Support

Knotbook Support

Knotbook Support

The automatic ship's log for sailors. Answers to common questions, help with recording and backups, and how to reach us.

Contact us

Questions, problems or ideas? Write to us and we'll answer as soon as we can, usually within two working days.
It helps to include your iPhone model and iOS version (iPhone Settings › General › About) and what you were doing when the problem happened.
Email support

Getting started

  1. Add your boat and crew. Open Settings (the gear icon), enter your boat's name, type and length, and add the people who sail with you. Mark which one is you.
  2. Allow location “Always”. This lets Knotbook keep recording your track with the screen off or while you use other apps.
  3. Download the forecast on the home screen while you still have signal. It stays on the phone for use offshore.
  4. Start a voyage with the Start voyage button, or turn on automatic departure detection: after 3 minutes above 1.5 knots, Knotbook starts the log for you.
  5. Log events with one tap: reef, sail change, engine on/off, anchored, moored, watch change or a note. Hourly entries and course changes are written automatically.
  6. When you arrive, end the voyage, or let Knotbook end it after 45 minutes stopped. Have the skipper sign it off and make a backup.

The app also has a built-in guide: tap the ? icon on the home screen.

Frequently asked questions

Does Knotbook work without mobile signal?
Yes. GPS works anywhere, and the track, entries and voyage summary are recorded offline. Only the weather forecast and the background map need a connection; download the forecast before you leave.
How much battery does it use?
Knotbook takes a position every few seconds while underway and switches to a low-power mode when you are at anchor or waiting to leave. On a long passage, keep the phone on a charger. Continued use of GPS in the background can reduce battery life.
What happens when I stop or anchor?
After 10 minutes without moving, Knotbook asks “anchored or arrived?”. Choose Anchored to keep the voyage open; it continues when you get moving again. If you don't answer, the voyage closes after 45 minutes. Time at anchor or moored isn't counted as night hours at sea.
Can I connect my boat's instruments?
Yes, over WiFi. Connect the phone to the boat's NMEA 0183 WiFi gateway or Signal K server, then go to Settings › Find instruments. Wind, depth, the boat's GPS and engine RPM go into the log, and engine on/off is recorded automatically. If your Signal K server has security enabled, tap Request access and approve “Knotbook” in the server's admin page under Security › Access Requests.
How does the sea-time record work?
Each crew member has a personal record of days on board, days as skipper, miles, night hours on watch and non-stop passages over 60 miles, compared with the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal and Offshore prerequisites. To have night hours counted, log each watch change with the names of the crew on watch. You can export the record as a PDF.

Requirements differ between schemes and change over time. Always check the official requirements before applying. Knotbook is not affiliated with or endorsed by the RYA.

Can I edit an entry after the fact?
Yes. Tap an entry to change or delete it, or add one you missed. Every change is kept in the voyage's audit trail and amended entries are marked on the PDF. Once the skipper has signed off a voyage it is locked; the skipper can revoke the sign-off to edit it again, which is recorded too.
I sail on more than one boat. Is that supported?
Yes. Add each boat in Settings and choose the boat when you start a voyage. The home screen can show totals for one boat or all of them, and your sea time counts across every boat you sail.
Is a Knotbook log accepted as an official logbook?
Rules depend on your boat's flag and where you sail. Knotbook records what a ship's log normally contains and can export it as PDF, but we can't confirm that any authority accepts an electronic log. For French-flagged boats, Knotbook records the navigation zone and the forecast at departure (Division 240); check with the authorities if in doubt.
Which languages are available?
English, French, German and Spanish, including the PDFs. Knotbook follows your phone's language; you can choose another one in Settings.
Can I use Knotbook to navigate?
No. Knotbook is a logbook: it has no charts, routing or alarms. Always navigate with proper charts and instruments and keep a good lookout.

Troubleshooting

The track stops when the screen is off

  • Go to iPhone Settings › Knotbook › Location and choose Always, with Precise Location on.
  • Turn off Low Power Mode during a voyage.
  • Don't swipe Knotbook away in the app switcher while a voyage is running.

The voyage didn't start by itself

  • Check that Detect departure automatically is on in the home screen.
  • The boat must stay above 1.5 knots for 3 minutes. You can always start the voyage yourself.

Instruments aren't found

  • Make sure the phone is on the boat's WiFi network, not mobile data only.
  • Allow Knotbook to access the local network (iPhone Settings › Knotbook › Local Network).
  • Enter the address yourself, for example tcp://192.168.4.1:10110 or signalk://192.168.1.10:3000, then tap Test connection.

No forecast

  • The forecast needs an internet connection and a position. Tap Update on the home screen before you leave.

Your data, backups and new phones

Your logbook is stored only on your phone. There is no account and no Knotbook server.

  • Back up in Settings › Backup: save the backup file to iCloud Drive, Files or any storage app you use. Knotbook reminds you when a backup is overdue and offers one when a voyage ends.
  • Move to a new phone: make a backup on the old phone, install Knotbook on the new one, then choose Restore in Settings and pick the backup file. Skipper sign-offs stay valid.
  • Your phone's iCloud backup also includes Knotbook's data.
  • Export a voyage as PDF logbook, GPX track or CSV from the voyage summary.
  • Delete your data by deleting the app. Backup files you saved elsewhere stay there until you delete them.

If you delete the app without a backup, your logbook cannot be recovered. We have no copy of it.

Privacy policy

Short version: Knotbook does not collect your data. There is no account, no analytics, no advertising and no tracking. We never see your voyages, positions or crew.

What stays on your phone

Your voyages, track, log entries, boats, crew names and settings are stored on your device only. They leave it only when you choose to: when you share or save an export or backup, or through your own iCloud device backup.

Location

Knotbook uses your location to record your track and log entries, including in the background while a voyage is underway or automatic departure detection is on. Location data is stored on your device and not sent to us.

Services the app contacts

  • Weather forecast: when you download a forecast, your approximate position is sent to Open-Meteo to get the forecast for that area.
  • Map: the track map loads map images from OpenStreetMap, which shows the area being viewed.
  • Boat instruments: connections to NMEA or Signal K equipment stay on the boat's local network.

These requests don't include your name or any identifier from Knotbook.

Motion sensors

The barometer is used to log air pressure. Readings stay on your device.

Children

Knotbook is not directed at children and collects no personal data from anyone.

Changes and contact

If this policy changes, we will update this page and the date below. Questions: soaresmp@gmail.com.

Last updated: 11 October 2026

© 2026 Knotbook. Knotbook is a logbook, not a navigation aid.

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