Who this is for
Offshore racers, blue-water cruisers, aviation enthusiasts, and digital nomads who treat UTC as the default. You need local time to talk to harbormasters and hotels, but your logbooks and watch rotations run on UTC. This guide shows how to bridge the gap using TimeyKit tools.
Tool kit
- Passage Clock for watch schedules and ETA calculations offline.
- World Clock for showing UTC plus port calls on a saloon tablet.
- Timezone for double-checking meeting times with shoreside contacts.
Pre-departure plan
Before casting off or boarding a flight, open the Passage Clock and set UTC as the base. Add legs for each destination with estimated durations. Export the plan or keep the tab available offline. Next, configure the World Clock with rows for UTC, departure, arrival, and any intermediate checkpoints. Bookmark the link and share it with the crew so everyone references the same display.
During the journey
Keep Passage Clock visible on a tablet near the nav station. Update actual departure times as you leave each anchorage; the tool recalculates ETA automatically. When contacting a marina or ATC, cross-check the local time in the World Clock view so your UTC-first brain doesn’t misquote their office hours. For ad-hoc meetings with remote collaborators, pop open the Timezone planner and drop in their city.
Example: Sailing from Bermuda (UTC-03:00 during winter) to the Azores (UTC+00:00). Your log runs UTC so you log “watch 02:00–06:00Z,” but customs wants local arrival. The World Clock display shows both instantly, saving math at 03:00.
Post-arrival cleanup
Once docked or landed, take five minutes to update the Passage Clock with actual arrival time and note any watch changes. Archive the World Clock link or swap cities for the next leg. Send the Timezone link used during the trip to stakeholders so they understand how you managed comms; it helps justify why certain slots were off-limits.
FAQ
- What if I lose connectivity?
- Passage Clock works offline after initial load. Keep the tab open before leaving cell range.
- Can I add more than six cities to the World Clock?
- Yes, but aim for readability. Split across two tabs if necessary.
- How do I explain UTC to local officials?
- Quote both: “Arriving 14:00 UTC (11:00 local).” Showing the Timezone screenshot prevents confusion at customs.