This is the Pathfinder Sailing User Guide for the Basic Plan, which uses iPhone GPS and does not integrate with your instruments. Click here for the User Guide for the Plus Plan that integrates with your B&G H5000, Hercules, and Triton instruments, and any NMEA-connected instruments.
1. Overview – Basic Plan
The Basic Plan app uses your iPhone GPS and stores the race data locally on your phone. Race-time screens use this data to provide the following:
- Race Timer
- Start screen with Distance to the Line and Speed-to-Start information
- Start Analysis screen with real-time Distance Below Line and Immediate Over-Early Notification
- Course screen with Speed over Ground (SOG), Course over Ground (COG), and COG Trend
2. Getting Started and Quickstart
The Pathfinder app is available for download through the Apple App Store with a free 30-day trial.
To get started, view the Basic Plan Quickstart. The Quickstart will outline each step to:
- Download the app from the Apple App Store
- Create a Pathfinder Sailing Account
- Choose a plan. You will be notified when the trial ends and given the option to subscribe.
- Create a boat profile
- Set up the app on your Apple Watch, if you will be using one
Create a Pathfinder Account
Once downloaded, you will be on the login page. Select “Create an Account” and enter your name and email address and click ‘Create Account.’ Once verified, you will be taken to a Subscription page where you will select a subscription to begin after the 30-day trial is complete. After selecting and confirming a plan, you will be forwarded to the Welcome page with links to Quickstarts and this User Guide.
3. Create a Boat Profile
Before using the app on the water, you should create a boat profile for the boat you will be sailing on.
To create a boat profile, select ‘Mange Boats’ near the bottom of the Home screen. The Active Boat screen will show profiles for the boats you sail on. The default ‘My Boat’ profile will work for you without modifications if you want to use that, but a profile with your boat name makes it easier to keep track of your race replays and improves your multiple boat replays.
To create a boat profile, select the “Add Boat” button, enter the boat name and click ‘Save’.
You will advance to the Edit Boat screen.
From here, select your boat type (EG: One-Design class or Custom) and enter your boat length. Click ‘Save’.
Back on the Active Boat page, click ‘Refresh’ and then ‘Select Boat’ to make this your default boat.
4. Set Active Boat
Back on the Active Boat screen, click ‘Refresh’ and then “Select Boat” to make that boat active. The boat list is populated by boats you have added to your profile.
If you want to add or delete a boat, you can do so by selecting ‘Add Boat’ or ‘Edit Boat’ and then deleting it from the profile page.
5. Screen List
This page lets you turn app screens on and off and change their order.
By default, the Speed, Wind, and Current screens are disabled for Basic Plan because they require connected instruments to populate data.
6. Settings
Most of these settings are self-explanatory. Some comments on those that require some explanation:
- Account confirms which Pathfinder account you are logged into.
- The Units settings allow you to switch preferences between boat lengths, meters, and feet.
- Trend Graph Duration. Select a time duration for the trend graphs for Wind and Tidal Current screens. Options include 10 minutes, 30 minutes, or 60 minutes of wind screen and current screen data.
- Manage Location Permission. If you select ‘Always in Use’, the app will collect GPS location data from the iPhone. This ensures location data is continuously collected even if the app is minimized.
7. Set the Starting Line
On the race course, once the race committee has set the starting line, you can ping the precise location of both ends of the starting line directly from your phone on the ‘Set Start Line’ screens.
Ping Starting Line Ends
To ping either end, select the Port or Stbd End Ping screen, then press the ‘Ping Mark’ for the appropriate end of the line the moment the bow of the boat is even with the starting line. Be sure to approach the line slowly and with a steady course for maximum accuracy. Once successfully pinged, you will see a green check mark next to the end of the ‘Set Start Line’ screen.
7. Race Timer
The Race Timer allows you to select your Timer Start point to synchronize with the Race Committee starting signals. Start by selecting the timer start point (for example, 5 minutes), then click the Start button when the race committee signal occurs. You can also use the custom timer to set a countdown of up to 59 minutes and 59 seconds.
Once you have started the start sequence and are within 5 minutes of your start, the app will automatically begin logging the race. You will see the red LED turn on at the top of your screen.
