Garmin Bluechart Mobile Discontinued

[CarlF]

There's been a lot of discussion about this on other forums. I'm pretty sure the following is right:

If you have BlueChart Mobile today it will keep working indefinitely - or at least until Apple makes a big change in IOS (IOS 11 works fine). The Active Captain data will continue to download and update free. That's how it's working for me. But no chart updates will be available and no new charts can be bought -- but you can restore charts you have already bought - even to a new Ipad using an Itunes backup.

The ActiveCaptain app is an improved BlueChart Mobile with very tight links to Garmin Chartplotters. If you have a Garmin chartplotter, those charts will be shared on the Ipad so they will be free instead of $50 as with BlueChart Mobile. So far, Garmin has never required anyone to buy a chart update. If you like your 5 year old Garmin charts you can keep using them - now on an Ipad too.

If you don't have a Garmin chartplotter you can still buy charts just for the ActiveCapatain app on the Ipad. The BlueChart Mobile charts you bought will not work on the AC app. Unfortunately, these charts are much more expensive than the old BlueChart Mobile charts so hardly anyone will do this.

There are a few minor problems. The ActiveCaptain app is still on it's first version and a few things are missing. I'm sure this will get fixed with updates. Some Garmin chartplotters can't automatically copy their charts to the Ipad but I bet Garmin will also find a way to improve this. Finally older Ipads (Ipad 2,3,4) that run BlueChart Mobile can't run the ActiveCaptain app because it requires version 11 of IOS.

I have no inside knowledge, but i think Garmin will eventually realize that they should reduce the price of the ActiveCaptain app charts to the same $30-$50 level as the old BlueChart Mobile charts. Otherwise, eventually only Garmin chartplotters owners will use Garmin apps. Everyone else will be using products from Garmin's competitors. It's hard to see how this benefits Garmin.

[hillierj]

There is an app germinativecaptain that seems to be a replacement for the garmin mobile app. I loaded it and my Garmin registered charts also loaded so looks to be good to use.

[wyb2]

Originally Posted by CarlF

There's been a lot of discussion about this on other forums. I'm pretty sure the following is right:

If you have BlueChart Mobile today it will keep working indefinitely - or at least until Apple makes a big change in IOS (IOS 11 works fine). The Active Captain data will continue to download and update free. That's how it's working for me. But no chart updates will be available and no new charts can be bought -- but you can restore charts you have already bought - even to a new Ipad using an Itunes backup...

This is not how it is working for us, and that's the problem. Bluechart jettisoned all it's AC data, which can be re-downloaded, only to be jettisoned again the next time the app is opened. So it is effectively an over wi-fi only app now, obviously useless for sailing.

Doesn't sound like other people are having this problem, so it's likely just an unfortunate glitch. Unfortunately, since Garmin killed Bluechart without warning, there is no way that I'm seeing to reinstall in order to fix the glitch.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by CarlF

I have no inside knowledge, but i think Garmin will eventually realize that they should reduce the price of the ActiveCaptain app charts to the same $30-$50 level as the old BlueChart Mobile charts. Otherwise, eventually only Garmin chartplotters owners will use Garmin apps. Everyone else will be using products from Garmin's competitors. It's hard to see how this benefits Garmin.

Knowing Garmin, they will buy the serious competitors and ignore the little guys.
I’ve thought many times, with Navionics on an IPad and Blue Chart, other than to get a Radar, who wants a plotter?
Garmin has apparently fixed that way of thinking.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by wyb2

This is not how it is working for us, and that's the problem. Bluechart jettisoned all it's AC data, which can be re-downloaded, only to be jettisoned again the next time the app is opened. So it is effectively an over wi-fi only app now, obviously useless for sailing.

Doesn't sound like other people are having this problem, so it's likely just an unfortunate glitch. Unfortunately, since Garmin killed Bluechart without warning, there is no way that I'm seeing to reinstall in order to fix the glitch.

