Coastal Explorer, What charts do you like?

[O C Diver]

So I've replaced the all in one computer with a 24" LED monitor and a NUC (mini computer) with Coastal Explorer navigation software. I'm still finishing the install for Nemo Gateway and a Maretron J2K100 engine data converter. Been playing with all the included navigation charts and pondering some of the other chart offerings (for a fee $$$). I'm curious what others people are using, raster or vector from NOAA, or some of the other options? Primarily interested in the United States and the portions of Canada adjoining the Great Lakes, St Lawrence River, Trent Severn canal and the Rideau canal.

Ted

 

[mvweebles]

I run CE as backup and home based trip planning. Have had it for years. Personally, I still like the raster display but probably because I haven't invested the time to get the right level of detail on the ENC charts.

A couple months ago I was on a friend's boat from San Diego to Ensenada MX, a run of about 80 nms. He had C-Map installed on Coastal Explorer. I found those charts to be awkward to use for some reason, probably related to unfamiliarity. However, the harbor chart for Ensenada did not show a 200 yard extension of the breakwater completed 2-years ago to further protect the harbor entrance. He had purchased the charts just prior to the trip so should have bee updated upon install. Pretty big gap -

Peter

 

[Anniesez]

I have both raster and vector loaded in CE. Travelling up anddown the east coast I use mostly vector. Regular updates, and I find it easier to read.

 

[Portage_Bay]

I'm still running an older version of CE which can use Rose Point's own hybrid charts, a format I very much like. Perhaps the newer versions still use the hybrid charts. I also use NOAA raster and vector for US waters with a strong preference for raster. Though if I read NOAA's info correctly raster charts are going away so I'd better get more comfortable with vector. For Canadian waters on CE the official CHS charts. But they can be expensive.

 

[psneeld]

Ted...I use nothing but raster because that's what I know.

But the way of the world seems to be ENC.

For Canada, I would think without access to free charts...I would bite the bullet and switch over to ENC and get very familiar as fast as I could.

I would think any program that can run the "official" USA ENCs and all the buried info, that would be my choice if I planned to need such more than a few years down the road.

 

[tpbrady]

I use the NOAA vector charts almost exclusively. I have an old set of C-Map charts that I use on rare occasion when their are “holes” in the vector charts. While C-Map is based on the same data, they use that data to provide at least better detail on where land is. What I don’t like about C-Map is their color scheme. It’s too much color and needs to be subdued on a computer monitor but I haven’t found a way to do it. The NOAA vector charts are much better to look at.

Tom

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

I use the raster version. I also pay the $ to update my Canadian charts. Use CE for route planning and a backup. I create a route then up load it to my Raymarine MFD.

 

[ranger58sb]

I'm curious what others people are using, raster or vector from NOAA, or some of the other options? Primarily interested in the United States and the portions of Canada adjoining the Great Lakes, St Lawrence River, Trent Severn canal and the Rideau canal.

I've mostly used NOAA raster charts. Forever.

Now, because of the upcoming change, I'm trying to get used to vector charts in general, using NOAA vector charts -- and now also Garmin G3 vector charts. Have also used C-Map vector charts in the past, on an earlier Raymarine plotter with only vector charts available.

My intent, coming soon, is NOAA charts (both raster and vector) available on a Furuno MFD, plus Garmin vector on the Garmin MFD that came with the boat. But I'll still have to continue getting used to NOAA vector charts.

Haven't been to Canada on our boats, so haven't looked at charting for the area...

-Chris

 

[twistedtree]

I have both the raster and vector NOAA charts loaded, but I use the Vector charts 90% of the time CE has a deal with CHS (Canadian Hydrographic Service) where you can get the official CHS vector or Raster charts for a very reasonable $$. Like for the US, I have both, but use Vector 90% of the time. The CHS charts as the same high quality as the NOAA charts.


Staying on the west coast, I think the only option for Mexico is C-Map, and as I have blabbed about elsewhere, I think they are downright dangerous. Not just unhelpful, but dangerous. MVWeebles post a few earlier citing the missing breakwater is a good example. That's the stuff that gets people killed, or at least sinks boats.


On the east coast, I don't think Rose Point has the same CHS offering as the west coast, though I think I heard they were working on it. When we spent time in the Canadian Maritimes, we used both c-Map and Navionics. I started with c-map and it was good, except when I got the the Rideau and zooned in, the chart disappeared. It turned out to be a c-map bug, and it forced me to buy Navionics for the same area which was annoying. But it was my first lesson on the value of having access to multiple chart sources. But as has been discussed, you can no longer get Navionics for CE.


For the Bahamas, at least back in 2012ish, only c-Map included the Explorer Chart data, and that's really the only good charting of the Bahamas. So I got c-map for that area.


Speaking of charts for CE, that's what lead me to buy it initially back in about 2010. We did a trip to South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula and I wanted to be able to view and record our route. As I recall, charts were available from Chile and the UK, both in the industry standard S-57 format, and of course CE supports that.

 

[RCook]

With CE as my primary nav system on the west coast's Inside Passage, I use NOAA charts in the US, CHS charts in BC. I like the raster ones (with North up) for route planning, and for detail on shore. I use the vector ones most of the time when underway (with heading up, like my radar). They all seem very good to me, though in a few places the raster ones show shoreline detail better than vector. NOAA charts are free, BC charts for CE cost $99/year for each, raster and vector.

 

[O C Diver]

Thank you all for your insight. I guess I will start with the vector and raster charts that are included. I still have Garmin maps on the MFDs and Aquamaps on my tablet, so plenty to play with while I get familiar with Coastal Explorer.

Ted

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Thank you all for your insight. I guess I will start with the vector and raster charts that are included. I still have Garmin maps on the MFDs and Aquamaps on my tablet, so plenty to play with while I get familiar with Coastal Explorer.

Ted

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