Opinions on "best" iPad navigation app?

[tomdove]

We ran about 550 miles from Sanford FL to Myrtle Beach SC in April and had great success with Navionics on the iPad as my primary nav aid, with paper charts and a Garmin chartplotter as backup. The Navionics Sonar Charts are outstanding for iffy channels, especially going into tight anchorages. The automatic routing feature is astonishingly good, and I ended up trusting it most of the time.

I used Garmin BlueChart for Active Captain information then. Unfortunately, that's now discontinued so I am trying out AquaMap, which has AC on it. It looks promising for our continuation of the cruise, from Myrtle Beach to Annapolis.

Both of these apps and their charts are inexpensive and easy to use. It's a new golden age of navigation.

-- Tom Dove
SNOWBIRD, Grand Banks 32 #599

 

[Ftbinc]

iNavx -

I have been using iNavx in the Great Lakes for the past seven years. It works great and at least in the NOAA charts are freely downloadable and stored IN the iPAD so no Cell Data is required underway. It also connects into the NMEA network via WiFi for all of that information. (As a Sailboat racer, I can be anywhere on the boat and see all the performance data, including all wind information. It links in GRIB files for an overlay along with Tides, and waterway guides. It integrates in the AIS data as well, displaying it as an overlay.

One drawback is that it does not integrate with Active Captain and for the Mississippi river system, you need to purchase Navtronics subscription. Otherwise great product.

my .02 worth

 

[kelbylinn]

Switched from Blue Chart Mobile to Aqua Map

I tried Aqua Map for first time yesterday for a 5 hour trip across Mobile Bay from Dauphin Island, AL to Gulf Shores, AL. Worked fine and showed all the active captain anchorages, etc. Simple to operate, excellent screen displays on both my IPAD and my IPad Mini 4. Think I'll stay with this one for a while.

 

[Gypsyjon]

iPad Nav app

I just got back from a 1,100 mile cruise and used AquaMap.

They do charge you, but I think it is $29.00 for a life time subscription. You can download all the needed NOAA charts and works great with Active Captain,

I could not have been more please. Plus I uploaded all the routes etc that I created in OPEN CPN and it found them as I moved along with no advice from me!

 

[Harlen]

Do you have to be connected to a cell network to use the Garmin Blue Chart, or is it 100% contained on the iPad once you have downloaded it?

100% contained. It is my favorite nav app.

 

[Sunset]

I have a variety of nav apps on my iPad and on my android phone (for backup). I used iNavX for several years but got navionics this year for the auto routing feature. I love it.

 

[jrow]

Best Chart Plotter

OpenCPN runs on an IPAD.

m

 

[DavidM]

OpenCPN runs on an IPAD.

m

It does? Where can you download it from? I would love to have OpenCPN on my iPad.



David

 

[Biggusstickus]

isailor is also very good. I work all around the world in the marine industry and use it all the time. App is free but you do have to purchase charts for the areas. Also has AIS feature etc.

 

[jrow]

Search for OpenCPN downloads. It's available on Windows, Apple OSX, Unix and Android.

 

[rgano]

With the recent kerfuffle over what Garmin did to us all with the Active Captain issue, make sure what you use or plan to use with still download Active Captain. I know that Rose Point Labs took about a week to modify Coastal Explorer to synch to AC. It took some "merging" of an attempted new registration at Garmin/AC using the same email address I used years ago to register with the original AC before the modified CE would synch to my new Garmin/AC account.

 

[dhays]

I tried Aqua Map for first time yesterday for a 5 hour trip across Mobile Bay from Dauphin Island, AL to Gulf Shores, AL. Worked fine and showed all the active captain anchorages, etc. Simple to operate, excellent screen displays on both my IPAD and my IPad Mini 4. Think I'll stay with this one for a while.

I’ve also found that Aqua Map is the most convenient app for checking currents that I’ve used. Better than some dedicated tide/current apps I’ve got.

 

[JDCAVE]

I’ve had iNavX since 2012. It’s “OK”. It’s not my primary navigation app though as I use CE. The iPad is just for backup.

 

[wpc691]

Aquamap

Based on the helpful info here, decided to try Aquamap first as replacement for my now-obsolete Blue Chart maps (thanks Garmin). Active Captain overlayed fine, but the loading rate when scrolling across the chart is slow and choppy -not a disaster, just distracting. Is this a characteristic of the free version that will go away when I pay for charts? I guess my assumption is the free version doesn’t actually load onto the iPad, but continually downloads data as you scroll.

 

[Donsan]

Search for OpenCPN downloads. It's available on Windows, Apple OSX, Unix and Android.

Sorry, no cigar. It may be available for an iMac and OSX but just searched the app store and it is not available for the iPad.

 

[foggysail]

I have Navionics but about 3 years ago I also loaded another nav app called Skipper. The following year it was unavailable although once loaded into my Ipad it still worked of course.

I see that it is again available, free I think. So for those interested, you may want to check it out.

 

[JDCAVE]

Opinions on "best" iPad navigation app?