I started having the same problem a few days ago on my IPad with Blue Charts and Active Captain.Takes about 40 - 60 minutes to reload the data every day. No setting I can find seems to change this. This does make AC worthless once I go into an area with no or limited internet for me.

I guess after Garmin bought Active Captain, they decided to improve it until it broke. If I have to start over and buy all new charts, I'm going to look at all of the companies,not just Garmin, before I spend any money.

[mikedefieslife]

When I was restoring my iphone apps to my iPad I had noticed that Blue charts wasn't quite right. It turned out, in the few weeks that I hadn't opened the app, Garmin had discontinued it, and I could only use the old version I had on my phone.

This type of crap is what everyone was worried about when Garmin announced the purchase of Navionics. I wonder how long until they "fix" (read cripple) the Navionics app so that it can no longer automatically send routes to non-garmin chartplotters.

[AJ_n_Audrey]

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

When I was restoring my iphone apps to my iPad I had noticed that Blue charts wasn't quite right. It turned out, in the few weeks that I hadn't opened the app, Garmin had discontinued it, and I could only use the old version I had on my phone.

This type of crap is what everyone was worried about when Garmin announced the purchase of Navionics. I wonder how long until they "fix" (read cripple) the Navionics app so that it can no longer automatically send routes to non-garmin chartplotters.

Get iSailor. Spend a little time reading their documentation, and you can do everything you could in BlueCharts, and the charts appear to be just as good, though I have not researched what the source data for Bahamas is in iSailor. I downloaded AC to my phone, and I'll get AC info from it. Not perfect, but I'm not buying Garmin hardware just to get AC integrated to BlueCharts.

[Flying Monkey]

I have to say, this turn of events makes me sad. I understand things are businesses, and I expect businesses to be run profitably, etc, etc. I harbor no ill will about smart business decisions.
What makes me sad is that Garmin Blue Charts was a great tool and more, like a sailing companion. Great for planning and undertaking voyages as well as documenting them, taking notes, pictures, and then recounting them to landlubbers and fellow salty dogs as well. I thought it was a great value, and, if asked, I would have gladly paid more for the services.
Yes, I found the increase in map prices aggravating, but who likes a price increase? At the same time, the maps were good, easy to get, easy to download, etc, etc. they could have doubled the price and it still would have been a value. Sadly, Garmin did not do this.
They did not seem to even send out a notice.
Now I think back to all those little notes and updates from Active Captain....
Where is the one that said, “hey, fyi, we are going to be sh*t canning your favorite sailing app here in a couple weeks”.
As a comparison, I also use Scotts Cheap Flights. One thing I liked about stuff like Scotts Cheap Flights was, they actually sent out a survey and asked what I would be willing to pay for the subscription service. As much as I wanted to say, not another red darn cent, I actually said that I valued the service and would pay more, because it was true.
I am sure the Garmin folks did what seemed best to them, but, to me, it feels like a betrayal, and a betrayal that I will not soon, if ever forget. If there is one thing I love about the cruising community is the feeling that, wherever I go, whatever I do, whatever dumb sh*t situations I get myself jammed into, if there is a fellow cruiser around, that cruiser will come to help out. It feels like Garmin left the party without even saying bye.
I will find another. Going to buy iNavx right now and give it a try.
So there is is.

[Capt Gill]

