iSailor or Navionics? or

[Stillwater1]

I am a newby with older equipment, hanging out in Florida coastal waters for now.
I have an iPad 4th Generation (2012) and old Garmin chartplotter, a 440s. The Garmin I intend to use as device to read my instruments, as the screen is too small for my liking for plotting. So I have set up the iPad with a Bad Elf GPS, a rugged case, some ram mounts and a glare reducing screen protector.

I am looking for votes on which software to spend my time trying to learn. Which one do you prefer, iSailor or Navionics or iNavX? and why?

I also recently purchased a set of paper charts for the West Coast and Keys.

Lastly, it seems as though Garmin Blue Charts and Active Captain are currently unavailable.

Thanks in advance.

[AedanC]

Which one has the best charts for your area?

[Robertkwfl]

I prefer Navionics. I’ve been using their app in the Keys for years, and it is my primary chartplotter. The charts are excellent for that region. I’ve used all the apps you mentioned and find Navionics to have the best overall appearance and user experience.

ISailor and iNavx can display all kinds of NMEA data if you have a Wi-Fi server. Navionics can only display depth, and even that requires some trickery unless you’re using one of a few compatible sounders. This might not be relevant for you.

[leboyd]

I use iSailor on my iPad. I’ve used it in SE Texas (Galveston Bay and GoM) and in the BVIs. My experience is that it works fine. I don’t know where they get their charts, but the ones I’ve used in Texas match the paper charts. The app was free and you buy the charts just like buying paper charts. I started with iSailor because it was a cheap entry into electronic charting.

[IslandHopper]

Originally Posted by leboyd

I use iSailor on my iPad. I’ve used it in SE Texas (Galveston Bay and GoM) and in the BVIs. My experience is that it works fine. I don’t know where they get their charts, but the ones I’ve used in Texas match the paper charts. The app was free and you buy the charts just like buying paper charts. I started with iSailor because it was a cheap entry into electronic charting.

iSailor is a part of Transas and Transas build ECDIS systems so use official chart data, the same charts used for iSailor...

Transas - Company Profile

I have iSailor, iNavx and C-Map/Plan2Nav on my iPad, my first preference is iSailor by a wide margin to iNavx then an even wider margin to C-Map, in fact i can't remember the last time i used C-Map, i really don't rate it much at all...

I will also point out we have a number of vessels where i work fitted with Transas ECDIS systems and the chart detail is the same for iSailor and official paper charts, so yes i agree with your observation on that point to

[Pendragon35]

I've used iSailor on the Chesapeake out of Baltimore for three years. Works fine. Sometimes it could use more data for little coves, but I've found it to be accurate and easy to use. I like that it's the same on my phone and iPad and I like that I can expand it as I need more features.

[fxykty]

I have a Raymarine chart plotter with Navionics charts so wanted alternative charts on my iPhone. iSailor app is pretty good and the charts not very expensive. I found the coverage better in some places and worse in others relative to Navionics for western Fiji.

I like the tracking feature - makes filling in log details for shorter coastal passages much easier. For offshore, it automatically stops one track and starts another after about 1.5 days, so you can’t get overall stats. Other than that, highly recommended.

[AJ_n_Audrey]

I have Garmin BlueCharts on my iPad, which I prefer to I-Navx because of accuracy problems noted by others, and I agree with IslandHopper that C-Map is a big step down from Garmin BlueCharts. Not sure why BlueCharts would not be available as OP indicated. I used BlueCharts all the way down the East Coast from NC to West Palm and in Bahamas in March-April-May-June this year - always matched the paper charts exactly.

[chas.sail]

I have a ipad3 and have all the above loaded. I use the Garmin blue charts a
Most exclusively in tandem with my Raymarine multi display with lighthouse charts. Coming back from the Bahamas last spring the Raymarine crapped out and used Bluecharts exclusively. I like the active captain overlay for local knowledge. Sailing area Charleston to West Palm to West end to Abacos. I believe the charts for entire East Coast /Bahamas was under $30

[neophytecruiser]

To add to the chorus, I use iSailor along the California coast (San Diego to Santa Cruz) and used it extensively in Mexico (San Diego to Puerto Vallarta and the Sea of Cortez) and found it to be as good or better than many of the other options, including Garmin's Blue Charts. It's easy to use and is especially useful to being able to superimpose AIS data on the chart.

