Does Navionics work in Tahiti?

[Knuckledragger1]

Heading there to do the bareboat catamaran rental and wonder if Navionics works there? Love using my ipad for navigation so if not Navionics any suggestions for another e option?

[StuM]

What do you mean by "works". If you've got the appropriate chart files, you can use Navionics anywhere in the world.


You can check out the coverage here:
https://webapp.navionics.com/#boatin...%60bwjBftoo%5B


Selecting Menu - Map Options - Satellite will give you a satellite overlay so you can zoom in and see how well geo-referenced the charts are.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Knuckledragger.

[Knuckledragger1]

Originally Posted by StuM

What do you mean by "works". If you've got the appropriate chart files, you can use Navionics anywhere in the world.


You can check out the coverage here:
https://webapp.navionics.com/#boatin...%60bwjBftoo%5B


Selecting Menu - Map Options - Satellite will give you a satellite overlay so you can zoom in and see how well geo-referenced the charts are.

Stum,

Thank you for that! For some reason I can’t figure out which specific territory I need to purchase to get that info?

[Knuckledragger1]

Just went to the chat option and got it figured out. Thanks for the help!

I have heard that GPS doesn’t work well in Tahiti, I wonder if that will affect the usefulness of the app. Anyone have any personal experience using Navionics in this area?

[requiem]

GPS generally works fine everywhere in the world (unless you regularly hang out with Putin).

What makes certain areas problematic is that the charts might not be not referenced to correct lat/lon values. A possible way to check for this is to compare the values from your charts to what you can derive from satellite imagery (e.g. using Caltopo) and note any significant discrepancies for further investigation.

[bensolomon]

Just came back from Tahiti. eyeball navigation is the most important. Do not rely on electronic charts. I will say it again... Do not rely on electronic charts. Use paper charts for your large crossings, and when you're inside the reef, follow the markers. Everything is well marked. Also, when approaching a pass from the ocean you're going to want to have eyes up and line up your markers. I use an iPad with isailor everywhere I sale. I did not use my iPad in French Polynesia. I was too worried about the reefs which were clearly visible with eyes up. for some of the trickier passes, there are range markers that you will line up to shoot the pass.

Enjoy your trip!

[mossback]

I used Navionics in Tahiti running on an Asus tablet during a charter there in 2013. It worked well, but I agree that you do need to pay attention to the reef openings and the water color. We used Sunsail and they provided paper charts of the islands which we used in conjunction with the tablet. The French navigation aids are excellent.


Have fun!

[aguenther]

Navionics seems to be very unreliable at least in the Bahamas, and I think the company showed a very bad behaviour to all MacENC users. They bought the software and than decided to stop further supply of charts and development of the software itself (64 bit version).

For these reasons i prefer to use isailor, which has proofed to be reliable also in French Polynesia if you check also paper-charts and cruising guides. Be very careful if entering or leaving the pass to Maupiti.

Enjoy these beautiful waters.

[Eder]

I used Navionics on my chart plotter for all my Polynesian sailing so far. It was very accurate for everywhere we went, even the pass entries in the Tuamotus. Once inside the atolls we resorted to sight/markers/gps points though.


(if you choose to skirt islands 1 mile off in fading light motoring at 8 knots and dining down below all bets are off though}

[jmschmidt]

We owned a charter cat in FP for five years.

If you are chartering with a reputable company in FP the boat will come equipped with a major brand GPS chart-plotter which will drive the autopilot as well. Don't use this feature inside the reef.

Bareboat charter rules usually require that you do not sail at night and must be anchored in a protected area by 5:00PM. Avoiding a night entrance to an unfamiliar harbor entrance or sailing at close quarters near obstacles, especially inside the lagoons of FP at night is good advice. Eyeball navigation with several crew maintaining a proper watch (officially known as pilotage) is good advice when entering a passe and navigating inside the reef.

The navigation aids in FP are the best I've encountered in the western hemisphere, bar none. Once you learn the system it is simple and effective. Always be cognizant of your compass bearing to work with the nav aids.

Have fun, sail safe.

[nortonscove]

Originally Posted by Knuckledragger1

Heading there to do the bareboat catamaran rental and wonder if Navionics works there? Love using my ipad for navigation so if not Navionics any suggestions for another e option?

I think a more appropriate questions might be does it work well? I use Navionics on a regular basis but soon discovered there are problems with accuracy in some locales. The Northern Peninsula here in Newfoundland and the Labrador coast are scary as all hell when in shallow water.

[Knuckledragger1]

Wow, great info! Ok, this is my first sailing trip ever in my life but I am an experienced motor yachtsmen having taking my Meridian from Canada to Ensenada. I wonder how many people in a 48’ cat never actually raise the sails on these types of charters? My only training to date has been a course specific 2 day class in a smaller cat. I fully intend to experience sailing but would like to know if motoring only is a legitimate option? Ok begin the public flogging now.

[Eder]

Everyone motor sails a lot of the time in the Leewards , its is pretty much upwind or downwind most of the time.



One thing I noticed is charter boats are not laying enough scope out...dragging boats at the Fare anchorage is pretty much a sport at times. Be ready for a calm day in the anchorage to blow 40 knots at 2am.

[blubaju]

if you want to be MORE safe, check out this page:
KAP Files
S/V Soggy Paws - Computer Navigation Tips and Tricks

http://www.yachtvalhalla.net/navigation/navigation.htm

Sample


The trick is simple, take a chart, you never really see rocks or true coast line, take a satellite picture with the real seabed, at least until the depth it is interesting for a sailor, place them above each other and georeference them.


You need a Windows PC though, you might find a lot of "preworked" charts, I know plenty from Asia



DO NOT RELY ON CHARTS, NOT PRINTED, NOT DIGITAL!!!!!
Use them for a general impression about where you are