind & sails gauge with the apparent wind arrow (A, light blue) and the true wind arrow (T, yellow), the data tiles AWS, AWA, TWS, TWA, SOG, DEPTH and TWD, and the MOB widget fixed bottom-right. Swipe on to the steering compass and to the wind dial with both arrows. The header shows which page you are on: 1 / 4, 2 / 4…

Wind & sails gauge: true and apparent wind

The wind eases from about 24 to 11 knots. The light blue A arrow and light blue tiles are the apparent wind, the yellow T arrow and yellow tiles are the true wind; the red arc shows the wind is on the port side. The wind streaks slow down and change colour with the Beaufort force, the sails re-trim, and the genoa car suggestion moves from aft (4/5) to centre (3/5).

Steering compass while turning

A heading-up compass: the card turns so your heading always sits under the fixed marker at the top. Here the boat turns from 256° W to 221° SW, with COG, SOG, STW and depth tiles around it. The red half of the rim shows the wind is on the port side.

EssentialAIS: collision alarm

COLLISIONGUY appears on a collision course 0.6 nm away, heading for the CPA guard zone: it is drawn red with a ring and the Alarms counter shows 1. GLORIA GAYNOR stays blue because she passes clear — with Collision Alarm Only she does not sound the alarm. Mute and Snooze 5min are always at the top; − / + change the radar range.

EssentialAnchor: anchor drag alarm

The swing radius is set to 5 m. The boat has drifted 9 to 13 m from the anchor point: the guard circle turns red and hatched, the trail shows the drift, the status reads DRAGGING! and the ANCHOR DRAG ALARM banner appears. The speaker button turns the sound on or off; Weigh Anchor stops the watch.

Installation guide

Connecting a B&G H1000 system to EssentialSail NMEA

A low-cost NMEA 0183 to Wi-Fi installation, step by step. Version 1.0, September 2026 · PDF.

Download guide

Keep it onboard

Download the complete manual

All setup instructions, instruments, safety systems, subscription details, troubleshooting, and technical references in one offline-ready file.

Version 1.59 · 14 October 2026 Markdown format
Download manual
Get it on Google PlayRate us on Google PlayAndroid 8.0+ · phones, tablets & head units

Questions

NMEA app questions, answered

What is EssentialSail?

EssentialSail is an application for boats that turns an Android phone, tablet or head unit into a set of marine instruments, showing live NMEA data from your onboard network.

Does the app work with NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000?

Yes. EssentialSail reads NMEA 0183 sentences directly, and NMEA 2000 networks are supported through a gateway or multiplexer that converts N2K data to NMEA 0183 over TCP or UDP.

How do I connect the app over NMEA Wi-Fi?

Join the same Wi-Fi network as your NMEA gateway or multiplexer, open Settings then Connections, enter the IP address and port (commonly 10.10.100.254 on port 10111), choose TCP or UDP and tap Connect.

Which instruments does the NMEA app display?

Apparent and true wind, depth and clearance under the keel, boat and GPS speed, a heading-up compass, EssentialView pages of widgets you arrange yourself, AIS radar with CPA and TCPA alerts, anchor watch with drag alarm, an onboard IP camera and a raw NMEA monitor.

Is it useful during a boat refit?

Yes. During a boat refit EssentialSail lets you verify a new NMEA network instantly: the raw NMEA monitor shows incoming sentences so you can confirm wiring, gateways and sensors before installing fixed displays.

Which devices are supported?

Any Android 8.0 or newer phone, tablet or head unit. Download from Google Play and try every feature inside the app for 15 days from first launch, with no card and no commitment. After the trial, choose a Monthly, Annual or Lifetime licence at the prices in the Pricing section. All functions pause until you choose a plan; your settings are kept.

Write to support

Tell us what happened

Describe the issue and the EssentialSail crew can reproduce it. A debug report and a screenshot usually settle it in one reply.

  • Save a Debug Report from Settings → Support inside the app.
  • Add a screenshot of the screen where things went wrong.
  • Say when it started and what changed just before.
  • Attach both to the email before you press send.
support@essentialsail.comMention your app version & device

This opens your email app with the message prepared; nothing leaves your device until you press send there.