With the Sync buttons, you can sync down to the next minute by pressing the Sync down button or sync up to the last minute as needed.
The screen provides an audible switch option for the countdown.
Once the sequence has started, you can switch to the Start screen and still track your time to start.
8. Recording a Race
Race recording (logging) automatically stores your boat’s location data and performance data in the app’s database once per second. There are two ways you can start logging:
- Start the Timer. Whenever the race timer is at or below 5 minutes, logging begins automatically.
- Select the ‘Start Recording’ command on the Home page to start logging. The LED in the top right of your racing screens will turn red to indicate active logging is occurring, and the “Start Recording’ option switches to a red “Stop Recording” option. To stop recording, select the red ‘Stop Recording’ command. The red LED will turn gray to confirm you are no longer logging.
To stop recording, select the red ‘Stop Recording’ command. The red LED will turn gray to confirm you are no longer logging.
If you forget to stop recording on multiple race days, don’t worry. When you start your next race and the Timer is at 5 minutes or less, a new recording log file will be created.
9. Start Screen
Once you have set your starting line and started the Race Timer, the Start screen will provide your Time to Gun, Distance Below the Line, and Line Square To.
The Speed to Start is the speed you need to go to get to the line at the starting gun.
- If you are early, you will see your Speed to Start number getting smaller
- If your Speed to Start is getting larger, you may be late
- If you are really late, your Speed to Start will exceed your potential boatspeed, and you won’t be able to go fast enough to start on time. The trick is to time the increasing Speed to Start value with your Target BSP so you are at your full target speed as you cross the starting line.
‘Line Square to’ displays the true wind direction the line is set for so you can more easily determine which end of the line is favored.
Effective use of this screen at race time will take practice, and success depends on several factors, including tidal current, congestion, and any wind shadows in your starting area.
10. Start Analysis & Early Notification
When the Race Timer reaches ‘0’ and the race starts, the Start Analysis screen reports your distance from the start line at the moment the race started. The screen appears immediately after the timer reaches ‘0’, so you can see how well you started and whether you were over the starting line prematurely. Over-early starts show distance from the line at the gun as a negative number in red font, and a notification message will appear.
11. Live Map
The Live Map screen shows your location over a map using your iPhone GPS. In addition, a red track at shows where you have been along with your speed over ground (SOG) and your course over ground (COG).
Current GRIB Support
The Live Map allows you to view available NOAA GRIBS or GRIBS from other services, such as Tidetech, when the user’s subscription includes GRIB downloads.
To display a GRIB on your Live Map, click on the Current icon on the Pathfinder Live Map and select either Upload GRIB File or, for free NOAA GRIB, select ‘Use Public Current Data.’
For NOAA GRIB, select your Region
Select your NOAA GRIB Region . . .
After selecting your NOAA region, select your location.
The GRIB will download to your phone and display on your Live Map and update every hour.
Course Extension Lines
Pathfinder Live Map for Basic Plan shows two extension lines ahead of the boat icon. The lighter dashed line is the Heading Extension Line which shows your heading.
The Course Extension Line shows your actual Course over Ground, or COG, which will include the effects of current, windage, and leeway.
12. Course screen
The Course screen shows your COG (Course over Ground) and SOG (Speed over Ground) using your iPhone’s GPS The trend graph shows your COG trend. By default, the time duration is set to 10 minutes. You can change the trend duration in Settings > Trend Duration to 10, 30, or 60 minutes.
13. Apple Watch App
The app is a companion app to the Pathfinder mobile app and includes the Start and Course screens in this Basic Plan. The watch connects to your iPhone app via Bluetooth.
14. Race Replay
The Race Replay shows a list of your saved races. From the list you can select a race and replay it. The replay will generally begin at the 5-minute warning when race logging automatically starts.
If you have pinged your starting line ends, you will see the starting line on the replay screen.
16. Saving and Uploading Log Files to Pathfinder Sailing
If you are working with Pathfinder Services on sailing instrument calibration or custom polar development, you will want to save and then upload your log file to our cloud service.
On the water, after recording and saving a Log File, an ‘Upload Log Files’ button will appear at the top of the Home Page. Click that sto end your log file to our Services team.
