So guys, I've just finished my first garmin watch app targeting sailing, kiting, windsurfing, and it's free.
In the connect IQ store.
App Name : sail Racer
Included speed, max speed, VMG directly upwind, angle off the wind, track , elapsed distance, session recording with Google earth output, speed graph .... and the masterpiece
In the main menu a polar logger. It records max speed against all compass headings, and saves so you can make a polar graph using excell to find out your target speeds to give best upwind or downwind performance. Let me know what you think, or if you have any suggestions I can implement

Aw man....
I just got given a apple watch for xmas, now I'm pissed.
That looks awesome DaChopper,
I love the idea behind the polar generation. It's not difficult to do on my PC based system, but there is enough navigation of the interface and menus to make you not bother to use it.
Are you using the angle between the two laylines to windward and simply bisecting to get the TWD?
Good on you for giving it a go, I wish I had the talent!
Thanks,
SB

Hmm....
Hi Dachopper,
Garymalgren posted recently looking for a simple audible alarm on a device in case he gets a course drift of say 15 degrees.
Purpose was to keep an eye on the boat heading with a windvane/sheet to tiller steering setup.

To me ,this would look like the following description
- boat settles onto a heading (True).
- push button to record heading.
- calculate two new GPS bearings by adding and subtracting 15 degrees from heading.

- Trigger audible alarm if the heading passes either calculated bearing.
- a second button push or suchlike to cancel.

Is this the sort of thing one of these Garmin watches could do?
I never thought of a watch app, the concept is really interesting.

Interesting. I guess it all comes down to how fast and accurate the gps is in the watch. How many Hz.
Something I can never find in the tech data of watches or phones.
Will it automatically change to the next mark?

How do you enter the way points?
I have been looking at a fenix 3. For sailing and sup.The prices have dropped. Will it work on this model or which model will it work best on.

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shaggybaxter said..
Aw man....
I just got given a apple watch for xmas, now I'm pissed.
That looks awesome DaChopper,
I love the idea behind the polar generation. It's not difficult to do on my PC based system, but there is enough navigation of the interface and menus to make you not bother to use it.
Are you using the angle between the two laylines to windward and simply bisecting to get the TWD?
Good on you for giving it a go, I wish I had the talent!
Thanks,
SB

Yep, I got sick of no-one making an app like this, so over the last month I taught myself coding and made it!

When you start the APP there is an arrow that says set wind direction. You point your watch into wind and click start, and it saves the wind direction using your watches compass...... The angle you see on the polar graph, is like a compass, except the wind is North in the graph. so on the graph - your speed displayed at the 040 angle, is actually 40 degrees from directly into wind, and 270 for example, is you on the other tack, 90 degrees from the wind ( Wind is always 360 / 0 ) .

If you are using the waypoints, then VMG is VMG directly to the next waypoint, if you have a Wind page up, it will say Wind somewhere, and in that case, it's VMG directly upwind or downwind.

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tarquin1 said..
How do you enter the way points?
I have been looking at a fenix 3. For sailing and sup.The prices have dropped. Will it work on this model or which model will it work best on.

Get the Fenix 6.... I am getting 21 Days battery life !!!!!

I'm not sure about the Fenix 3, if it supports IS 3 then yes

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tarquin1 said..
Interesting. I guess it all comes down to how fast and accurate the gps is in the watch. How many Hz.
Something I can never find in the tech data of watches or phones.
Will it automatically change to the next mark?

Its updated once a second, I am still figuring out the Waypoint input.... the pages are all there and work, but the waypoint entery is on the to do list.

The polar log5 option, uses 5 readings to get a proper vectored average, to try and smooth out any funny business.... by funny business I mean a foiling upwind tack showing you just point straight into the wind at 20kts is quickest... the average will smooth that out so it should be reduced.

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shaggybaxter said..
Hmm....
Hi Dachopper,
Garymalgren posted recently looking for a simple audible alarm on a device in case he gets a course drift of say 15 degrees.
Purpose was to keep an eye on the boat heading with a windvane/sheet to tiller steering setup.

