Electronic Charts for Exumas and Eleuthera

[ahoymon]

Our boat is on the hard in Marsh Harbor waiting for us to return in January to cruise from the Abacos to the Exumas and Eleuthera for the season.

We have a Raymarine C-series chartplotter purchased in 2006. We currently have the Navionics NAV-CF/1XG Gold All USA and Northern Bahamas on CF Card for electronic charts. We have paper charts for all the areas but are unsure if the CF Card covers them and it is on the boat in Marsh Harbor while we are in Michigan now so we cannot check!

Does anyone know if this card will cover the Exumas and Eleuthera?

Does anyone have a recommendation for electronic complete Bahamas charts for an older(2006) Raymarine C-series chartplotter?

[Matt Johnson]

I wouldn't sail the Bahamas without Explorer Charts. Navionics, especially old Navionics is worse than not having charts at all.... they've been notorious for guiding unaware sailors to coral and rocks not marked on their charts.

There are a few places were the chartbooks are necessary in the Caribbean and Atlantic; Bahamas, Cuba, Belize and Panama are the major places where the typical chart manufacturers fall short.

Matt

[Vasco]

I have a 2004 Navionics CF chip for the Bahamas. This was the best Navionics chip of the Bahamas as it has Explorer data which Navionics "borrowed". They had to remove Explorer data from later chips. PM me if you're interested.

1G906XL3 US SE and BAHAMAS (64mb Compact Flash) From Cape Fear to Turks and Caicos Islands to Cedar Keys including the entire Florida Keys, Dry Tortugas and Cay Sal Bank

I also have 1G905XL3 US MID ATLAN & CANYNS (64mb Compact Flash) if you're interested in something further north.

I used the Bahamas chip extensively until I had to replace my instruments. My new chart plotter does not take CF chips. The old CF chip is much better than the new micro SD Navionics chips.

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by Vasco

I have a 2004 Navionics CF chip for the Bahamas. This was the best Navionics chip of the Bahamas as it has Explorer data which Navionics "borrowed". They had to remove Explorer data from later chips. PM me if you're interested.

1G906XL3 US SE and BAHAMAS (64mb Compact Flash) From Cape Fear to Turks and Caicos Islands to Cedar Keys including the entire Florida Keys, Dry Tortugas and Cay Sal Bank

I also have 1G905XL3 US MID ATLAN & CANYNS (64mb Compact Flash) if you're interested in something further north.

I used the Bahamas chip extensively until I had to replace my instruments. My new chart plotter does not take CF chips. The old CF chip is much better than the new micro SD Navionics chips.

Good info I didn't know that Navionics ever 'borrowed' Explorer data for any other their old charts.

We always had Navionics in our chartplotter, but had the Explorer chartbooks right in front of us at all times when in the Bahamas. We did use the Jeppsen Marine C-map Android app this last trip... they have Explorer data, but even then, it was limited information vs the actual chartbook.

Matt

[bratzcpa]

We used the Navionics Gold map chip. And loved it. It covered us all the way down to Georgetown and back. Didn't make it over to Eleuthera, so dont' know about that.

We found the electronic mapping to be incredibly accurate and "spot on". This was three years ago, so might be a little different now due to recent hurricanes.

Bottom line - We were quite pleased with Navionics Gold map chip.

[skipgundlach]

Earlier comments right on WRT Navionics and Explorer.

I also did not know of Navionics' transgression; I'd look hard at the 2004 reference in that it's otherwise a very old chip, and Explorer updates regularly - we bought a complete set a couple of years ago, even though our then-current set were only a few years old; it's about time for us to do the same again.

That there is no stand-alone electronic Explorer Chart option currently is a fussitation with me...

C-Map/ex-Jepps and others have licensed ECs, but Navionics, very sadly, has not.

To the OP, yes, your charts will cover all of the Bahamas...

[George DuBose]

I have a 2008 C120. I think ONLY Navionics CF cards will operate that MFD.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

Good info I didn't know that Navionics ever 'borrowed' Explorer data for any other their old charts.


Matt

After my 2004 CF chip I got the "new and improved" Navionics SD chip (new chartplotter only took SD chips). Surprise, surprise, lots of blank areas where the old chip showed cuts and approaches. The Explorer data had been removed. The "new and improved" chip was much worse than the old chip.

[Exile]

I just read somewhere that Fugawi (sp?) is currently the source for electronic Explorer charts. Anyone know which chartplotters and/or software this may be available with? I had also heard that Garmin used Explorer e-charts for the Bahamas but haven't confirmed that this is still true.

[Suijin]

Electronic versions of the Explorer charts are available through C-Map. I hope they are better than the other C-Map charts visually speaking.

http://(See%20Jeppesen%19s%20Product...uct/index.html.)

[Lionelsole]

As far as I know, navionics are the only charts that you can use with CF cards
Unfortunately, there are parts of the Bahamas where they are dangerously inaccurate.
I suggest that you at least have a back up using a tablet or even iPhone. Anything using explorer charts.

[Clipper4730]

We have used the Navionics charts on our iPads / phones exclusively for navigation in the Exumas for two years in a row and have found them to very accurate. The depths shown on the chart are generally deeper than charted and in all of the more popular anchorages rocks shoals etc are pretty accurate. Add to the fact that there is a lot of crowd sourced info on the charts such as fishing snorkeling spots anchorages you may not have thought of passes between cays etc. plus your own edits as well. We use the Vexilar Sonar Phone paired with the Navionics app on my phone and can get super accurate depths in anchorages and passes between cays by surveying them at high speed in the dink, then the tracks are automatically uploaded into my tracks data on the iPad. Our boat has a 6 foot draft and we have never touched the bottom in the Bahamas ever and that includes two trips to Abaco and two to Exumas. I have found them very useful. Explorer charts are ok but but never saw the need ours were rarely used on either trip. The Navionics is $50 bucks a year for the US and the Bahamas which I think is a pretty good value

Good luck
Will

[bdbcat]

re:

I just read somewhere that Fugawi (sp?) is currently the source for electronic Explorer charts.

Correct. The Fugawi Explorer charts are usable on OpenCPN today.

Thanks
Dave

[Peeew]

I have been using navionics charts in the Abacos for the past few weeks and they are great so far. I also downloaded updates recently and I added the “Sonar Chart Data” uploaded by others as they record data along the way. For extra measure I use paper explorer charts and manually place their waypoints on mybplotter for critical areas. So far they agree.

[jkleins]

Originally Posted by Peeew

I have been using navionics charts in the Abacos for the past few weeks and they are great so far. I also downloaded updates recently and I added the “Sonar Chart Data” uploaded by others as they record data along the way. For extra measure I use paper explorer charts and manually place their waypoints on mybplotter for critical areas. So far they agree.

That is good to hear. Last year they were very poor for Eleuthera. I do remember the Sonar Charts being closer though. Maybe they are getting better.

Jim