Bloc Marine is back

First appeared at the end of June 2023, l’application Bloc Marine, edited by Weather Consult / Le Figaro Nautique, has replaced the Guide Escales (¹), previously removed from the Apple Store. This latest application was far from unanimously accepted following a catastrophic pricing policy over successive updates. (²).

On the opposite, Bloc Marine offers free access with a few ads that are not intrusive for now. With a completely redesigned user interface, more in line with today's standards, it is simpler and more efficient. In his last version 1.3.0 from February the 9 th of this year, The app is presented as a "guide to ports, anchorages, beaches and diving spots". It is above all the list of ports that offers the greatest wealth of information for the boater. Their description leaves no detail behind, not even the pricing that we imagine is updated every year.

Plusieurs centaines de lieux sont référencés sur les côtes et dans les eaux intérieures de l'Europe

Several hundred places are referenced on the coasts and inland waters of Europe

If satellite views (Apple Maps) are not always up-to-date, the harbour plans provided are, with display of all the conveniences by self-explanatory thumbnails, and even the numbering of the pontoons.

Un descriptif détaillé pour chaque port, un plan actualisé, parfois une carte d'approche, et une ou deux vues aériennes.

A detailed description for each port, an up-to-date plan, sometimes an approach map, and one or two aerial views.

This list also provides direct access to the weather of the place through a link to the application Météo Consult Marine, belonging to the same press group, if it's present on your device, and if you have an internet connection.

Le bouton

The "Check Weather" button opens the Weather Consult Marine app on the location page.

There is also a page where you can list your favourite places, and a "Folders" page, which would need to be expanded. To date, it only contains the RIPAM in Navigation folder. One would expect to find there the Division 240, and a few other regulatory documents as found in the paper format of the Marine Block. Finally, a "News" page of questionable interest includes some articles from Le Figaro Nautisme.

Bloc Marine is therefore recovering, by improving it, the best of its ancestor Guide Escales, having eliminated the plethora of aerial views, unnecessary nautical charts, excessive pricing by geographical area, to focus on information that is really useful to the boater because it is complete and quickly accessible. Concerning the information of anchorages and other spots, we're still a long way from the app Deviated (³) with which Bloc Marine is partially competing, and whose reputation is well established.

However, we will have to remain attentive to the economic model in the future, which could encourage a significant increase in advertising, and/or the implementation of in-app purchases. In the meantime, this well-made app is worth a try.

–––
(¹) Escales – the digital version of the Marine Block
(²) Guide Escales 2018 – Red card ! [Update-2]
(³) Navily makes stopovers easier in just a few taps
–––

Facebooktwitterlinkedinmail

4 Replies to "The Marine Block is back”

  1. Bonjour
    Unless I'm wrong, Port information is not accessible offline unless you have previously selected favorites whose information remains visible offline. Correct ?
    Does not replace the paper version.
    Merci

    1. Actually, Application for online use only, Favorites Included. But in coastal navigation today we have cellular access (4G/5G) to the internet almost everywhere along the coastline.

Comments are closed.