[chas.sail]

Originally Posted by chas.sail

I have a ipad3 and have all the above loaded. I use the Garmin blue charts a
Most exclusively in tandem with my Raymarine multi display with lighthouse charts. Coming back from the Bahamas last spring the Raymarine crapped out and used Bluecharts exclusively. I like the active captain overlay for local knowledge. Sailing area Charleston to West Palm to West end to Abacos. I believe the charts for entire East Coast /Bahamas was under $30

Just checked App Store for IPad. Bluecharts search brings up no results. Looks like it is now called Garmin Active Captain and is not compatible on my iPad. Hopefully they will continue to support the Bluecharts App

[Paul Kelly]

I have a Raymarine E7 Chart plotter with Navionics and also iSailor on my iPad. I think the iSailor charts are clearer and better than the Navionics ones - though I may not have the latest Navionics charts uploaded. They are posibly also better value as I think you pay for Navionics chart upgrades and the iSailor ones are free.

The iPad has the advantage of mobility though the battery life restricts its usage and the battery life of my iPad does not currently seem that good. However I find it easier to plot waypoints and create routes in the E7 Chartplotter. Nothing is perfect!

It's a shame that iSailor is not available on other platforms as I prefer their charts.

[kapnkarl]

I recently purchased an iPad Pro 12.9 (cellular to get the internal GPS) and loaded Navionics USA HD onto it. No need to buy a cell plan, but without the internal GPS you'd need a USB or other GPS device connected to the iPad and the internal device was rock solid. Anyway, this was to be a backup system on my new-to-me trawler running an outdated version of Nobeltec Admiral on Windows XP. Long story short, the Navionics app with the automatic routing feature was simply outstanding for route planning. An unbelievable time saver and it generated accurate routes between islands through Casco Bay. It put a big smile on my face. The technology is excellent.

Tracking, weather, tides & currents for the trip from Maine down to NJ were also great. Map detail and accuracy were on par with Nobeltec Admiral running 2 flavors of charts. And did I mention the automatic routing was the cat's meow? The price of the software and maps (< $80) made it a steal!

The only thing missing was Active Captain and now that Garmin owns Navionics, I would hope it's just a matter of time before A/C is integrated into the Navionics apps. I ended up buying Bluechart Mobile on the iPad to get A/C. Did my A/C planning (anchorages, alternates, etc.) ahead of time. Bit of a pain to swap back & forth but considering my investment... I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Stillwater1

I am a newby with older equipment, hanging out in Florida coastal waters for now.
I have an iPad 4th Generation (2012) and old Garmin chartplotter, a 440s. The Garmin I intend to use as device to read my instruments, as the screen is too small for my liking for plotting. So I have set up the iPad with a Bad Elf GPS, a rugged case, some ram mounts and a glare reducing screen protector.

I am looking for votes on which software to spend my time trying to learn. Which one do you prefer, iSailor or Navionics or iNavX? and why?

I also recently purchased a set of paper charts for the West Coast and Keys.

Lastly, it seems as though Garmin Blue Charts and Active Captain are currently unavailable.

Thanks in advance.

Grats on having paper. It's don't leave home without them.

[Sunsetrider]

What Kapnkarl said.
I don't have a chartplotter, so I am unsure if the new AC will be available to me on my ipad. I used iNavx for 3 years and liked it. I still have it on the ipad of course, but when I read about autoroute on Navionics I switched to it for this past season. I much prefer the look and feel of Navionics, and the autorouting feature has improved my life immeasurably. I only draw less than 3 feet, so depth accuracy is secondary.

I have a number of android phone apps and additional ipad nav apps for backup, and sometimes switch to them to pick up the old-tyme AC data. Hope they keep on keeping on!