Navionics iPhone replacement

[awrobin]

Navionics has doubled in price from 2023 $40 and 2024 $80. What has everyone jump to as their secondary chartplotter? I used Navionics on my iPhone as my secondary chartplotter.

Thank you for the welcome to CruiseForum

[Mike OReilly]

I’ve gone to Aquamaps. So far, I like it. I bought the chartset for Can/USA, paying the one-time fee that gives me perpetual access to updates — at least until Garmin buys them out and shuts them down 🤬.

It’s not just the big fee increase that drove me away from Navionics. They’ve also changed their terms of use so you MUST maintain an active subscription (at $80/year) or your charts will disapear, even the ones you’ve downloaded.

[awrobin]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

I’ve gone to Aquamaps. So far, I like it. I bought the chartset for Can/USA, paying the one-time fee that gives me perpetual access to updates — at least until Garmin buys them out and shuts them down ��.

It’s not just the big fee increase that drove me away from Navionics. They’ve also changed their terms of use so you MUST maintain an active subscription (at $80/year) or your charts will disapear, even the ones you’ve downloaded.

Thanks Mike. I have been considering AquaMaps. But it seems like you buy the map and then get an additional fee for PRO (automatic route planning). Is the $69 plus $29 PRO worth? Is AquaMaps similar for depth stats are Navionics? What else do you like of AquaMaps? I do like the one-time fee of AquaMaps.

[Bullshooter]

Mike, can you please clarify something? I thought that the other day you said if you don’t renew, you can continue to use the charts that you have downloaded.

I’ve also wondered how they can physically stop you from using something that has been downloaded, but there is much I don’t understand about these things.

[wrwakefield]

We have learned from prior similar discussions that we need to confirm the charts offered with the various apps are suitable/the best for our areas of navigation. They are not all the same. [We don’t know your location, but you need to confirm which is best for your needs in your planned area(s) of navigation…]

Mike and I have previously discussed how AquaMaps is very good in his area, and we hear similar from cruisers in the W Atlantic regions. But in the NNE Pacific, I find TZiBoat superior not only in chart detail [ENC and Raster; I don’t see any ‘Paper Charts’ in my AquaMap even though they are readily available in our cruising waters] but in 3D topology in water and on land.

TZiBoat also recently added the autorouting feature we enjoyed in Navionics.

We, too, dropped the Garminized Navionics this year on both our chart plotters and portable devices… [C-Map is far superior on the MFD’s…]

Just to mention another good portable device nav app to be aware of.

Cheers, Bill

[Cheyne]

I haven't seen auto routing in Aquamaps. I use it quite a bit, but not for routing. Mainly for checking out depths, Army Corp of Engineering overlay is nice, and researching anchorages. I still use Navionics. Mainly because it is on my plotter, iPhone and iPad. It works and is cheap.

Cheyne

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by awrobin

Thanks Mike. I have been considering AquaMaps. But it seems like you buy the map and then get an additional fee for PRO (automatic route planning). Is the $69 plus $29 PRO worth? Is AquaMaps similar for depth stats are Navionics? What else do you like of AquaMaps? I do like the one-time fee of AquaMaps.

There are “pro” add ons. Mainly, it jut give you weather and current info for a span of 40 hrs. It’s nice, but I don’t think I’ll renew this come next year. I can get the same info from the free Windy app. The route planning just incorporates the weather, so again, it’s nice, but not something I need to pay for.

Aquamaps uses the same official charts as Navionics. Both have crowd-sourcing aspects, but I’ve never accessed those options in either.

One thing I like on Aqua is how you can overlay raster (paper) charts if they exist for your area. In my area, some of the old paper charts are more detailed than the current digital versions. They also do easy satellite overlays, but this is only when connected to the Internet.

In general, I find it pretty much as functional as Navionics, but without the cost and licensing issues.

There are two things which I do miss from Navionics

1. The auto-routing function. I would never use it blindly, but it was a good way to get a quick assessment of how far/long a route might be.
2. The ability to download satellite overlays so you don’t need an active Internet connection. Navionics could do this. I hope Aqua incorportes this in future versions.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Bullshooter

Mike, can you please clarify something? I thought that the other day you said if you don’t renew, you can continue to use the charts that you have downloaded.

I’ve also wondered how they can physically stop you from using something that has been downloaded, but there is much I don’t understand about these things.

The current subscriptions are when the change happens. If you don’t renew, your subscription lapses, but you can keep whatever charts you’ve previously download on your device. But you won’t be able to update the charts, or access any of the added functions.

