Best Article Comparing Electronic Charting Programs ...

[sneuman]

iNAV or Navionics or ...? I know everyone has an opinion (except me, as I am totally confused). Can anyone point me to a good (current) overview of pros and cons?

[neworleansrich]

The Garmin iPad charts are excellent but they lack bridge clearances, go figure.

[GrowleyMonster]

My favorite is OpenCPN. Just sayin. Opens all the charts I have, including CM95. Good feature set, fairly easy to use. I'm hoping an Android version will come out some day but at least it runs great on Linux.

[colemj]

hogHunter, perhaps you could disclose your relationship with Navionics?

BTW, yours is the first positive accounting I have heard about Navionics charts in the Bahamas. They are widely considered the worse of the bunch by everyone else. Some have even come to grief relying on them.

Mark

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by colemj

hogHunter, perhaps you could disclose your relationship with Navionics?



Mark

Yes, and Garmin too. All your posts seem to be about them and in some you offer beta testing which could only come from a sales outlet.

[rockDAWG]

Originally Posted by neworleansrich

The Garmin iPad charts are excellent but they lack bridge clearances, go figure.

Garmin Blue Chart is compatible with Active Captain. From there your can get bridge clearance and other local information better any big house chartplotter charts.

One thing I don't know why Garmin removed magnetic heading from their App. The latest version only shows true north heading.

[fjwiley1]

Hog hunter......can you expand on what Navionics will make available to Garmin. I have a new 741 and it's awesome but always looking for any improvements.

Thanks




Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[a64pilot]

I have both Navionics and Garmin charts.
The Navionics was a waste of money (in my opinion)

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by sneuman

iNAV or Navionics or ...? I know everyone has an opinion (except me, as I am totally confused). Can anyone point me to a good (current) overview of pros and cons?

I see you're on the Chesapeake. You might want to try out the Navionics smart phone app.

I have two Garmin chart plotters on my boat, but honestly when I'm on the Chesapeake I use the Navionics app on my iPhone for 99% of my navigation, lmao. But that's more a function of convenience than the quality of the data or presentation.

[fjwiley1]

a64.........what area did you use the Navionics. I downloaded the App for iPhone/iPad but haven't "taken it out" yet. My primary is my Garmin 741.

Thanks

Ex av8tr here. Ex as in she got the Bi-plane........








Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[mikereed100]

I used Navionics in the Phillipines, Taiwan and Japan, where it was all but useless. I ended up depending on OpenCPN and photos of charts on the walls of yacht clubs.

I did find one aspect of Navionics that was useful. If I saw a reef in my path on OpenCPN I could just toggle over to Navionics and it would disappear.

[colemj]

Is the OP looking for charts for a chartplotter or for an ipad app? If the latter, I highly recommend SEAiq. That program will take just about any chart you want to put on it - CM93, S57, rasters, ENC's, google earth, homemade KAPs, BSB, etc.

It also makes a google earth chart for you with a touch of a button and downloads and overlays gribs (need an internet connection for that). I recently got it and am amazed at its capabilities. If you have NMEA over wifi, it connects, uses and displays all your navigational instruments also. The developer has immediately responded to my email questions regardless of time of day - I have no idea where he lives, but he doesn't seem to sleep.

I consider it my iPad version of OpenCPN (that doesn't fog on overzoom…), although it costs $40. I think it is free in the US for using NOAA's electronic charts, but I am not sure.

Mark

[Jammer Six]

Originally Posted by hogHunter

Why is that? We have used a number of different charts and Navionics was always our favorite....

In late 2004, I used a Navionics chart that showed a light that had been removed ten years earlier. I called Navionics about it, and they "corrected" it.

What they did was remove the symbol for the light, and leave the line of text describing the light's characteristics.

They use NOAA data (everyone does) but they "edit" it. They don't update it to LNMs or NMs, and when they do "update" it, they do so poorly. It appears to me that they don't understand basic cartography.

If you edit the data on a chart, then sell the chart, either do it right or have a seat.

[Palarran]

Originally Posted by sneuman

iNAV or Navionics or ...? I know everyone has an opinion (except me, as I am totally confused). Can anyone point me to a good (current) overview of pros and cons?

It's looking doubtful.

I only read Cruising World and haven't seen a good comparison on plotters or charts on it.

fwiw, I use C-Map charts and they are freaky accurate. The opencpn program I'm sure from the input here is great but fortunately time still has value to me so spending $250 for a map cartridge that simply works is worthwhile.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by mikereed100

I used Navionics in the Phillipines, Taiwan and Japan, where it was all but useless. I ended up depending on OpenCPN and photos of charts on the walls of yacht clubs.

I did find one aspect of Navionics that was useful. If I saw a reef in my path on OpenCPN I could just toggle over to Navionics and it would disappear.

This is the kind of experience needed but updated to 2014.

The OP is asking if their is an unbiased review of the most accurate and detailed Chart program for each world region.

That review would be so useful prior to purchase