Which Orca setup is right for me?
One of the greatest things about Orca is that it is an incredibly flexible system that fits many different boats and boating habits.
Orca is a navigation system that runs on your phone, tablet, watch, laptop, and Orca's dedicated Display. The heart of the system is Orca Core, a smart navigation hub that connects Orca to the other equipment on your boat.
Orca is a modern navigation system that runs on all your devices.
Read on to learn how to get the most out of Orca and get tips for what Orca setup could be best for your boating habits.
The Orca App
Most Orca boaters start using the Orca app before upgrading to Orca's devices. The great thing about starting with the app first is that you can effortlessly learn how Orca works and enjoy charts, routing, and weather forecasts.
The Orca App on a phone is a great starting point to learn how to use Orca.
For some boaters, the Orca app is all they need. If you have a smaller boat without sensors, mostly on shorter trips, and avoid conditions where water or heat makes your phone or tablet difficult to use, then using the Orca app as a standalone navigation experience can be a good choice.
For boaters who have other electronics onboard and want a more powerful and capable navigation experience, upgrading to an Orca Core can be an interesting option.
The Orca Core
Orca Core connects the Orca App to your onboard devices. It connects to your boat's sensor and device network and acts as a wireless bridge between your boat systems and the Orca App.
The Core brings AIS, autopilot controls, wind instruments, depth sounders, battery monitoring, radar, and engine data into Orca. In short, it gives you a complete chartplotter experience on your mobile, tablet, and laptop. It also comes with many great experiences you won't find on chartplotters, such as autopilot control for Apple Watch, automatic triplogging via Logbook, and access to your boat's sensors remotely via the internet with Remote Access.
Monitor your boat from the safety of your home, now also on Mac.
The Orca Core also includes a dedicated GPS receiver, compass, and sailing processor. The processor and sensors give you a more accurate navigation experience, from accurate positioning on the chart to more accurate wind data for your wind instruments.
An Orca Core is ideal for boaters who already have electronics onboard and want access to instrument data in Orca, control their autopilot remotely, or are looking to upgrade their navigation experience without replacing their chartplotter.
The Orca Display
Phones and tablets are excellent tools for planning and light navigation, but they are not built for use in rain, direct sunlight, and heat.
In direct sunlight, regular devices dim and even overheat, and in rain, their touchscreens become difficult to use. Add polarized sunglasses, and suddenly many mobile and tablet screens become impossible to read. For longer trips, you also need to charge your devices, and USB charging cables in a wet cockpit are far from ideal.
The Charging Mount makes for a clean dashboard and reliable operations.
Orca Display 2 is designed for boating and addresses the shortcomings of regular consumer devices. It has a sunlight-readable screen with an anti-reflective glass etching, wet-touch support, physical buttons to control in heavy sea, and delivers wireless charging and hands-free use via the Orca Charging Mount.
The Display is a great standalone navigation experience with its built-in GPS and compass. A standalone Display is commonly found on smaller powerboats and RIBs, where the Display's responsive charts and
Combined with Orca Core, Orca Display 2 becomes a powerful navigation screen that delivers the best parts of mobile navigation apps and traditional chartplotters. It can show you updated weather forecasts overlaid on top of the charts, control your autopilot, and handle sea spray, rain, and direct sunshine.
Orca Core gives you a complete chartplotter experience on all your devices.
An Orca Core and Display combination ideal for boaters who want a no-compromise modern navigation experience that brings the very best from traditional chartplotters and mobile navigation apps.
A modern experience tailored to you and your boat
Orca is designed to adapt and adopt to your needs. Start simple with the Orca app, and expand over time when you want a more powerful and capable experience. Many app users upgrade to the Orca Core first, and then get a Display later. Others get a Display first, and later add a Core. Whichever path you take, Orca is there to support you.
Orca Core delivers advanced built-in sensors and connects Orca to your onboard systems.
All Orca products are delivered with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee and free express shipping, so you can test Orca risk-free. Order yours via the Orca Store.
Free express shipping and 30-day satisfaction guarantee included.
