Winter 2025, a new iWannaboat, no-frills !

Dear Captains, this fall, I went back to the drawing board to deliver a new version of iWannaboat. It has been accessible to you since the final hours of 2024.

The previous version, which had been running for five years, had reached the end of its journey. Many aspects needed a complete overhaul. Notifications were no longer being sent, and several other features had become non-functional. I decided to start fresh and design a new platform—lighter, more robust, and more resilient. Let me share a few details with you.

More mobile-focused

Over the past few years, digital habits have shifted even more toward "small pocket screens." This new iWannaboat reflects that trend, with a technical and ergonomic design tailored primarily for use and navigation on mobile phones, even in areas with poor network coverage.

An eco-designed version

Welcome to 2025, the era of digital sobriety—and not just because I’m in the middle of a January challenge! I aimed for this version to be greener, following the recommendations of a "label" called EcoIndex.

This approach comes with constraints: keeping pages simple and lightweight, avoiding overly complex technologies that require large amounts of data to transfer, and ensuring compatibility with older devices. This iWannaboat is designed to remain responsive, even on older smartphones—that’s the goal of eco-design. You can read more about this approach.

Contributing to the kitty for posting ads

Yes, you read that right: you'll now need to contribute to the kitty to post an ad. Previously, this was left to the goodwill of users. The amount remains flexible, but there’s now a minimum, which I’ve set at the price of a cup of coffee: €2.

Running iWannaboat comes with costs. I’ve done my best to minimize them, aligning with the minimalist approach required by eco-design. However, hosting, email notifications, and user moderation systems rely on paid services. This amounts to approximately €60 per month to keep the site running, covered by the kitty.

While I develop the platform on a volunteer basis, I cannot cover these external operational expenses myself. I appreciate your understanding and support.

Sustaining a platform that turns 18

These changes aim to allow good old iWannaboat—celebrating its 18th year in 2025—to continue providing visibility and small services to its users. Lightness, robustness, and efficiency were the guiding principles behind this new version, ensuring it can sail smoothly toward 2030.

If you’d like to share ideas or feedback, I’m (once again) here to listen: vhf [at] wanaboat.fr