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, and existing notes. Put categories in the “tags” field. Use either a comma-separated list such as “Anchorage, Restaurant” or—when the export contains colors—an array in the format [{"name":"Anchorage","color":"#6edf38"}]. Remove any leading # from tag names. Do not change 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. Filter them by tag via the bookmarks menu.

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.

Rivers & Seas Places: everything in one file

Some imports come as a Rivers & Seas Places package with the .rnsplaces filename extension. It contains the places and, when available, their photos. You import the package in exactly the same way as a GeoJSON file.

You can create such a package by exporting your own bookmarks from Rivers & Seas. You may also receive one as a prepared cruising guide or travel guide that adds all its places to your map in a few steps.

Export bookmarks from Rivers & Seas Guide to Rivers & Seas Places packages – coming soon

Information you can bring across

Along with each place’s position, you can bring across more information. Before importing, Rivers & Seas shows what it found so you can choose which details to use.

Name
Highly recommended. If it is missing, Rivers & Seas adds a suitable place name from the map.
Icon
The symbol shown on the map, such as a sailboat, fuel pump, or fork and knife. The next section explains how ChatGPT can add suitable symbols.
Tags
Labels such as Anchorage, Navigation, or Restaurant. They let you filter your bookmarks quickly and keep the map clear.
Locked
Use “locked” to protect imported bookmarks from accidental changes. Set it to “true” to turn on the protection.
Photos
GeoJSON can contain direct internet addresses for photos. Rivers & Seas downloads reachable images during import. A Rivers & Seas Places package can include the photos inside the file instead.
Any other fields
Any remaining information in your file can be added to the bookmark’s notes, no matter what the fields are called.

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.2

Prompt for adding symbols

Map existing values in the “icon” field of this GeoJSON file to suitable Apple SF Symbols and replace them directly in the file. If a place has no “icon” field, add a suitable SF Symbol based on its name and tags. Leave all other data unchanged, then list the symbols you replaced and added.

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.

Protect imported bookmarks from changes

To avoid accidentally changing, moving, or deleting a carefully prepared or imported bookmark, you can lock it during import.

Set the “locked” field to “true”. You can unlock the bookmark again in Rivers & Seas at any time.

"locked": true

Bring photos across from GeoJSON

Use the “photos” field for one or more direct photo URLs. Each URL must be reachable during the import. Rivers & Seas downloads the image and saves it with the bookmark.

Use “marker” to choose which image appears as the place’s preview on the map:

"photos": [
  "https://example.com/anchorage-1.jpg",
  {
    "url": "https://example.com/anchorage-2.jpg",
    "marker": true
  }
]

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, two colored tags, protection from changes, and a photo.

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"
          }
        ],
        "locked": true,
        "photos": [
          {
            "url": "https://example.com/quiet-anchorage.jpg",
            "marker": true
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  ]
}

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.1

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.