Racing Crew Management Software
- Thread starter b393capt
- Start date
George Hackett
Super Anarchist
The little anchor on the brass dial cover indicates the software!the OP asked for software, you posted hardware...
b393capt
Anarchist
- Thread starter
- #23
Like when the telephone pictured above was common to us all, we have come forward to another time when we all basically have the same hardware again and the software can erase the differences between those that can remember details and those that need to have the time commitment to your next sailing event in their cloud-based appointment manager.
Trovão
Super Anarchist
WHK
Super Anarchist
I was just contacted by someone from Australia about Crew Manager. It seems that the Australian "Teamsnap" equivalent Teamstuff is pulling the plug at the end of January.
Crew Manager was designed for the US and its mobile networks that include free text messaging using an email to sms gateway. It appears that Australia (and some other countries) don't allow this so they can charge for the conversion service. The Crew Manager email capability works no matter where you are located.
If You Live in Australia..... Would you be interested in the Crew Manager subscription service? This assumes that a few modifications for Australia would be made.
1 & 2 would be definite. #3... a longer term project. I'd need the help of a resident Ozzie to determine what needs to be changed.
I just updated the Crew Manual and put it online. The Skipper Manual is still in downloadable PDF form and is behind a couple software releases. This is being done over the next month. .. time permitting with our latest new granddaughter coming home with mommy and daddy this week.
If anyone anywhere wants to try a 30 day no obligation free trial, please PM me.
Happy New Year All!
Crew Manager was designed for the US and its mobile networks that include free text messaging using an email to sms gateway. It appears that Australia (and some other countries) don't allow this so they can charge for the conversion service. The Crew Manager email capability works no matter where you are located.
If You Live in Australia..... Would you be interested in the Crew Manager subscription service? This assumes that a few modifications for Australia would be made.
- Add an interface to a 3rd party Email to SMS Text gateway so that full text capability is retained. This would require the skipper to sign up with the 3rd party for a texting plan. The 3rd party would provide an API that Crew Manager would communicate to send text messages for the subscribers site
- Modify date formats to be consistent with the Australian standards
- Maybe... provide English to English translations for the way folks down under spell things.
1 & 2 would be definite. #3... a longer term project. I'd need the help of a resident Ozzie to determine what needs to be changed.
I just updated the Crew Manual and put it online. The Skipper Manual is still in downloadable PDF form and is behind a couple software releases. This is being done over the next month. .. time permitting with our latest new granddaughter coming home with mommy and daddy this week.
If anyone anywhere wants to try a 30 day no obligation free trial, please PM me.
Happy New Year All!
Ok so our Sydney 38 based at Rushcutters Bay on Sydney Harbour, AUS is now fully set up and using Crew Manager.
One week after the above initial enquiry to WHK (whilst researching alternatives after we were only advised on New Years Eve that Teamstuff is closing permanently at the end of this month - a casualty of the pandemic) , we are now live on the Crew Manager app. It took 3 days in total from sign up to go live, but that includes working with WHK to adapt it to accommodate the various international differences which were done professionally in super fast time - an indication of how willing he is to customise it for any reasonable request Given the individual crew now don't need to separately subscribe to an app for access to extra features, the price of Crew Manager is very reasonable. Functionality on mobile devices is just like a full featured app, including saving an icon on your phone for one click instant access.
Set up was easy and WHK was super helpful in adding and adapting functionality for us people "down under" (date formats - D/M/Y instead of M/D/Y , local mobile number formatting, etc). Racing Calendar was dead easy to import from an excel spreadsheet template downloaded from the app, with the first race details entered and then "date +7" in the date field copied down to achieve the weekly series races (I only found out after I had done this that next time there is an even easier "series scheduling" function that can do all this within the app as well). Crew details (name, email, phone number etc) were extracted from Teamstuff and imported - again in an Excel Spreadsheet. An existing "welcome" email template on the app was customised and used to advise the crew of the change including links to some really helpful and clear online instruction manuals etc. The crew advise their availability for each race (or in bulk for each series), and the skipper can still control who is racing and who is "on standby" if there are too many takers for any race. All details (race schedule, crew set ups, etc) can be edited either individually or in bulk - another massive time saver compared to doing the same changes over and over. You can also link the live race calendar to your Outlook or other primary calendar with data automatically replicating any changes or additions or deletions made - no more need to maintain two sets of data in two different places.
Communication is key and this app has it all. Obviously for the past year and the foreseeable future plans keep changing due to Covid "on and off again" and max crew permitted type issues. Previously with Teamstuff, tailored communications were a bit tricky but now we can easily create and use our own templates and select which crew to send specific emails to based on filters such as "those confirmed as racing on a particular race" , or "anyone nominated in a particular series", or there is even a button available just for "reminding those that have not yet indicated their availability" etc. You can also prepopulate your email app on your phone with selected multiple crew email addresses for adhoc emailing with one button, or same with the SMS app for texting it will prepopulate the selected phone numbers. Whilst the texting from within the app feature does not work in Aus (as mentioned above - Aus mobile carriers do not facilitate converting emails to free text messages in bulk), this ability to easily filter and then populate an SMS on your phone for drafting at the touch of one button is awesome and just as good. Race cancelled at last minute? - no problems - again this can be communicated by email with 1 red button on the race calendar page and optionally followed up with a one button group SMS from your phone targeted at only those that were listed as crewing on the day.