Based on the helpful info here, decided to try Aquamap first as replacement for my now-obsolete Blue Chart maps (thanks Garmin). Active Captain overlayed fine, but the loading rate when scrolling across the chart is slow and choppy -not a disaster, just distracting. Is this a characteristic of the free version that will go away when I pay for charts? I guess my assumption is the free version doesn’t actually load onto the iPad, but continually downloads data as you scroll.

What is the age and model of your iPad? Also, is your IOS up to date? The older iPads can be slow and cludgey with newer apps and iOS.

 

[wpc691]

What is the age and model of your iPad? Also, is your IOS up to date? The older iPads can be slow and cludgey with newer apps and iOS.

iPad is 18 mos old, which makes it an antique I suppose. I emailed Aquamap support, and got a response in an hour. Enrico’s advice was to turn off “Land” data, and/or wait a little bit for improvement - he said as the program caches more data, the drawing rate would improve. I don’t know about that, but it did improve after I turned off the land data - not perfect, but faster. I’ll have to play a little bit to see what I lost with that land data.

 

[JDCAVE]

Opinions on "best" iPad navigation app?

No that should be fine. Sounds like a quirk with the Aquamap. Land data for ENC’s will slow things down. You will loose the height isopleths and possibly features from buildings, towers, etc. Can you switch over to raster? Also, turn off cellular and see if that changes things.

I have found that the vessels electronics can confuse the gps on the iPad. Something to be aware of.

 

[wpc691]

No that should be fine. Sounds like a quirk with the Aquamap. Land data for ENC’s will slow things down. You will loose the height isopleths and possibly features from buildings, towers, etc. Can you switch over to raster? Also, turn off cellular and see if that changes things.

I have found that the vessels electronics can confuse the gps on the iPad. Something to be aware of.

WiFi only iPad, so no cell to confuse anything. I think this particular area is only available Vector, which is what I want anyway. BTW, hitting various markers to see what they contained, I discovered that Boca Grande is an important petroleum port. As far as I know, the last commercial ship left Boca Grande 40yrs ago. Hopefully, other info is a little more up-to-date.

 

[cruiserChick]

We used Navionics on our iPad throughout the US, Bahamas and Caribbean. We love it. It has tons of features like SonarChart (really detailed contours that are super helpful for anchoring, fishing, diving, etc), autorouting (you put in the start and end points and your draft and it suggests a route for you), tides, weather, tracking, and tons more. It follows you with no wifi or cell signal (because we have an internal GPS on the ipad which is the standard in any mobile device now... there are external GPS units that you can connect to a mobile device if you have older ones).
And if you ever wonder what data is available in the charts you can always check it out before purchasing by going to their online charts here: Navionics ChartViewer

 

[rgano]

Thank you for that informative response. Once my friend gets back home here to Panama City, I will present him with the option.

 

[Humancell]

Thanks to everyone for all of the input and feedback! I’ve got OpenCPN installed on a laptop, and Navionics installed on my new iPad. We’ll be experimenting with both of these on our Erie Canal trip ... we leave this coming Saturday for a week. No particular destination ... just leaving Seneca Falls to explore ... three days out, three days back.

I’m about to create a new thread to ask for tips on where we might want to explore!

 

[fryedaze]

Looks like the Blue Chart functions with Active Captain are back. I was able to follow the directions from a recent Garmin email and sign in and update.
Feelin bad for all the bitchin about Garmin I have been doing.

 

[dhmeissner]

isailor is also very good. I work all around the world in the marine industry and use it all the time. App is free but you do have to purchase charts for the areas. Also has AIS feature etc.

+1

 

[meridian]

Yes you can download only current active captain info on garmin BlueChart. No new charts and no adding new AC reviews.

 

[fryedaze]

Yes you can download only current active captain info on garmin BlueChart. No new charts and no adding new AC reviews.

Seriously! Why would they waste their time. I will do some "semi beta testing" and report back.
I may be bitchin again.

 

[fryedaze]

Seriously! Why would they waste their time. I will do some "semi beta testing" and report back.
I may be bitchin again.

OK, I think I have a picture of what’s available now. They threw us a bone and made the existing Blue Chart app work with updatable AC data. So now the app users will still be able to use the product. The down side is you won’t be able to update charts.
I just us Blue Charts as a planning tool and check some hazards occasionally. I put way points for many of the mile markers on the AICW for visual ease of use.
I use Navionics sonar charts app for the best up to date depth data.
I haven’t lost anything for the way I use it. Garmin Charts have always been sub standard anyway IMHO.

 

[meridian]

I’ve switched to Aquamaps but I’ll use BlueChart for the Bahamas. Nothing changes there.

 

[jimL]

I too used Blue Charts until my iPad performed an OIS upgrade and I lost Blue Charts. I have Raymarine C80 on my Mainship and am not ready to upgrade the whole package yet.

What does the group recommend as a stand alone iPad based navigation app?

And does anyone know of a stand alone app that can be used on i land lake like Lake Champlain?

Thanks,

Jim