Float: Free an open source app made for the boater community in the UK.

[Alessandro Borelli]

Hey there!

In a nutshell: I made an app for us boaters! Keep reading please

Do we need another app? Maybe or maybe not. The thing is I found myself keeping a record on a map of all the places I moored my boat. The reason was simple. I wanted to prove to CRT that I did enough miles so they could not say anything.

Managing everything with a custom map on Google was becoming quite boring so since I work as an Android Developer I thought about making an app.

Over the last year, I worked in my spare time to make Float. It’s a free and open-source app for Android (iOS will come next). I put the essentials in the first version but my idea is to have a “democratic” way based on a voting system to decide what to add next. There are foundations for making a really useful app for us so if you are interested in helping me please give me a shout. Please have a look and read about it, download it, play with it, and give me your honest feedback. And I hope it’s gonna be useful!

App link: Google Play

More info at: Float App website

 

I posted the app just today in the London Boaters FB group and someone posted about another app in alpha made by @Tasemu called Drift Diary. It's nice to see good ideas to improve our boat lives! I'm thinking it would be a good idea to join forces given we're essentially working in parallel? Float is open-source and the whole idea was to involve others, so let me know what you think 🙂

[Tracy D'arth]

What a good idea. I can't remember where I have been last week so it sounds ideal. On behalf of boaters everywhere, thank you.

 

Is there a version for continuous moorers too that will self destruct their boats if they overstay?  Or can you make one of your developed Androids turn up and move them?

[DShK]

Will give it a go! If you could implement canalplan features (journey planning) into something like opencanalmap, with additional features like this. I'd pay for an app like that.

[Tonka]

Does it actually track you or can you lie and tell it I was here,there and everywhere last week

[Puffling]

This looks like a fantastic asset for the cc community. Thank you for all your work on this, and especially for offering it as open source.

 

I see it is not ad-supported either: I hope you'll keep it that way as I don't allow any adware stuff on my devices.

 

It remarkable that both yourself and @Tasemu have been working on similar apps at the same time. Is this an example of Moor's Law in action? (geddit?)

[GUMPY]

One thing I have noticed with Google maps is that if you stay somewhere for a while it positions your WiFi at that place so every day of my trip started at the marina it would take about 4 days until it realised that my WiFi wasn't there.

Something to be aware of 😉

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

One thing I have noticed with Google maps is that if you stay somewhere for a while it positions your WiFi at that place so every day of my trip started at the marina it would take about 4 days until it realised that my WiFi wasn't there.

Something to be aware of 😉

 

We get this when we travel in the caravan. Sometimes takes anything up to 48-72 hours to 'catch up'.

[GUMPY]

7 minutes ago, M_JG said:

 

We get this when we travel in the caravan. Sometimes takes anything up to 48-72 hours to 'catch up'.

Yes it's not a boat specific thing I also get it in the van. It can be cured by changing the name on the WiFi as you leave but there are devices reliant on the WiFi and I CBA to change them as well.

[Hudds Lad]

10 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

One thing I have noticed with Google maps is that if you stay somewhere for a while it positions your WiFi at that place so every day of my trip started at the marina it would take about 4 days until it realised that my WiFi wasn't there.

Something to be aware of 😉

I don't have this problem with the iPhone as i guess it uses phone signal as well as the boat WiFi to determine location, but my iPad which is WiFi only will always default to somewhere on the Thames in central London despite the fact it's never been there?!? All you want to do is see if there's a pub within walking distance and it's pretending it's the start of Eastenders  

[Tasemu]

HAHA! This is flipping uncanny timing. The app looks amazing mate and i'll download it today to check it out.

 

Got a link to the repo? I'd love to have a squiz at the code.

Edited August 24, 2023 by Jen-in-Wellies
Bad language.

[Alessandro Borelli]

1 hour ago, DShK said:

Will give it a go! If you could implement canalplan features (journey planning) into something like opencanalmap, with additional features like this. I'd pay for an app like that.

Thank you! What are the 3 most useful features that you would like to have in it?

1 hour ago, GUMPY said:

One thing I have noticed with Google maps is that if you stay somewhere for a while it positions your WiFi at that place so every day of my trip started at the marina it would take about 4 days until it realised that my WiFi wasn't there.

Something to be aware of 😉

Interesting! I think it depends on the type of permissions for instance if you use a GPS (accurate) permission on your android phone it may not have that bug, but I will need check it! Good spot thanks

56 minutes ago, Tasemu said:

HAHA! This is flipping uncanny timing. The app looks amazing mate and i'll download it today to check it out.

 

Got a link to the repo? I'd love to have a squiz at the code.

mate honestly this is so funny! I feel sorry for both of us ahah

Please add me on github br00 and also let's keep in touch on fb or email cause it will be nice to have a call about the apps!

Edited August 24, 2023 by Jen-in-Wellies
Bad language.

[Tasemu]

Just send you an invite on the face space and followed you on github 👍

[Jen-in-Wellies]

A reminder from a moderator. The F word and other bad language is frowned upon here. The offending word has been bowdlerised in the two replies it appears in.

From the forum Rules and Guidelines:

Quote

CWDF provides an inclusive online waterways related environment suitable for all ages and the nature of the language and images used must reflect this.

