Maritime Master Radar: A Simulator for Study and Revision
- Reece Smith-ward
- Jul 31
- 3 min read
Radar is one of those subjects that rewards repetition. The theory makes sense on paper, but reading a display, spotting a developing situation and plotting it accurately takes practice. Maritime Master Radar is built for exactly that kind of practice, giving you a simulated radar display on your iPhone or iPad where you can learn, revise and try things out at your own pace.
It is a study and practice tool, not a substitute for an approved radar or ARPA course or for real equipment. Everything you see on screen is simulated. There is no connection to real radar, AIS or GPS, which means you are free to experiment, make mistakes and repeat exercises as often as you like while you build up your understanding.
The Simulated Display
The heart of the app is a detailed simulated display that behaves the way you would expect a radar picture to behave in study terms. You can work in relative or true motion, and switch between head-up, course-up and north-up orientations to get familiar with how the picture changes.
On top of that you have the tools you would want to practise with: electronic bearing lines, variable range markers and parallel index lines, along with true and relative trails. You can set circular and sector guard zones, work with anti-grounding alerts, and add a chart overlay with day, dusk and night palettes that includes land, shadow sectors and receiver noise. Sea and rain clutter, squalls, gain and tuning are all there to practise with, and optional sensor error models let you explore gyro drift and log errors.
ARPA Practice
For plotting practice, the app includes ARPA exercises where you acquire and track targets, read CPA and TCPA, and set danger thresholds. You can run trial manoeuvres to see how a proposed alteration might play out on the simulated display, and there is a simulated AIS overlay to work alongside the radar picture. It is a low-pressure way to revise the concepts and get used to the workflow.
Scenarios and Training Packs
There are free classic scenarios to get started with, plus procedurally generated practice watches ranging from fifteen minutes to two hours. Directed situations put you into specific challenges such as crossing rushes, fog close-quarters, late give-way vessels and developing distress calls, so you can revise how different situations unfold.
Six guided training packs cover COLREGs crossings, restricted visibility, ARPA tracking, pilotage, traffic separation schemes and yacht radar. Each pack has levels, goals and badges, and you can earn shareable completion certificates as you work through them. Voiceover briefings help set the scene for each session.
Session Debriefs
After a session, the debrief helps you reflect on what happened. You get a score out of one hundred, a look at your closest points of approach, early action analysis, any missed contacts, and a replayable timeline so you can step back through the watch. It is a useful way to see where your reading and plotting could improve and to focus your revision.
Pricing and Privacy
The classic scenarios are free. Optional Pro and Pro Max subscriptions, each with a free trial, unlock unlimited procedural watches, all training packs, full debriefs, the scenario creator, import and export, debrief reports, radar profiles and instructor tools. There are no accounts, no analytics and no tracking, and your data stays on the device.
An Important Note
Everything in Maritime Master Radar is simulated for learning only and must never be used for real navigation or collision avoidance. It does not replace an approved radar or ARPA course, and the app has no connection to real radar, AIS or GPS. Completion certificates record practice in the simulator and are not qualifications or certificates of competency. Treat the app as a study and revision aid, and rely on formal training and approved equipment for anything on the water.
