Active Captain, RIP? Life Support?

[PetePetePete]

I was a HUGE lover of Active Captain before Garmin bought it. I found some amazing anchorages all up and down East and West Florida... and the Bahamas...

As I plan my next trip, and looking around on Active Captain, it appears that it is pretty dead.

What's the go-to now? Do people use Facebook pages, etc.?

[Jammer]

Waterway Guide is the closest thing now, at least where I am, but is not the same.

[bergius]

No Foreign Land has been working pretty well for us.

[fnees]

Originally Posted by bergius

No Foreign Land has been working pretty well for us.

I second NFL. But Active Captain is still preferred for navigation. Just update it whenever you can, it would be a shame to lose any of those tools.

[CaptTom]

I agree that NFL is starting to take on the role formerly held by AC.

From what I can tell, it's already been widely adopted elsewhere, and is starting to grow in the US. I notice that some of the markers, such as anchorages, even mention that the data came from AC.

I think it's time to stop waiting on the sidelines to see what replaces AC, and throw our support behind NFL. The best way to do this is to start entering reviews for the places we know well, then add new ones as we explore.

[CarlF]

While I use NFL some — and Waterway guide in The Bahamas - in most areas I still find AC by far the most reliable for hazards and anchorages. Especially in less crowded cruising areas like Maine.

While the Garmin acquisition was a bumpy - as most are. After the first year I think Garmin’s done a great job. It’s still free and always available. And using AC in Aquamap is vastly superior to the old Bluechart - which was written in Flash so would have stopped working long ago whether Garmin bought AC or not.

I still add comments to AC when I find something new but I don’t see any reason to repeat what’s already been well said. The first post I made 14 years ago about a sandbar on Cape Cod near my home harbor is still in AC and just as good information as it was then. If the sandbar ever shifted, I’d update the post but it’s pretty much been the same since I sailed an Oday Widgeon around it 60 years ago.

I do wish Garmin would offer free AC hats to frequent posters as Jeff used to do.

[s/v Jedi]

The problem with NFL is that there’s no such icons showing up on my AquaMap charts while both AC and WWG do have the icons.

[yalla]

I'm using Navily in the med.

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by CarlF

...in most areas I still find AC by far the most reliable for hazards and anchorages...

I agree that the old data is still there, for things which don't change like rocks. I do still use it occasionally.

But then I go looking for more current information. Services, supplies, fuel, moorings, marinas all change. And in all the places I've looked, including much of the coast of Maine, all these data are so far out of date on AC as to be unreliable.

NFL, on the other hand, has far less data but at least it's current. And just in the past year or so I'm starting to see more people posting.

I liked AC a lot. Jeff still owes me a hat. But that ship has sailed. Regardless of how well Garmin does with it (or not) the reality is that very few people post to it any more. A system like this is only as good as the user community. We collectively need to pick a platform and all use it. I'm thrilled to see people moving toward NFL. I'd be just as happy if they all moved back to AC.

[northwestsailor]

Originally Posted by yalla

I'm using Navily in the med.

Me too in the Med and up in Scotland. I use Navily along with Savvy Navvy. Not as technical as AC but I think a lot is lost in translation.

[Gadagirl]

"Argo Navigation is a free mobile app created by a Bay boater for Bay boaters, and it’s so popular that its reach now extends well beyond the Chesapeake region—throughout North America.

As Maryland founder and CEO Jeff Foulk explains, Argo gives you a simple path from A to B, but also lets you link up with boating buddies and even uses crowd-sourcing like the Waze traffic app."

https://www.chesapeakebaymagazine.co...peake-boaters/

I recently came across this sponsored advertisement in Chesapeake Bay magazine. I haven't looked at it or used it. I can't vouch for it. But it seems as though others are stepping into the ring.

[Leadfree]

AC is just fine if folks just bother to update if something changes or mark if they see something new. I use AC both via AquaMaps and the online map at the Garmin site. I've updated some, but I also see no reason to comment if nothing has changed.

It also helps to refer people to AC. There are quite a few newer cruisers who do not seem to know AC exists, which is on Garmin for not promoting the product

[GreenWave]

I use AC and I think it makes sense to confirm a five year old observation or experience. So keep,updating it.

[svfinlandia]

Originally Posted by Gadagirl

"Argo Navigation is a free mobile app created by a Bay boater for Bay boaters, and it’s so popular that its reach now extends well beyond the Chesapeake region—throughout North America.

As Maryland founder and CEO Jeff Foulk explains, Argo gives you a simple path from A to B, but also lets you link up with boating buddies and even uses crowd-sourcing like the Waze traffic app."

https://www.chesapeakebaymagazine.co...peake-boaters/

I recently came across this sponsored advertisement in Chesapeake Bay magazine. I haven't looked at it or used it. I can't vouch for it. But it seems as though others are stepping into the ring.

I discovered Argo not long after it first came out.
I tried using its routing tool for a 20 mile trip on the new river and if I had followed it, it would haveran me inside two markers and ran me a ground once.
I contacted Jeff Foulk about it and sent him a screenshot. He didn’t seem to be very concerned. I immediately dumped it off my iPad.
I hope it has greatly improved since then.

Al, S/V Finlandia

[Bravo46]

For Maine, there is a free online Cruising Guide created and continuously updated by the Cruising Club of America. Guides.cruisingclub.org