I assume the new Navionics files have some sort of Digital Rights Management tool embedded so that when the time comes, the files expire. It’s like how digital library books function.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by wrwakefield

We have learned from prior similar discussions that we need to confirm the charts offered with the various apps are suitable/the best for our areas of navigation. They are not all the same. [We don’t know your location, but you need to confirm which is best for your needs in your planned area(s) of navigation…]

Mike and I have previously discussed how AquaMaps is very good in his area, and we hear similar from cruisers in the W Atlantic regions. But in the NNE Pacific, I find TZiBoat superior not only in chart detail [ENC and Raster; I don’t see any ‘Paper Charts’ in my AquaMap even though they are readily available in our cruising waters] but in 3D topology in water and on land.

TZiBoat also recently added the autorouting feature we enjoyed in Navionics.

We, too, dropped the Garminized Navionics this year on both our chart plotters and portable devices… [C-Map is far superior on the MFD’s…]

Just to mention another good portable device nav app to be aware of.

Cheers, Bill

Good points Bill. In my case, it was actually Navionics that was more detailed. HOWEVER… I’ve since come to understand that it’s not the platforms that are the problem.It’s Canada. The platforms are using the most current versions from Canadian Hydrographic Services. They are updating charts, and dropping detail of some areas. Why?? I have no idea. But I’ve now seen it happen when I updated my Navionics charts (before I dropped them). Where there was once detail, it’s now all gone.

Aqua uses the same current CHS charts, but at least they offer the raster overlay option for some areas, which really helps in my neck of the woods.

[awrobin]

Originally Posted by wrwakefield

We have learned from prior similar discussions that we need to confirm the charts offered with the various apps are suitable/the best for our areas of navigation. They are not all the same. [We don’t know your location, but you need to confirm which is best for your needs in your planned area(s) of navigation…]

Mike and I have previously discussed how AquaMaps is very good in his area, and we hear similar from cruisers in the W Atlantic regions. But in the NNE Pacific, I find TZiBoat superior not only in chart detail [ENC and Raster; I don’t see any ‘Paper Charts’ in my AquaMap even though they are readily available in our cruising waters] but in 3D topology in water and on land.

TZiBoat also recently added the autorouting feature we enjoyed in Navionics.

We, too, dropped the Garminized Navionics this year on both our chart plotters and portable devices… [C-Map is far superior on the MFD’s…]

Just to mention another good portable device nav app to be aware of.

Cheers, Bill

Thanks Bill. I am on the East Coast Canada. Navionics maps has treated me right til now. Where does one find C-Map? I did like the Navionics option of downloading the area map and autorouting without an active internet.

And I will check out TZiBoat. Appreciate you responding

[awrobin]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Good points Bill. In my case, it was actually Navionics that was more detailed. HOWEVER… I’ve since come to understand that it’s not the platforms that are the problem.It’s Canada. The platforms are using the most current versions from Canadian Hydrographic Services. They are updating charts, and dropping detail of some areas. Why?? I have no idea. But I’ve now seen it happen when I updated my Navionics charts (before I dropped them). Where there was once detail, it’s now all gone.

Aqua uses the same current CHS charts, but at least they offer the raster overlay option for some areas, which really helps in my neck of the woods.

Mike
And so that overlay does require an active internet connection?

[awrobin]

Originally Posted by Cheyne

I haven't seen auto routing in Aquamaps. I use it quite a bit, but not for routing. Mainly for checking out depths, Army Corp of Engineering overlay is nice, and researching anchorages. I still use Navionics. Mainly because it is on my plotter, iPhone and iPad. It works and is cheap.

Cheyne

Thanks Cheyne. I too, like the auto-route option on my iPhone as a secondary Chartplotter. And certainly do enjoy the no cellular required option. Appreciate your feedback.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by awrobin

Mike
And so that overlay does require an active internet connection?

The raster overlay does not require an internet connection. The satellite overlay does.

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Good points Bill. In my case, it was actually Navionics that was more detailed. HOWEVER… I’ve since come to understand that it’s not the platforms that are the problem.It’s Canada. The platforms are using the most current versions from Canadian Hydrographic Services. They are updating charts, and dropping detail of some areas. Why?? I have no idea. But I’ve now seen it happen when I updated my Navionics charts (before I dropped them). Where there was once detail, it’s now all gone.

Aqua uses the same current CHS charts, but at least they offer the raster overlay option for some areas, which really helps in my neck of the woods.

CHS has been dropping older charts where they have not updated the data. Liability? I bought a bunch of paper charts which were jo linger rated as safe for navigation. One corner had to be marked/disfigured somehow and they were marked something like “not for navigation/display only.”

[hpeer]

AquaMaps has something they now call Advanced Tools which has Route Explorer.

It also displays USACE survey data from the last 3 years. Plus other extra features.

AquaMaps is the hands down beat for the US intercoastal waterway because there is an active community there which uses it to provide updated navigation data. Bob something I think.

Customer Service is excellent.