To me ,this would look like the following description
- boat settles onto a heading (True).
- push button to record heading.
- calculate two new GPS bearings by adding and subtracting 15 degrees from heading.

- Trigger audible alarm if the heading passes either calculated bearing.
- a second button push or suchlike to cancel.

Is this the sort of thing one of these Garmin watches could do?
I never thought of a watch app, the concept is really interesting.

Oh yess.... it will do much more than that.

I am going to add more pages.... Lift / knock page, layline alarm... bluetooth to wireless headset for recorded messages rather than having to look at it...

But It already is recording the Track, which is much more accurate than heading, to decide when to get the alarm, its a question of how many degreee heading change, and over how much time.... you probably need to say something like, check track every 10 seconds, and if there are 3 x track measurements in a row that are more than X degrees off the first measurement then vibrate - or bluetooth alarm to phone or whatever you want

I think if the way points are difficult to input it will deter people. Could they be done via a phone or laptop. Keep it simple to begin and make it user friendly. I have loads of mates that have Suunto watches. Not one of them know how to use it.
Lift/knock and laylines are not accurate without TWD.
Even if you reset the wind everytime you tack or round a mark it's not going to be very accurate.
I think it's a good idea for bearings VMG etc.
I think it would be good for supping,kayaking etc as well to be able to see your SOG and COG and be able to put waypoints in. Nice to see VMG . I have often been paddling and because of waves or wind you cant point where you want to go and wondered what my VMG was.Great safety feature as well.

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tarquin1 said..
I think if the way points are difficult to input it will deter people. Could they be done via a phone or laptop. Keep it simple to begin and make it user friendly. I have loads of mates that have Suunto watches. Not one of them know how to use it.
Lift/knock and laylines are not accurate without TWD.
Even if you reset the wind everytime you tack or round a mark it's not going to be very accurate.
I think it's a good idea for bearings VMG etc.
I think it would be good for supping,kayaking etc as well to be able to see your SOG and COG and be able to put waypoints in. Nice to see VMG . I have often been paddling and because of waves or wind you cant point where you want to go and wondered what my VMG was.Great safety feature as well.

I found out you can enter waypoints on a PC / Mac using garmin connect webpage, then it will sync them to the watch.

Any lift or knock calculation, would be based on your current track changing, and not the wind direction.

The layline calculator - would be based on your last tack data... so it would look say 30 seconds to 1 minute prior to the tack, and then 30 seconds to a minute after the tack, and figure out which GPS tracks gave the highest VMG into wind - That is then your best angle ( not heading but tacking - track change angle ) .... when the mark is = too the previous calculated tacking angle.... all things equal and without any more wind shifts, it's time to tack. What do you think?

The only 2 inputs you have are SOG and COG and they are not going to be super accurate from a 1Hz GPS watch. There is only so much you can do with that.

Hi Tarquin,
True, but a lot of on board electronics only run at 1 hz don't they?
my Raymarine Evo Tillerpilot and wind and impeller sensors were all 1hz on the last boat. My current system is only 10hz and the damping of these inputs for the autopilot is normally 1 input every n seconds , not sub second. For another 20k I can get that up to the industry maximum of 25hz, so I don't see a watch at 1 hz to be that bad considering the cost.
cheers!
sb

No it's not bad.
I am just saying I dont think you can calculate laylines and tell when you are being knocked etc from a watch with no wind direction, or a direction you pinged half an hour or so ago,maybe more.
Ontop of that you are using an ok gps. It's just not going to be accurate.There are just too many variables.
Make an app and keep it simple and people will use it.
The difference between 1hz and 10 is 10 times better. That's a lot. An autopilot receiving at 10 hz is different to a gps receiving at 10 Hz. An autopilot is sending and receiving messages through a wire to another system a couple of meters away. A gps is receiving messages from various satellites in space.10 hz gps systems are expensive.
I mean just the fact they can get a gps in a watch is amazing.
I think dachopper has a good idea. Just dont over complicate it.

