I had a very interesting email exchange with Kim Kavin, editor of Charterwave and one of the most technically savvy people I know in the charter business.  She’s a Kindle lover and didn’t really agree that the iPad would be that revolutionary for yacht charters.  For reading a book on on a yacht, the Kindle, as a single purpose tool, has no peer – especially given that it has an LCD screen that is easy to read outdoors, while backlit screens common to computers and presumably the iPad may be more difficult to read in direct sunlight. She also felt that an iPhone, which has a smaller footprint but plenty of uses, can be used for games, videos, etc.

Everyone will need to make their own decisions about what electronic devices they choose to bring on their charters.  If you want a great tool to read books, a Kindle may be for you. If you want a multipurpose tool that is not too large, bring your iPhone, and if you want a bigger screen that will be excellent for charts, games, videos, pictures and yachting apps, an iPad may be perfect, especially if someone makes a waterproof case!

The raging debate in tech land today is whether the iPad has enough features or is revolutionary enough to truly change the world. Looked at from the perspective of yachting, my feeling is a very strong yes.  Its big, beautiful screen, ease of use (no mouse or keyboard to flop around the boat) and ability to process graphics so quickly will make it a fantastic tool to bring along on any charter or yachting holiday.

We see it with multiple uses: reading charts and mixing basic chart data with images, videos and user information about the ports and cruising areas, keeping track of your expenses and other trip records, researching your itinerary, entertaining the kids at night on their personal movie viewers, checking weather, tides and wind forecasts, and showing everyone your gorgeous pictures as you progress through your charter.  I did this on my last charter with my MacBook Pro, but was constantly worried that I’d ruin it.  Not so with an iPad – there aren’t really any moving parts.

Added to the above, there will be amazing apps written for sailors and yachting that we haven’t even thought about but that will become indispensable as soon as we try them. That’s the nature of technology, and why the iPhone is the number one phone in the world right now.  We’ll certainly be following these events with interest, and may even release an app or two of our own 🙂

As a disclaimer, I worked for Apple Computer for 10 years (back when it had a colored logo with stripes), so I’ve had a serious dose of Steve Job’s reality distortion field.