What ever happened to Active Captain?

[mrybas]

I know they got bought out by Garmin a few years ago. Did Garmin/Navionics **** can the project?
I’m cruising around the Bahamas and most of user data is from the Active Captain hey day period, and very few recent updates.
What ever happened to the owner of Active Captain??? I guess there was a non complete clause in the sale of AC?
Seems like a real void that needs to be filled!

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by mrybas

I know they got bought out by Garmin a few years ago. Did Garmin/Navionics **** can the project?
I’m cruising around the Bahamas and most of user data is from the Active Captain hey day period, and very few recent updates.
What ever happened to the owner of Active Captain??? I guess there was a non complete clause in the sale of AC?
Seems like a real void that needs to be filled!

Is the data not relevant? If the information hasn't changed, why should it be updated? How many people need to post the same thing? At some point, only changes need to be submitted.

[mrybas]

I’d say the bigger picture data is still relevant. But things change ....dingy docks are built destroyed, businesses come and go, sandbars change, etc. There just isn’t the active contribution like there used to be with Active Captain.

[ggray]

Originally Posted by mrybas

I’d say the bigger picture data is still relevant. But things change ....dingy docks are built destroyed, businesses come and go, sandbars change, etc. There just isn’t the active contribution like there used to be with Active Captain.

Agreed.

And not only that, but AFAIK, being able to measure a distance of more than one leg is no longer possible. Also the lat/long of the curser is not displayed now.

And they don't give you token rewards for submitting information. I'm convinced that helped insure fresh information.

I used to use AC frequently, but not as much now.

[Peel]

Active Captain is rolled into the Navionics Boating app. I thought all the comments added to the Boating App were pushed back to Active Captain. But maybe it's only pulling in data from Active Captain, and the new stuff is all kept separate? Using the Boating App I see updates from this last year - though not a lot, which with the lockdown makes sense.

[hpeer]

I access AC through Aqua Maps.

My observation is that many old comments have been deleted, including some of mine. There are new comments, it can be updated. Hut they are pretty rare.

[Woodland Hills]

Jeff built up a good business, sold it to Garmin and retired aboard Billy Joel’s old Coaster. If you see them and their dogs along the way, stop in and say hi, they are nice people.....

[JasonS]

We use Aquamaps and have been posting our anchorage experiences, obstructions, etc to both AC and Waterway Guide since moving aboard in April.

We all need to remember it’s crowdsourcing. We, as users, generate new data. So share and take benefits all. We’ve also added a few new anchorage spots along the way.

[George DuBose]

I avoid Garmin like the plague...

I had to buy a handheld GPS, when my chartplotter stopped showing ship's position in the middle of a tour.

When I asked at the shop in Kiel to buy charts, they said they had to order them at it would take three days. No charts online???

Then the clincher was, Garmin designed this model of handheld GPS UPSIDE DOWN. The keys are OVER the chart window and if you want to hang the unit by the wrist strap, it hangs upside down. Lovely.

Now that Garmin bought Navionics, I am going to have to look for a new chart provider. Luckily, my Raymarine Element chartplotter can use other brands of charts now and no longer locks us into Navionics/Garmin.

[thruska]

Garmin is much more interested in the big money government contract business.
Navionics is less than second fiddle...

[Scrimshaw4]

In my experience I have learned to avoid GARMIN like the plague. They buy out companies, strip the technology out and then provide no migratory path or support for the prior products. They are predatory. JMHO

[tpuckett]

Originally Posted by Scrimshaw4

In my experience I have learned to avoid GARMIN like the plague. They buy out companies, strip the technology out and then provide no migratory path or support for the prior products. They are predatory. JMHO

We tried to transfer ownership of a Garmin display. After working with support for a year I decided to give up.



There is a bulldozer sitting in the water in the Berrry islands, Those comments were really helpful to avoid it.

[svfinlandia]

Originally Posted by Scrimshaw4

In my experience I have learned to avoid GARMIN like the plague. They buy out companies, strip the technology out and then provide no migratory path or support for the prior products. They are predatory. JMHO

I agree! And after what they did to active captain I would not use Garmin equipment if they gave it to me.
They basically bought ActiveCaptain and you straight it for anything other than use on a Garmin plotter.
I use AquaMap on my iPad as a back up to my chart plotter and it still has active captain, but I noticed that people are rarely updating it now.

Al, S/V Finlandia

[oldbuzzard]

Nice to know that active captain works with aquamap. Im gonna download it. Does anyone know if aquamap covers the Tom Bigby waterway? (tenntom)

Its a struggle to get a list of anchorages there.

[bigdogandy]

It looks like Aqua Maps does cover the TennTom.

Not sure I understand the uproar about Garmin and Active Captain. This is the world we live in. The Active Captain database and info is still out there and accessible from a variety of platforms - I use the Navionics app mostly, but sometimes use Aquamaps, the Active Captain website if I need to add a marker. And yes, I do add markers and add comments and notes on a regular basis.....and if Active Captain is going to continue to be useful we should all do that as we cruise or as things change in our local area so that the database remains relevant.

IMHO