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tarquin1 said..
No it's not bad.
I am just saying I dont think you can calculate laylines and tell when you are being knocked etc from a watch with no wind direction, or a direction you pinged half an hour or so ago,maybe more.
Ontop of that you are using an ok gps. It's just not going to be accurate.There are just too many variables.
Make an app and keep it simple and people will use it.
The difference between 1hz and 10 is 10 times better. That's a lot. An autopilot receiving at 10 hz is different to a gps receiving at 10 Hz. An autopilot is sending and receiving messages through a wire to another system a couple of meters away. A gps is receiving messages from various satellites in space.10 hz gps systems are expensive.
I mean just the fact they can get a gps in a watch is amazing.
I think dachopper has a good idea. Just dont over complicate it.

The difference between 1 second and 10, is not 10 times the accuracy, it takes 10 seconds to get the same accuracy, and that is what I'm doing averaging over time, to get accuracy.... the code is complete so I'm happy I managed to get it into a wrist watch!

The difference between 1hz and 10 hz is 1 position per second and 10 positions per second. 10 times faster. Averaging over 10 secs is good but nowhere near as accurate.
I think what you are doing is interesting and has potential dont get me wrong. Just dont ask it to do too much. The fact that you have taught yourself to do this and get it in a watch is awsome.
Have you used the Garmin Quatix. Seems to be able to connect to garmin instruments. It says some other systems may be compatible. Dosnt give a list though.

Version 1.1 uploaded today - Race Countdown added, Polar log filter added to detect tacks / gybes and only log if you have a steady GPS track. If you donwload - please give the app a rating so it appears higher in the store visibility & I'll keep developing it. Waypoints are next on the list.

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tarquin1 said..
The difference between 1hz and 10 hz is 1 position per second and 10 positions per second. 10 times faster. Averaging over 10 secs is good but nowhere near as accurate.
I think what you are doing is interesting and has potential dont get me wrong. Just dont ask it to do too much. The fact that you have taught yourself to do this and get it in a watch is awsome.
Have you used the Garmin Quatix. Seems to be able to connect to garmin instruments. It says some other systems may be compatible. Dosnt give a list though.

At the moment - I'm limited with working just with the watch. The first communications I will look at after then, is bluetooth to wireless earbuds, so that you get messages in your ear when things happen, like prestart 5 minutes, 4 minutes.... etc... Layline reached, max speed whatever.

The newer Garmins have bluetooth and ANT.... so if there is code supporting the link between devices it will work provided the distance is not too great.

I thought If you get the accurate 10 times a second reading as you are surfing down a wave..... your polar is going to look incorrect. That is why I put the X second averaged vector polar graph in there to account for crazy stuff, like if someone gybes down a wave, and then his polar tells him, the quickest way downwind is straight downwind. I could up the update rate, but I really don't think the result is going to be much different over the X time period, in some conditions, there will always be Wave / or swell error, but nothing I can really do about that.

Hi Dachopper
Congratulations on the Garmin app. lot of work I would imagine.

if you have any suggestions I can implement

I am the bloke that Shaggy mentioned in an earlier reply. Gary Malmgren
He mentioned what I was looking for and you replied

Oh yess.... it will do much more than that.

I am going to add more pages.... Lift / knock page, layline alarm... bluetooth to wireless headset for recorded messages rather than having to look at it...

I would just like to clarify.
I am looking for an alarm that will indicate when a sailboat under windvane (non-electric) selfsteering were to veer 10,15. or 30 degrees off course.
Not an addon to a Garmin watch.

The app would be small and single purpose and aimed to a specific user. Although your present app is very good, it seems to have too many features and is aimed only at someone with a Garmin watch. Not sure how broad that market is.

This is not a knocking post as I actually pay (the minimal fees ) fee the apps I use in appreciation of the work that someone has put in.

So a phone app.
Steer a course and push a button. The app will project the course forward, 10. 30 50 mile or infinity.
Push another button and the track is set. If it veers from the initial course by 10, 15 0r 30 degrees over a set time frame of 5 , 10 15 minutes an audio alarm will sound. Selection of alarms could be, foghorn, John Cleese telling me I am an idiot , ringing bell or (my favorite) a Japanese temple bell.

That's would be it. No recorded course, No recorded speed. No average fuel usage. Just an Off course alarm.
Please.


