Garmin just purchased ActiveCaptain

[Cruisingmuum]

Hi all,

I should stay quiet but it's hard when the topic is on the table. We have developed a new active captain style program, (we actually only heard of active captain in this last month). We are cruisers ourselves and have spent the last 6 months building it along side a team of programmers. It utilises google maps, both satellite and map view (it also has street view option), and allows the user to place icons on the map. The icons cover everything from different types of anchorages, marinas, moorings, walking tracks to locations of public bins and taps, snorkelling and scuba sites. All the information can be edited and added to by any user, and comments/discussions can be had within each information icon. It's a sophisticated and easy to use program with a large range of functions. Besides from the information contained on the map, the site contains a comprehensive social media aspect which allows users to have profile pages, leave their locations on the map and publicly message friends and other users.

We are just putting together a short introduction/how to video, and then it will be ready to go.

Want to hear the best part?

The program, accessed through a URL, is, and will always be free to use. There is no aspect of using the program that will cost money. And nothing to download.

It will be released here on cruisers forum, before anywhere else. If all goes to plan you should hear from us concerning the release, by the end of the week.

[goat]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

We have a small Garmin chart plotter which is only used to display AIS targets. The Charts started at €450 for just the western Med, Four years ago I said forget it. Why pay those prices when Navionics is so much less for the same thing.

Nothing good will come from this.

That's what I use, and what I use it for. Garmin's hardware is good but navionics on my tablet is heads and shoulders better. Going in to an anchorage I'd never rely on the garmin charts even though I spent 10x as much for them.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Cruisingmuum

Hi all,

I should stay quiet but it's hard when the topic is on the table. We have developed a new active captain style program, (we actually only heard of active captain in this last month). We are cruisers ourselves and have spent the last 6 months building it along side a team of programmers. It utilises google maps, both satellite and map view (it also has street view option), and allows the user to place icons on the map. The icons cover everything from different types of anchorages, marinas, moorings, walking tracks to locations of public bins and taps, snorkelling and scuba sites. All the information can be edited and added to by any user, and comments/discussions can be had within each information icon. It's a sophisticated and easy to use program with a large range of functions. Besides from the information contained on the map, the site contains a comprehensive social media aspect which allows users to have profile pages, leave their locations on the map and publicly message friends and other users.

We are just putting together a short introduction/how to video, and then it will be ready to go.

Want to hear the best part?

The program, accessed through a URL, is, and will always be free to use. There is no aspect of using the program that will cost money. And nothing to download.

It will be released here on cruisers forum, before anywhere else. If all goes to plan you should hear from us concerning the release, by the end of the week.

Thanks for that...look forward to learning more and welcome to CF

[Fiveslide]

Originally Posted by Cruisingmuum

Hi all,

I should stay quiet but it's hard when the topic is on the table. We have developed a new active captain style program, (we actually only heard of active captain in this last month). We are cruisers ourselves and have spent the last 6 months building it along side a team of programmers. It utilises google maps, both satellite and map view (it also has street view option), and allows the user to place icons on the map. The icons cover everything from different types of anchorages, marinas, moorings, walking tracks to locations of public bins and taps, snorkelling and scuba sites. All the information can be edited and added to by any user, and comments/discussions can be had within each information icon. It's a sophisticated and easy to use program with a large range of functions. Besides from the information contained on the map, the site contains a comprehensive social media aspect which allows users to have profile pages, leave their locations on the map and publicly message friends and other users.

We are just putting together a short introduction/how to video, and then it will be ready to go.

Want to hear the best part?

The program, accessed through a URL, is, and will always be free to use. There is no aspect of using the program that will cost money. And nothing to download.

It will be released here on cruisers forum, before anywhere else. If all goes to plan you should hear from us concerning the release, by the end of the week.

Could you alphabetize the states, cities, and any other lists? Or code in some different ways to sort the locations, distance from a location, alphabetical, customer rating, depth? Now that would be handy. I didn't use AC much but that always drove me crazy, having to hunt for them in what seemed like no particular order.

