Watchkeeper — Support
Watchkeeper teaches the part of the Collision Regulations you have to know in the dark: what a vessel is showing, what it means, and what you must do about it.
Write to us: danielbiruk@icloud.com — in English or Russian. One person reads it; expect a reply within a few days.
When something looks wrong, it helps enormously if you say which vessel, rule or scenario, and what you expected instead.
What is free, and what costs money
Free, and staying free: the full text of Rules 1 to 37 in both the International and the United States Inland wording, searchable; the sound signals of Rules 32 to 37; the 26 single-letter signals of the International Code; the 16 IALA marks; five vessels; three encounters; and forty questions of the drill.
The full version is one payment, never a subscription. It opens the other forty-five vessels, the other twenty-one encounters, and the drill without a limit.
I have already paid — how do I get it back?
Open Rules → the ⓘ button, top right → Restore purchase. The same button is on the purchase screen itself.
You must be signed in to the Apple Account that bought it. The purchase belongs to that account and is not shared with a Family Sharing group.
Why is the text of the Rules in English when the rest of the app is Russian?
Because it is quoted word for word from the source — the Navigation Rules and Regulations Handbook of the U.S. Coast Guard, cross-checked against 33 CFR — and in an examination the exact wording is the thing being tested. Everything else in the app is translated. The Rules tab says so in Russian, under the International/Inland switch.
How do I switch language?
Rules → ⓘ → Language → English / Русский, or on the first of the opening pages when you install the app. The choice is the app's own: it does not follow the language your iPhone is set to, so a Russian speaker studying for an international certificate can keep the app in English.
Can I see the opening pages again?
Rules → ⓘ → Show the opening pages again. They are shown once on a fresh install and never volunteer themselves after that.
The sound signals
Signals, then the play button on any signal. Nothing is a recording: each blast is synthesised from the Rules themselves — about one second for a short blast and four to six for a prolonged one, as Rule 32 requires, with the pitch of the whistle set by the length of the vessel as Annex III requires.
They sound even when the ring/silent switch is off, because you asked to hear them. A signal interrupts anything else you are listening to and hands it back the moment the blast ends.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Everything except the purchase itself. The app has no server behind it and makes no network requests of its own; the App Store needs a connection once, to sell you the full version and to restore it on a new phone.
How do I start over?
There is no reset button in the app. Deleting it and installing it again clears your review progress. Your purchase is not lost — use Restore purchase.
Which iPhones does it run on?
Any iPhone running iOS 18.0 or later. The app is portrait only, and it is built for iPhone; on an iPad it runs in iPhone compatibility mode.
Refunds
Refunds are handled by Apple, not by us: reportaproblem.apple.com. If something in the app is broken, please write to us as well — we would rather fix it.
A study aid, not a navigational aid. Watchkeeper does not replace the official publication of the Collision Regulations that a vessel is required to carry. The mariner remains responsible for consulting the current edition of the Rules and any local requirements.
The text of the Rules comes from the Navigation Rules and Regulations Handbook of the U.S. Coast Guard — a work of the United States Government, in the public domain — cross-checked against 33 CFR on eCFR. Flag meanings come from Pub. 102, and the buoyage from 33 CFR part 62 and U.S. Chart No. 1. Publications of the International Maritime Organization are not used.
Privacy policy: https://watchkeeper.pages.dev/privacy