![]() ![]() The radial menu, waypoints and route management are extremely intuitive. This is one of my favorite navigation apps, because it is based on Garmin’s excellent BlueChart marine charts and is so easy to use. Here are my top 10 Apple picks to get you started: The current trend is to charge an annual subscription fee that includes chart updates. Check if the app includes NOAA charts-if it doesn’t, chart regions will cost between $20 and $100. In both, the added information is invaluable for planning a route.įinally, cost is important when picking your nav app and prices range from free to $50. Similarly, the Navionics Community provides marine POI and guides. Several apps support ActiveCaptain, a community-generated interactive cruising guidebook with markers for marinas, hazards, anchorages and local knowledge. Integration with community guidebooks is another new feature that is useful for route planning. Likewise, apps that allow you to geotag photos to waypoints are useful, as you can record photographic reminders of various locations. This is a great way to communicate with friends and family during a cruise or race debrief. Sharing tracks via email or social media sites is also becoming popular. I prefer apps that allow you to manage waypoints and routes, and import them via GPX, a data format that allows you to share GPS information across multiple devices. Newer apps manage routes by connecting marks on the chart, so actual waypoints become less important. The more established apps allow you to manage waypoints and create routes using selected waypoints from a predetermined list. Look for an app with usability that makes sense to you, one that has an uncluttered display, transparent overlays, intuitive menus and easy-to-use zoom buttons.Īll apps support waypoints, routes and tracks to a varying degree. What works differently is panning or zooming around the chart, chart quilting and displaying chart layers. Check for the added features of a street map, satellite or topo/terrain map overlays.Īll nav apps display a ship’s location in a similar manner. An app should allow you to store charts on the device so they can be used while underway and offline. When using an app, managing the charts should be as simple as selecting, downloading and installing chart tiles or regions. Garmin, Navionics and Transas also provide worldwide chart regions.Īlso be sure to check the chart management functions. They also support multiple layers, each with different levels of detail. NOAA vector charts, on the other hand, span larger areas, offer seamless display between chart areas and allow the user to pan and zoom. ![]() Raster charts are larger in size with more complex chart management and display features. In the United States, the most commonly supported charts are NOAA raster charts, which are scanned images of traditional paper charts. Most important is the chart availability and type of chart used. In researching, consider some differentiating factors. Ultimately, choosing an app comes down to evaluating which features are important to you and what you’re willing to pay for them. ![]() With so many good navigation apps available, the question is: which is best for you? There are free apps with basic chartplotting capabilities reasonably priced apps with advanced waypoint and route management features and apps with community-authored databases that include points of interest (POI). Apps have improved to the point where they rival paper charts and chartplotters. In recent years it has become more feasible than ever to navigate using a smartphone or tablet.
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