Garmin Chart Questions

I’m still new and confused, hopefully some smart members can set me straight. First, I have a 98 Mainship trawler with duel helms with Raymarine L760 original equipment. I recently installed a new Garmin 7610 MFD with LakeVu +G2 charts. I plan on leaving the Raymarine as a dedicated radar screen and use the new Garmin as my primary navigation equipment and add systems to it as I can.

I went to add a auto route, or auto guidance and it wouldn’t do it and with some research found out that it will not do it without loading new Cmap cards(?). Is this correct? I plan on doing the loop next year, does this mean I need to buy all the maps?
Prior to the Garmin I used Navionics on a tablet and loved the auto route feature and thought it would do it without spending more $$$. Any idea if Garmin will be allowing Navionics to be loaded?
Thanks in advance, I learn so much from this forum!

For Auto Guidance to work on the Garmin plotters you need the G2 Vision maps.

Garmin is replacing G2 Vision with G3 maps which will be available in the coming weeks.

The G3 maps incorporate the Navionics data since Garmin bought them. The other big difference is the map areas covered. G2 maps were broken up and you may have needed to buy multiple maps to cover your area.

The G3 maps have bigger map chunks covered. I would hold off and buy the G3 maps

Thanks Admiral, that helps. I checked the G3 release and they said sometime in February 2019, so hopefully any day. I believe I read that their 8600 series MFD’s are now being released with the new G3 maps. Either way it seems like I will be spending more $$$.

If the Garmin 7600 is new, you are allowed one free upgrade in the first year. I have read that you can use that upgrade to get the G3 maps.

All great info and yes, Garmin will be coming out with G3 charts at the end of Feb (this month). These chips have combined Garmin and Navionics chart data. https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/662662

Evening Djoub. I do not know if by next year you are referring to 2019 or 2020. Figured I would share this link.
https://cruisingodyssey.com/2018/11...neers-will-close-six-locks-on-illinois-river/

Thanks Roger, I’m aware of the lock closing, haven’t figured out how to plan for this, early is out so it is either postpone a year or do a late fall after it re-opens.

So looking at the two Garmin GPS units on my boat, and registering them with Garmin; I find they are discontinued". GPSMap 400 and GPSMap 700 (I think from 2012)

Can I update these units with new charts?
Will the new charts work in my old units?

I am just learning about these things and so much to learn!

The units work well and I do not want to update to new units. What might my choices be to get the best out of my units?

Thanks.

You won’t need any autorouting for theHudson, Eric canal, Great Lakes or the rivers down to mobile. The only time I used it was some sections of the Chesapeake

meridian said:

You won’t need any autorouting for theHudson, Eric canal, Great Lakes or the rivers down to mobile. The only time I used it was some sections of the Chesapeake

Click to expand...

Auto Routing is excellent on the Hudson. Highly recommend it.

As far as auto-routing goes, I was using it on a tablet with Navionics and loved it. When I installed the much bigger and brighter MFD at the helm and found out that I no longer had it I was peed. I’m new to the area (and the boat) and the shallow west side of Florida doesn’t give you much depth forgiveness if you stray off the channel. It would be like using google maps without detailed directions just a straight line.