Rivers & Seas Guide

Bring your places into Rivers & Seas

Already collected anchorages, harbors, or restaurants in another app? Export your places, prepare the file, and bring everything into Rivers & Seas in one go.

How to import your places

If your current app offers an export, first download your saved places. A file ending in .geojson or .json works best.

Did you receive a CSV, KML, or GPX file instead? Ask ChatGPT to turn it into GeoJSON before importing. Upload the exported file and use this short prompt:

ChatGPT prompt for preparing your export

Prepare this export file for importing bookmarks into Rivers & Seas. Create a GeoJSON file with names, coordinates, existing notes, and categories. Do not change any locations or invent missing information.

When everything is ready—see the sections about symbols and tags below—send the newly created GeoJSON file to Rivers & Seas:

  1. Send the file to your iPhone using AirDrop or Messages. Tap the file, then choose “Rivers & Seas” to open it.
  2. Rivers & Seas shows what it found before anything is imported.
  3. Review the choices, then start the import.

Your bookmarks appear on the map, where you can filter them by tag.

Alternatively, use the Files app

You can also save the file on your iPhone and open it from inside Rivers & Seas later:

  1. Open Bookmarks in Rivers & Seas.
  2. Tap the circle with three dots in the top-right corner.
  3. Choose “Import,” then open your file.

Find suitable symbols with ChatGPT

A symbol lets you see at a glance whether a place is a harbor, anchorage, restaurant, or fuel station.

Rivers & Seas uses Apple symbols. You do not need to know their names: upload your GeoJSON file to ChatGPT and use this prompt.

Prompt for adding symbols

Map the values in the “icon” field of this GeoJSON file to suitable Apple SF Symbols and replace them directly in the file. Leave all other data unchanged, then give me a list of the mappings.

Use tags to keep the map clear

Tags are simple labels for your places. They let you show only what you need at that moment.

Use #navigation for places you want to see while underway. Filter by #anchorage when looking for somewhere to stay, or #restaurant when planning a stop ashore.

The simplest option is a comma-separated line:

"tags": "#Anchorage, #Restaurant"

The # is optional. Rivers & Seas treats “Anchorage” and “#Anchorage” the same way.

If your export already contains category colors, tags can also be a list containing a name and color. The complete example below shows this format.

Other information you can bring across

In addition to a name and position, each place can contain useful details. During import, you choose which ones to use.

name
The visible name, such as “Waren Town Harbor”.
address
An address or short place description.
userComment
Your own notes about depth, the approach, opening times, or berth quality.
icon
The map symbol, such as sailboat, fuelpump, or fork.knife.
tags
Labels such as Anchorage, Navigation, or Restaurant.

What the file must contain

Every place needs a valid position. A name is not mandatory, but strongly recommended. If ChatGPT prepares the file, you do not need to edit the following technical terms yourself.

  • The file groups all places inside a “FeatureCollection.”
  • Each individual place is a “Feature” with the type “Point.”
  • Every point has two coordinates: longitude first, then latitude.

A complete example

This is what a finished entry can look like. It contains a name, position, note, boat symbol, and two colored tags.

Your file may contain many places like this. You do not need to type out the example—it is mainly useful for checking the result or as a reference for ChatGPT.

{
  "type": "FeatureCollection",
  "features": [
    {
      "type": "Feature",
      "geometry": {
        "type": "Point",
        "coordinates": [13.2234, 52.4231]
      },
      "properties": {
        "name": "Quiet anchorage",
        "address": "Lower Havel, Berlin",
        "userComment": "Good shelter in westerly winds.",
        "icon": "sailboat",
        "tags": [
          {
            "name": "Anchorage",
            "color": "#6edf38"
          },
          {
            "name": "Restaurant",
            "color": "#71000a"
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  ]
}

What is GeoJSON?

GeoJSON is a widely used file format for places on a map. It stores positions together with details such as names, notes, symbols, and categories.

The important part for you is the filename: a finished file normally ends in .geojson or .json. ChatGPT can create the technical structure from an existing export.