Date Posted: 2018-03-13
Source: Bob Sherer ![]()
The Maps app from Google has become the staple navigation app for most of us. Get driving directions, a live traffic map & road alerts. Save time & money by riding together with Waze Carpool. Download the GPS traffic app, powered by community. Apple Maps is Apple's answer to Google Maps, and despite a rocky start, the app has become the navigation app of choice for many iPhone users due to it's simple interface and overall reliability. As per Apple's MO, it's only available on Apple devices like iPhones and Macs, but on the flip side of that coin, the app continually improves with. Jun 16, 2014 SeaNav – Marine Charts & Nautical Navigation App for Mac OS X Includes NOAA US Coastal, Great Lakes and USACE Inland Charts. Buoys, lights etc. Are tappable with bearing and distance. Seamless fast panning and zooming across charts. Route Planning and tracking with Waypoints, SOG, COG, ETA etc. Install the Macs Adventure Maps and Routes app on your smartphone. Record and track any of your hikes, cycles, or runs. Available for Android and iOS devices now.
Editor’s Note: In this assessment of mobile navigation apps, Waterway Guide contributing editor Bob Sherer (aka Bob423) purchased 14 apps and spent several months on his vessel evaluating each one. This article provides a detailed overview of the apps with links to additional information embedded throughout. Visit Bob's blog here: http://fleetwing.blogspot.com/
Scenario: I got a late start due to rain in the morning, so Ann and I rushed everything together and shoved off from the Jacksonville free dock on Sister’s Creek headed to Fernandina. I had just downloaded a new iPad navigation app but with no routes. I knew that the passage through the Fernandina shallows was difficult due to all the unmarked shoals so I opened Waterway Explorer with Safari on my iPad and searched for Fernandina. Two Nav Alerts came up. I chose one and saw a route available for download in GPX format. I tapped on the route, which then gave me the choice of which app to use and voila! I had a route to follow with 9 MLW! Fernandina was a piece of cake after that. Along the way I saw a sailboat in the famous shoal by R2 and another one that ignored G1A and G1B that was also aground. I had no problem. The cost of the app was peanuts compared to a tow.
Review: I evaluated 14 apps that can be used in the scenario presented above. Compared to a tow, they are cheap, especially if you already own an iPad or iPhone. Depending on the situation, the cost of a tow could pay for the mobile devices and the app, combined.
Apple’s iPad has been a disrupting force in marine navigation. iPad and mobile apps have steadily gained capabilities with some offering most of the same features as dedicated chartplotters. There are also apps produced by chartplotter manufacturers that are not designed as replacements, but rather are intended to assist in viewing or managing the chartplotter.
In this article, I focus on those apps that can fulfill the function of a chartplotter at the helm. I have also included a couple of “helper” apps that warrant review. I purchased 14 mobile navigation apps and installed all of them on my iPad Air 2. I then compiled a list of features, including all those listed by the app developers. There are also apps that will run on Android devices, but there aren’t as many choices on that platform.
Basic Functions I Believe are Important
So, there you have it, the bare-bones list of requirements that I think are important for a navigation app. When compiled, the list of these features and those offered by all the apps total 82 entries! The attached spreadsheet shows the features and capabilities of each app.
Even then, the list is not exhaustive. There are many nuances in my simple list above that make all the difference between an app that’s easy to use and informative and one that has a long learning curve. Using the spreadsheet, you can decide what meets your needs.
Description of Features
There are more features in the spreadsheet that I didn’t list here due to space. Look at the spreadsheet for more detail. By now your head may be spinning – all the choices! I will start with the bare-bones outline I first gave at the beginning of this article and list the apps that fit and then expand the choices with more features.
I am including the spreadsheet of all 82 features so you can do your own selection based on what’s important to you and create your own list. You will have to download the file into Excel to see the comments in the cells marked in yellow. Each app name is an active link that brings up the Apple apps page for ordering. Perhaps you don’t care about Active Captain or other features I favor. If so, your selection criteria will be broader, and your app choice will be different.
I have to admit that this was a difficult project to undertake and I’m a little leery that there may be mistakes in some of the yes/no boxes on the features, but I’ve checked to the best of my ability and if anyone sees mistakes, please send me an email and I will correct the spreadsheet and issue an update.
So, what do I use at the helm? Now it’s AquaMap since it has all the features I consider important, and I also use Navionics for their SonarChart feature. It helps navigate some of the shallows of the ICW, but you must be careful in some shallow areas when you see contour lines showing wide swings in depth. It’s an indication that the contour lines may not be correct, and you should proceed with an extra measure of caution. I also use SEAiq from time to time just to be sure I have absolutely the latest NOAA ENC chart for a particular location.
Lastly, for another view of the latest chart I check Waterway Guide’s online Waterway Explorer since they download the latest NOAA RNC (raster chart) daily. AquaMap is no slouch with updates four times a year, which is more often than most apps, and the updates are free for life if you buy the “forever” charts.
I like charts and icons that are easy to see and understand. To help in that respect, I have included links to some screenshots of Garmin Active Captain, Navionics SonarChart, AquaMap and SEAiq since they passed the bare-bones test. The screenshot is of the Charleston Harbor area and the area above Beaufort, NC, known as the “confusing area” where the route to Beaufort splits off the ICW. There are lots of buoys that don’t seem to be right at first glance. Judge for yourself how the charts look. For the best experience, be sure to enter full screen mode in your browser (usually by hitting F11) and click on 'Slideshow Mode' in the upper right corner of the screen. It looks like this:
Cool Apps For Mac
Here’s the link. You can let the slideshow play or go between slides with the arrow keys on your PC or swipe on the iPad.
Let me know what you think of this assessment. I may have missed something. Sailing is a lifelong learning experience and I intend to keep learning for a long time to come.
For instructions on how to download and manage GPX files, use this link: GPX File Use.
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Marine Navigation Apps For Mac
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