If anyone is looking for a feature packed crew management app this one ticks all the boxes. Effectively being a specific boat website with its own unique URL, it is all customised with logos, pictures, hyperlinks to our own club race results pages etc and definitely targeted at sailing team requirements instead of putting up with a generic team app designed specifically for football or netball. Wish we had known about it previously.... (and our language is not THAT much different - it is just proper English instead of Yankee speak!!)
One week after the above initial enquiry to WHK (whilst researching alternatives after we were only advised on New Years Eve that Teamstuff is closing permanently at the end of this month - a casualty of the pandemic) , we are now live on the Crew Manager app. It took 3 days in total from sign up to go live, but that includes working with WHK to adapt it to accommodate the various international differences which were done professionally in super fast time - an indication of how willing he is to customise it for any reasonable request Given the individual crew now don't need to separately subscribe to an app for access to extra features, the price of Crew Manager is very reasonable. Functionality on mobile devices is just like a full featured app, including saving an icon on your phone for one click instant access.
Set up was easy and WHK was super helpful in adding and adapting functionality for us people "down under" (date formats - D/M/Y instead of M/D/Y , local mobile number formatting, etc). Racing Calendar was dead easy to import from an excel spreadsheet template downloaded from the app, with the first race details entered and then "date +7" in the date field copied down to achieve the weekly series races (I only found out after I had done this that next time there is an even easier "series scheduling" function that can do all this within the app as well). Crew details (name, email, phone number etc) were extracted from Teamstuff and imported - again in an Excel Spreadsheet. An existing "welcome" email template on the app was customised and used to advise the crew of the change including links to some really helpful and clear online instruction manuals etc. The crew advise their availability for each race (or in bulk for each series), and the skipper can still control who is racing and who is "on standby" if there are too many takers for any race. All details (race schedule, crew set ups, etc) can be edited either individually or in bulk - another massive time saver compared to doing the same changes over and over. You can also link the live race calendar to your Outlook or other primary calendar with data automatically replicating any changes or additions or deletions made - no more need to maintain two sets of data in two different places.
Communication is key and this app has it all. Obviously for the past year and the foreseeable future plans keep changing due to Covid "on and off again" and max crew permitted type issues. Previously with Teamstuff, tailored communications were a bit tricky but now we can easily create and use our own templates and select which crew to send specific emails to based on filters such as "those confirmed as racing on a particular race" , or "anyone nominated in a particular series", or there is even a button available just for "reminding those that have not yet indicated their availability" etc. You can also prepopulate your email app on your phone with selected multiple crew email addresses for adhoc emailing with one button, or same with the SMS app for texting it will prepopulate the selected phone numbers. Whilst the texting from within the app feature does not work in Aus (as mentioned above - Aus mobile carriers do not facilitate converting emails to free text messages in bulk), this ability to easily filter and then populate an SMS on your phone for drafting at the touch of one button is awesome and just as good. Race cancelled at last minute? - no problems - again this can be communicated by email with 1 red button on the race calendar page and optionally followed up with a one button group SMS from your phone targeted at only those that were listed as crewing on the day.
If anyone is looking for a feature packed crew management app this one ticks all the boxes. Effectively being a specific boat website with its own unique URL, it is all customised with logos, pictures, hyperlinks to our own club race results pages etc and definitely targeted at sailing team requirements instead of putting up with a generic team app designed specifically for football or netball. Wish we had known about it previously.... (and our language is not THAT much different - it is just proper English instead of Yankee speak!!)
Last edited by a moderator:
WHK
Super Anarchist
Thanks for the great comments! Anyone with questions about a flexible boat scheduling and crew coordination app with lots of features please post here, send me a PM or just go to the Crew Manager website to sign up.
See a feature that's missing and you want it? There is a Feature Request section on the Crew Manager support forum you can browse to see all the features incorporated exclusively for Sailors.
Last edited by a moderator:
WHK
Super Anarchist
Crew Manager was updated for international subscribers with a new subscriber located on the Black Sea. This is in addition to the modifications made in January 2021 for Australia as covered in the post by JXS above. A few modifications were made to incorporate text messages for the mobile carriers in Bulgaria. When these modifications were made, the architecture was updated to easily accommodate telecoms from other countries.
A 75 minute Zoom seminar was provided for subscribers on 30 March to go over the features and how to do things. The presentation and Zoom recording is available at this link for anyone interested in learning more.
Anyone interested in trying this send me a PM or just go to the Crew Manager website to sign up.
A 75 minute Zoom seminar was provided for subscribers on 30 March to go over the features and how to do things. The presentation and Zoom recording is available at this link for anyone interested in learning more.