 

[GUMPY]

4 hours ago, Alessandro Borelli said:

think it depends on the type of permissions for instance if you use a GPS (accurate) permission on your android phone it may not have that bug,

I have it set to most accurate so GPS is on but it still does it.

[ditchcrawler]

5 hours ago, GUMPY said:

Yes it's not a boat specific thing I also get it in the van. It can be cured by changing the name on the WiFi as you leave but there are devices reliant on the WiFi and I CBA to change them as well.

Its when it starts recommending pubs near you and you are a hundred miles away 

[TheBiscuits]

56 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

I have it set to most accurate so GPS is on but it still does it.

 

Other way round.  Most accurate tries to use local WiFi networks to refine the position, less accurate only uses GPS.

 

It used to drive me mad until I figured this out, as I'm very often close to the same portable hotspot, but rarely in the same location.

 

 

[GUMPY]

16 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Other way round.  Most accurate tries to use local WiFi networks to refine the position, less accurate only uses GPS.

 

It used to drive me mad until I figured this out, as I'm very often close to the same portable hotspot, but rarely in the same location.

 

 

Interesting I will have to experiment 😉

[Midnight]

I'm installing your app as I write. I congratulate you and will be pleased to give some feedback

 I'm not a CCer (summer CCer perhaps)

but will find it useful for my own benefit and should I ever get pinged by C&RT I think it would help. From listening to genuine CCer friends who get the occasional tug from C&RT it seems they are fairly relaxed with a valid explanation. I'm guessing it's the number of 'valid explanations' over time period that puts CCers on the radar.

[wandering]

I simply drop a pin to each location I stay at overnight and tag it with "boat was here" with the date on Google Maps which gives it a unique looking "pin" (blue) on the map. Out of curiosity, how does your app improve upon this flow that I have for myself?

 

 

[Mike Todd]

15 hours ago, Midnight said:

I'm installing your app as I write. I congratulate you and will be pleased to give some feedback

 I'm not a CCer (summer CCer perhaps)

but will find it useful for my own benefit and should I ever get pinged by C&RT I think it would help. From listening to genuine CCer friends who get the occasional tug from C&RT it seems they are fairly relaxed with a valid explanation. I'm guessing it's the number of 'valid explanations' over time period that puts CCers on the radar.

I suspect it is more about invalid explanations than not believing a claim to gave moved which was not o,n the tracking database. Typically, 'I cannot move cos my job is here and the kids go to the local nursery '

[IanD]

4 hours ago, Mike Todd said:

I suspect it is more about invalid explanations than not believing a claim to gave moved which was not o,n the tracking database. Typically, 'I cannot move cos my job is here and the kids go to the local nursery '

 

Which according to the CART license conditions are definitely *not* valid reasons for not moving far enough to "satisfy the Board" that they are Continuously Cruising ("no home mooring") -- which clearly say that in this case you should have a home mooring.

 

Though they did later shoot themselves in the foot by caving in to the CMers and the NBTA with the weasel-word loophole about moving in school terms and holidays, in spite of the fact that it conflicts with their T&Cs... 😞

Edited August 26, 2023 by IanD

[midnight cowboy]

Sounds good!

 

I look forward to the iPhone version

[Mike Todd]

22 hours ago, IanD said:

 

Which according to the CART license conditions are definitely *not* valid reasons for not moving far enough to "satisfy the Board" that they are Continuously Cruising ("no home mooring") -- which clearly say that in this case you should have a home mooring.

 

Though they did later shoot themselves in the foot by caving in to the CMers and the NBTA with the weasel-word loophole about moving in school terms and holidays, in spite of the fact that it conflicts with their T&Cs... 😞

That, of course, is why I used that phrase!  

 

There is also the set of boaters who are awarded special terms as an appropriate adjustment to meet their needs under equality legislation (CaRT are doing a pretty good job at this in a really complex situation for which they get little credit) . 

[IanD]

1 hour ago, Mike Todd said:

That, of course, is why I used that phrase!  

 

There is also the set of boaters who are awarded special terms as an appropriate adjustment to meet their needs under equality legislation (CaRT are doing a pretty good job at this in a really complex situation for which they get little credit) . 

 

Boaters who have a genuine reason for being allowed to not follow the CC rules (illness, disability, genuine breakdown...) should obviously have allowances made and not be tarred with the CM brush, and AFAIK CART try quite hard to do this.

 

Though breakdowns must be a difficult one to police, distinguishing between genuine ones where the boat can't move for a bit until repaired, and the ones who claim to have been waiting for engine parts for years...

 

And then there are the stories about CMers deliberately encouraging birds to nest in a tyre fender so they don't have to move... 😞

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, IanD said:

 

Boaters who have a genuine reason for being allowed to not follow the CC rules (illness, disability, genuine breakdown...) should obviously have allowances made and not be tarred with the CM brush, and AFAIK CART try quite hard to do this.

 

Though breakdowns must be a difficult one to police, distinguishing between genuine ones where the boat can't move for a bit until repaired, and the ones who claim to have been waiting for engine parts for years...

 

And then there are the stories about CMers deliberately encouraging birds to nest in a tyre fender so they don't have to move... 😞