Keep up the good work
gary

Version 1.2 uploading today.
Added sport selection ( kitesurf/windsurf/Sail/ etc... ) with remembering of your preference
Added record data- max speed of all time, longest distance all time, as well as session max and session distance to the activity summary on your phone.
Session total number of tacks and number of gybes
Formatted polar data for ease of plotting, with all values defaulting to zero.
main menu has change wind added as an option in session.
Added race countdown timer which can be set after you hit start, or changed on the fly in the middle of a countdown
Coming shortly....
Tack angle and Gybe angle calculator, which will also be added to the session summary.
Adding the beeps and vibrations.

Question... at present when you start recording, the Elapsed time increases.... do you think you would like any other indication aside from ET counting up? I could add some red graphics easily? Or keep it clean it will be easier to read?

Gary, I would be surprised if there wasn't already a phone app for something like that. I use anchor alarm pro for an anchor alarm.... maybe if you email them, they could add an off course alarm. Could use distance off course, instead of angle off.... or setup either easily with the rest of the app all ready written.

At the moment, mine is looking for a 2 degree heading change over 3 readings, or 10 degrees over 5 seconds- this was for the lift / knock recognition.

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dachopper said..

Question... at present when you start recording, the Elapsed time increases.... do you think you would like any other indication aside from ET counting up? I could add some red graphics easily? Or keep it clean it will be easier to read?

Hi Dc,
When do you start recording at the moment? Is it when you start the 5 min countdown or when you select "start recording"?
(Sorry,I don't have a Garmin watch, so I'm asking blind)
And what do you mean regards red graphics? Example: night mode, differentiate ET from countdown, or just for cosmetics?
SB

You push the " start " button on the watch, and then on any display with Elapsed time displayed, you see the time increase, it records instantly when the elapsed time increases.... like a stopwatch.
\
Wondering if user needs another indication aside from the ET increasing....

Uploaded version 1.4 TodayImproved display compatibility if you have a smaller watch resolutionAdded vibrations to all menus that save data + the race countdown at 3 min 2 min 1 min 30 sec, 20 sec, 10 secs.Added Tack and Gybe min speed filter ( adjustable ) to stop the watch recording a tack if you walk across a boat, or on the shore.