Anyone interested in trying this send me a PM or just go to the Crew Manager website to sign up.
b393capt
Anarchist
- Thread starter
- #29
I wrote a very positive article on Practical Sailor for WHK's impressive Crew Manager application, contrasting it with TeamSnap and google docs (which I previously used) for keeping sailing crew members together, prepared, and coordinated for each racing event.
If you are a practical sailor subscriber you can read about it in the March 2021 issue of practical sailor at this link:
https://www.practical-sailor.com/marine-electronics/crew-management-software-compared
If you are a practical sailor subscriber you can read about it in the March 2021 issue of practical sailor at this link:
https://www.practical-sailor.com/marine-electronics/crew-management-software-compared
WHK
Super Anarchist
Fast forward almost two years from the last post and Crew Manager is slowly gaining acceptance with subscribers now in five countries spanning Australia, North America & Europe. As always, the new features and improvements incorporated are a direct result of users inputs. Subscribers have a mix of boat sizes from J/24 through TP52 and include the casual beer can racer up through highly competitive programs. The mix of available features helps meet the requirements for most any boat program.
A 60 minute Zoom seminar is planned for subscribers on 27 March 2023 to provide pointers on setting up a new season with events. The 2021 presentation and Zoom recording is available at this link for anyone interested in learning more.
This is not a big company with a large staff. It's just me as the CEO, CFO, CTO and janitor. I developed this web based application for my own boat. I made it available for a few friends who liked it and at their suggestion rolled it out as a low cost subscription service. There is full documentation including a Crew Manual, Skipper Manual and Support Forum.
Anyone interested in trying this for their own boat send me a PM or just go to the Crew Manager website to sign up. Here is the direct link for a new site with annual subscription that costs about three beers per month!
A 60 minute Zoom seminar is planned for subscribers on 27 March 2023 to provide pointers on setting up a new season with events. The 2021 presentation and Zoom recording is available at this link for anyone interested in learning more.
This is not a big company with a large staff. It's just me as the CEO, CFO, CTO and janitor. I developed this web based application for my own boat. I made it available for a few friends who liked it and at their suggestion rolled it out as a low cost subscription service. There is full documentation including a Crew Manual, Skipper Manual and Support Forum.
Anyone interested in trying this for their own boat send me a PM or just go to the Crew Manager website to sign up. Here is the direct link for a new site with annual subscription that costs about three beers per month!
George Dewey
Super Anarchist
b393capt
Anarchist
- Thread starter
- #31
I am a happy crew-manager user for my J/109 sailing program. @WHK's cloud software works beautifully with SMS on my Android phone. My crew is scattered across iphone and android platforms, and barely respond the same week to email.
SMS works in these two use cases
(Use case one) As the captain sending an SMS message, you access crew manager from a browser screen, choose which audience you are sending a message to (e.g. the audience for a specific race, core crew, best foredeck in reserve, or other groups you create), your message app then appears and you type in the message you want to send.
(Use case two) Sending emails from your PC also has an option to send SMS messages, only difference if the crew opt's in to get email messages sent to SMS instead.
I personally would like WhatsApp but I recall WHK mentioned facebook makes that difficult, and some people refuse to load facebook apps on their phones due privacy concerns.
I think Discord, Slack, or even Microsoft Teams (as microsoft opens it up to non teams users) would be better than WhatsApp, what do you think? Especially if WHK could create channels for each race in addition to the other audience types he supports.
Either way, SMS works great.
WHK continues to innovate adding many new features to crew manager during this winter, that continues to add time saving features and more assurance that your crew is on the same page when it comes to each event, maintenance of the boat, and maintaining contact with your crew on the off-season.
SMS works in these two use cases
(Use case one) As the captain sending an SMS message, you access crew manager from a browser screen, choose which audience you are sending a message to (e.g. the audience for a specific race, core crew, best foredeck in reserve, or other groups you create), your message app then appears and you type in the message you want to send.
(Use case two) Sending emails from your PC also has an option to send SMS messages, only difference if the crew opt's in to get email messages sent to SMS instead.
I personally would like WhatsApp but I recall WHK mentioned facebook makes that difficult, and some people refuse to load facebook apps on their phones due privacy concerns.
I think Discord, Slack, or even Microsoft Teams (as microsoft opens it up to non teams users) would be better than WhatsApp, what do you think? Especially if WHK could create channels for each race in addition to the other audience types he supports.
Either way, SMS works great.
WHK continues to innovate adding many new features to crew manager during this winter, that continues to add time saving features and more assurance that your crew is on the same page when it comes to each event, maintenance of the boat, and maintaining contact with your crew on the off-season.
George Dewey
Super Anarchist
I'm sure SMS would work. WhatsApp works better for big group discussions but for notifications SMS will be fine.
WHK
Super Anarchist
SMS definitely - for US and Canadian mobile carriers and it will send automatic notifications via SMS.
Additionally Crew Manager provides an SMS button on mobile devices and will automatically transfer the mobile numbers for crew scheduled on an event to the native SMS app on the phone. This works for any country as it does not require an external email to SMS gateway.