[PetePetePete]

ActiveCaptain says that it will continue to be free, etc. I find this VERY hard to believe. I have to think that sooner or later they will want to monetize this investment.

It's a shame really -- ActiveCaptain has been a large part of my cruising planning... however, I would not pay for it. They (Garmin) already gouge you for maps, etc. Enough is enough.

We will see what happens from here... may they'll integrate it into the Garmin G2 Maps... WiFi... from phone, etc. Could be very cool... I dunno.

[jbinbi]

I think they can still leave it to be free, (actually advertise on the side of the web page to make money if they wanted), but if they integrate into their maps for their instruments, that is a great feature that no one yet has. Having this info on your chartplotter would be nice. Currently I have to look up the info on active captain, then when at the boat put those coords into the plotter for my route. Would be great to just have it on there. A nice feature that Raymarine or B&G wouldn't have.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by jbinbi

Having this info on your chartplotter would be nice.

Already done on a number of platforms including Garmin.

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by jbinbi

I think they can still leave it to be free, (actually advertise on the side of the web page to make money if they wanted), but if they integrate into their maps for their instruments, that is a great feature that no one yet has. Having this info on your chartplotter would be nice. Currently I have to look up the info on active captain, then when at the boat put those coords into the plotter for my route. Would be great to just have it on there. A nice feature that Raymarine or B&G wouldn't have.

C-map chips for b&g plotters have active captain integrated. Of course it is only current to the manufacture date of the chip.

[hpeer]

I just installed the AC app on my iPhone. All I get is the starlet map background and the location of others using AC. No actual useful data. In the help section it says the AC data is coming. I hope it gets here soon.

[Ted and Relinda]

Yep, the AC app is free thru Garmin. However it appeared it only works if you have newer Garmin products to work it in. It is not compatible with my 3210 MFD unit as far as I can tell. If any nerds out there can help on that, please let me know.
Thanks
Ted.

[AJ_n_Audrey]

Originally Posted by AJ_n_Audrey

I have Garmin Bluecharts on an iPad - love it. Used the iPad tied on the pedestal guard above the chartplotter (Furuno) in the Bahamas. Cheap "back-up" that I actually used as primary most of the time (put a LifeProof cover on it, btw). Furuno gave me AIS, everything else came from the iPad.

Okay, now that I have verified that BlueCharts Mobile is in fact discontinued, I'm trying to determine if updates will continue to be available, but haven't been able to find any info from Garmin. My guess is that support will disappear within a few months. I'm running an AC update right now on the iPad, and then will try to update charts, just to see if you can still get updates. But jeez, this is a crappy way to treat customers. At least I now have iSailor, without AC integration of course, but I'll learn about using AC apart from BlueCharts.

[hpeer]

So how are folks viewing data on the iPad/iPhone?

[CalmSeasQuest]

Originally Posted by AJ_n_Audrey

Okay, now that I have verified that BlueCharts Mobile is in fact discontinued, I'm trying to determine if updates will continue to be available, but haven't been able to find any info from Garmin. My guess is that support will disappear within a few months. I'm running an AC update right now on the iPad, and then will try to update charts, just to see if you can still get updates. But jeez, this is a crappy way to treat customers. At least I now have iSailor, without AC integration of course, but I'll learn about using AC apart from BlueCharts.

Wow, this is a major disappointment. I wonder why and what the replacement offering will be. I really liked the app.

[AJ_n_Audrey]

Originally Posted by hpeer

So how are folks viewing data on the iPad/iPhone?

The app still works, but Garmin isn't selling it any more. I just finished updating the AC portion, and that worked. But when I looked at charts, it appears there is nothing available in terms of updates. So I'm guessing there won't be any more.

[Ted and Relinda]

I may be pessimistic, but it is my belief the Garmin bought out AC (and Navionics) to end up shutting them down and forcing sailors to use their proprietary stuff. Too bad they treat loyal customers like that. My next buy of a navigation system will not be theirs, I don't think.
Ted