Originally Posted by Flying Monkey

I have to say, this turn of events makes me sad. I understand things are businesses, and I expect businesses to be run profitably, etc, etc. I harbor no ill will about smart business decisions.
What makes me sad is that Garmin Blue Charts was a great tool and more, like a sailing companion. Great for planning and undertaking voyages as well as documenting them, taking notes, pictures, and then recounting them to landlubbers and fellow salty dogs as well. I thought it was a great value, and, if asked, I would have gladly paid more for the services.
Yes, I found the increase in map prices aggravating, but who likes a price increase? At the same time, the maps were good, easy to get, easy to download, etc, etc. they could have doubled the price and it still would have been a value. Sadly, Garmin did not do this.
They did not seem to even send out a notice.
Now I think back to all those little notes and updates from Active Captain....
Where is the one that said, “hey, fyi, we are going to be sh*t canning your favorite sailing app here in a couple weeks”.
As a comparison, I also use Scotts Cheap Flights. One thing I liked about stuff like Scotts Cheap Flights was, they actually sent out a survey and asked what I would be willing to pay for the subscription service. As much as I wanted to say, not another red darn cent, I actually said that I valued the service and would pay more, because it was true.
I am sure the Garmin folks did what seemed best to them, but, to me, it feels like a betrayal, and a betrayal that I will not soon, if ever forget. If there is one thing I love about the cruising community is the feeling that, wherever I go, whatever I do, whatever dumb sh*t situations I get myself jammed into, if there is a fellow cruiser around, that cruiser will come to help out. It feels like Garmin left the party without even saying bye.
I will find another. Going to buy iNavx right now and give it a try.
So there is is.

I couldn't agree more with you. It seems to be the general consensus that we're not looking for freebies or entitlements, but just a little respect and for Garmin to carry on in a responsible manner. Perhaps Garmin will have an epiphany as did their apparent exemplar, Ebenezer Scrooge, and set things straight after the holidays – one can always hope. Also, it seems the good folks at AC have stopped defending Garmin.

[Group9]

Time to dig out the old Explorer Chartbooks. Once you have them, no one can screw them up.

[neworleansrich]

Asside from the charts in the Garmin Bluechart App, the App was the easiest way to input on the spot information into ActiveCaptain.

This made the App and ActiveCaptain much more useful. I'm not sure how many people will go to the extra trouble to use the ActiveCaptain website to upload information and I don't think you can upload info from your Garmin Chartplotter yet. You would think Garmin would realize that crowd sourcing data is only as good as the crowd... No crowd, no data.

ActiveCaptain will probably die off. Whatever Garmin paid for ActiveCaptain may have just as well been flushed down the head.

[SailRedemption]

Last time I used my iPad, I was still able to use the Garmin app. My iPad rarely has internet connection though. I have used it since this thread has been started but not within the last week or so.

[a64pilot]

I can still use Blue charts, and it appears that AC is still being updated. When I go to the purchase charts section, the ones I have purchased show up, but there are of course no others that you can purchase.
I assume you will always be able to use it until an Apple update kills it, but you won’t be able to update charts or purchase new ones.

[taxwizz]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

but you won’t be able to update charts or purchase new ones.

Updating is nice, but how often do they move the rocks?

[zboss]

Originally Posted by taxwizz

Updating is nice, but how often do they move the rocks?

Pretty often.. for example:

"DUE TO THE PASSAGE OF HURRICANE IRMA AND HURRICANE MARIA: AIDS TO NAVIGATION, STRUCTURES OR PLATFORMS MAY BE
DAMAGED, DESTROYED OR SUBMERGED. LIGHTED AND UNLIGHTED BUOYS MAY BE OFF STATION FROM ASSIGNED POSITIONS, BE DAMAGED,
EXTINGUISHED, SINK, OR OTHERWISE MADE INOPERATIVE. MARINERS SHOULD NOT RELY COMPLETELY UPON THE POSITION OR OPERATION
OF AN AID TO NAVIGATION IN THESE AREAS, BUT SHOULD ALSO EMPLOY SUCH OTHER METHODS OF DETERMINING POSITION AS MAY BE
AVAILABLE. WRECKS AND SUBMERGED OBSTRUCTIONS MAY MOVE FROM CHARTED LOCATIONS AND PIPELINES MAY BECOME UNCOVERED
OR MOVE DUE TO THE FORCE OF STORM SURGE. MARINERS ARE URGED TO USE EXTREME CAUTION AND REPORT ALL AIDS TO NAVIGATION
DISCREPANCIES TO THE NEAREST COAST GUARD UNIT.
****THIS LOCAL NOTICE TO MARINERS DOES NOT REFLECT ALL OF THE POTENIAL DISCREPANCIES OF THE AIDS TO NAVIGATION****"