Customer Reviews
Orca easy to use navigation
Orca Display
DenmarkSailboat35-45 feet (10.5-13.5 meters)Short cruising trips10 connected devicesI have used Orca for 1,5 years on my 39 foot sailboat. I use it both on a display2 at the helm and the app on my phone. I Think Orca is an easy to use navigation system and I fancy the automatik route planning with weather incooperated, autopilot management where I can change course even from the foredeck and most of all through my AIS trance over I can see most board around me and even see if they are crossing before or after me and futhermore at what distance and in x minutes…. that really a nice feature. Kind regards Morten - Denmark
Using CORE2 and ORCA app.
FinlandSailboat25-35 feet (7.5-10.5 meters)Fishing +3 more11 connected devicesI have a CORE2 device on my sailboat, and I actively use the ORCA application on three tablets. The hardware works so well that I no longer need actual chartplotters. One of the best features is that my map points are synchronized between several tablets, and I can continue planning or editing map points even from home on the couch. One wish would be: I would like to use the ORCA program with a web browser. This way I could use my Linux or Windows devices. I am not an Apple fanboy, so I do not own any Apple devices. I primarily want to use free Linux operating systems, such as Debian/Ubuntu/LinuxMint, etc., and the browser versions for them are Chrome and Firefox.
Connected sailing with Orca
Orca DisplayGermany +3 moreSailboat35-45 feet (10.5-13.5 meters)Long trips +1 more12 connected devicesI used Orca now for one full season in different sailing boats to get a better sailing route and execute it.
Perfect with two tablets for helmsman and crew
Baltic SeaSailboat25-35 feet (7.5-10.5 meters)Short cruising trips12 connected devicesMy Najad 330 was built in 1995 and I bought it in April 2024. The standard network is SeatalkNG. Connected are modern Raymarine devices and a 30 year old Autohelm autopilot (Seatalk 1). I have replaced the older MFD with a 12‘ tablet (IP68) next to the instruments and an 11’ tablet (IP68, IP69K, MIL-STD-810H) directly on the steering wheel. The Orca app runs on both Android tablets. The Orca Core is mounted behind the Raymarine instruments on the companionway. The control of the old autopilot works perfectly. Overall, the system runs smoothly. The configuration of the instrument display is good. The Orca app is very clear. Of course, there are various other functions that I would like to see. However, it is impressive how quickly both the Orca app and the Orca Core are developing. In this respect, I am very confident that some of the desired functions will already be realised for the next season. But even now, the app - in combination with the Core - is by far the best navigation solution I know. Jan-Peter https://sy-jolea.de ------------------------ Meine Najad 330 ist Baujahr 1995. Ich habe sie im April 2024 gekauft. Das Standard-Netzwerk ist SeatalkNG. Angeschlossen sind moderne Raymarine-Geräte sowie ein 30 Jahre alter Autohelm Autopilot (Seatalk 1). Das ältere MFD habe ich ersetzt durch ein 12" Tablet (IP 68) neben den Instrumenten und einem 11" Tablet (IP68, IP69K, MIL-STD-810H) direkt am Steuerrad. Auf beiden Android Tablets läuft die Orca App. Der Orca Core ist hinter den Raymarine-Instrumenten am Niedergang montiert. Die Steuerung des alten Autopiloten funktioniert perfekt. Insgesamt läuft das System reibungslos. Die Konfiguration der Instrumentenanzeige ist gut. Die Orca App ist sehr übersichtlich. Selbstverständlich gibt es noch diverse weitere Funktionen, die ich mir wünsche. Es ist jedoch beeindruckend, wie schnell sich sowohl die Orca App als auch der Orca Core weiterentwickeln. Insofern bin ich sehr zuversichtlich, dass bereits zur nächsten Saison einige der gewünschten Funktionen realisiert sind. Aber bereits jetzt ist die App - in Kombination mit dem Core - mit Abstand die beste Navigationslösung die ich kenne. Jan-Peter https://sy-jolea.de ------------------------------- Jan-Peter Braun braun@jpbraun.de Germany (Lübeck Travemünde)
65’ Steel motorsailor
CanadaSailboatOver 55 feet (16.5 meters)Living aboard +2 more11 connected devicesGreat Navigation App and instrument interface.