Sail Racer User Guide : version 1.5
When you first open the App, turn the watch left or right to decrease / increase the wind speed, and click (start) once your approximation of wind speed is displayed. This is not used in computations, but is displayed in your Connect IQ activity - Session Summary. Next, point the arrow into wind, and click next. This will store the wind direction, which is used for VMG upwind / downwind and angle off the wind calculations. If the wind changes during the session, you can re-set the wind from the Sail Racer main menu.Screens - currently there are 7 main screens, with the general purpose screen displaying first, selecting up or down will cycle through 3 speed oriented screens, and 3 navigation oriented screens. Access to the main menu, and start / stop session can be done from any of these screens.Most of the screens have local watch Time / Session record time towards the bottom, that will cycle between the two values every 4 - 6 seconds.
Recording - Prior to recording, if you wish to also record Polar Data, select this option in the main menu. If you have done this in the past, then the watch will remember your preference. To start recording, click start, the watch session time near the bottom will change to RED colour and start increasing ( on all screens ) and the watch will vibrate once. To stop recording, push the same button, the watch will vibrate twice and the Save / Discard / Save and Exit / Exit menu will be displayed. Move up or down to select the option desired, and if Save is selected, the watch will vibrate 3 times to indicate save completed and exit, or be ready to record another session.
Race Countdown - The race countdown uses a modified session recording time, to display a countdown for use in any pre-race countdown situation. To use this feature, simply start recording when the 5 or 10 minute gun / flag is displayed, and then enter the main menu to select the desired countdown. This will then be applied to the session time that is already running realtime. There are built in vibrations at 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute, 30 secs, 20 secs and from 10 secs to zero secs to go. The Speed 1 screen and Nav 1 screen will show the race countdown covering the entire screen, until time = 0, then go back to the normal display screen. You may also set the race countdown timer before you start recording in the main menu, and it will remain at - X minutes until you select record.
Main Menu - To access the main menu from any of the 7 screens, hold the menu button for 2 - 3 seconds until the menu is displayed. To navigate use the Previous / Next buttons and Start to select an Item.
-Reset Wind Direction
-Enable Polar Logging
-Edit / Enter Waypoint information ( Not Available until version 2.0+ )
-Edit / Enter Courses ( Not Available until version 2.0+)
-Select Race Countdown-Select Activity Type - as shown in your Activity Summary in Garmin Connect
-Adjust Tack / Gybe Filter
The Tack / Gybe filter, allows you to set a minimum speed that needs to be held as you pass through the wind direction. This is to filter out tacks being recorded when you are walking around on the beach, floating in the water or walking on a boat deck. By default 2 kts upwind, 3 kts downwind. It's recommended to set this higher if your tack or gybe angles occasionally appear incorrect. After a tack or gybe, the heading you are on will not be recorded until your speed has stopped increasing and is stable, to give an accurate tack angle
Polar Log feature - this feature allows you to record polar data, to later obtain a plot of max speed vs wind angle on a PC / Mac. To use this feature first go into the main menu and enable polar logging. The instant log, records max speed Vs angle off the wind, every second without filters, and as a result, if you preform fast tacks / gybes / you will have unsustainable speeds recorded against some of the angles. The Average log reduces this by adding 5 seconds of recordings together, and averaging the resulting vector out. And by ignoring all speed values that occur when the heading is not steady.To record the polar log you must place a blank Text document on your watch in the Garmin / Apps / Log folder, and call it Sail Racer. Every time you record a session, or exit the watch application, the Polar log and tacking information will be overwritten. So if you want Polar data off your watch from a session, enable polar logging, ensure the text file is in the folder on your watch, Start the session, Save and exit once finished. Do not open the app again, until you have plugged it into a PC and copied the data from the text file. If you open the app before copying, or start another recording session, the polar data will be overwritten.Once Polar data is in the text file, you can copy and paste into a program such as MS excel, use the import wizard when you paste, click next and select Comma to separate the separate values.Then Highlight all the excel data boxes, right click quick analysis, chart, radar chart. It's a bit of a pain, but the only way it can be done at present. Enjoy... Nick

Version 1.7 out nowFixed a bug in the Tack and gybe angle calculator, and the tack and gybe number calculator.... these are now working correctly.Tack / Gybe angle calculator uses your GPS track from 6 to 16 seconds before turning into wind, compared to after the tack when speed is steady or decreasing and track is steady

Version 1.9.1 of the APP out now.....Updates : Waypoint navigation enabled, live tack and gybe angle + vibration displayed on watch realtime, end of session summary on the watch, tack calculator tweakedPlease Rate......apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/1980c826-844a-47f7-9ca8-ffc0e09ba2ba Course waypoint list for racing to be enabled shortly

Version 2.0 completeFull waypoint Nav and Course routes, auto waypoint up when within 100 meters.

Version 2.6 out,

Fixes GPS WAIT error if following a course

Love seeing all the updates Dachopper!

I'm still looking forward to using the polar function next time I get a non race day out there.

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Planeray said..
Love seeing all the updates Dachopper!

I'm still looking forward to using the polar function next time I get a non race day out there.

You just turn the polar recording on, it happens in the background.

Sail Racer Version 3.0 is released and still free in the connect iq store., now supports race starts.What you get - existing pre race countdown timer, with ability to update the countdown if slightly off by re-clicking start when the flag/gun drops. Above countdown is your speed to the nearest end if off the ends of the line. If sailing below the startline your VMG to the closest point is displayed. At the bottom of the screen is speed required directly to the nearest point of the line, to arrive at the nearest part of the line at time = zero. Concept, make the two speeds match and you will nail the start every time.Requires accurately setting wind axis in the start area through menu-set wind. Then a sail past both ends of the start line after entering race countdown mode. Watch will display " set start a", approaching 1 end , 1 boat length bellow the line click start. Then repeat at the other end of the line to " set start b". Then required speed will show once countdown started at the bottom. "req 2.5 kt", and boatspeed or VMG if downwind of the line at the top of the screen.
Enjoy!