Iphone Chart App Recommendation

Searayguy185

Member
Jul 17, 2017
87
Wisconsin
Boat Info
2004 Sea Ray 185 Sport 4.3 V6,

2008 Toyota Highlander Sport
Engines
Mercruiser 4.3 V6, Alpha 1 Generation 2
I'm looking for a recommendation for either a free or inexpensive chart plotter app. I'm only really looking for one for the inland lakes of Wisconsin. I have a 185 sport so I'm not going on the ocean or anything like that. However sometimes i take it on Lake Michigan. I'm really just looking for something to tell me the depths of lakes and where channel markers are. Thanks
 
Navionics - download for tablets and smartphones. You get some basic maps for free, but for $14.99/yr you can download actual charts. I think it's a pretty darn good deal for $15.
 
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Navionics for sure.
 
You might try the website "huntfishcampwisconsin.com. They have lake maps on there arranged by county. It's completely free also!
 
Navionics is awsome, and inexpensive. However, as Scooper 321 points out, these devices have a tendency to overheat especially out in the sun (and when you need them most!). In addition to this drawback, you must have a Cellular version of an ipad or a bluetooth GPS to get position data. Phone usually have this, so not an issue.

I went this route early on, but found it completely unworkable, an I ended up replacing the MFD and a few other key components. I bought used/or re-manufactured, so wasn't as bad as you might think price wise.

While not free, look on ebay for small used mfd's or handhelds.

Fixed mount can be about $250-$350 and handhelds are about $100-$200

Much cheaper than a dinged prop and they will work when you need them
 
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I've never had any overheat issues using an iPad while boating. Maybe in Florida but up here in the north the heat is not that oppressive. Though creating some shade for your iPad, if required, should be a relatively painless endeavor. :)

I still use the Garmin Blue Charts on my iPad and iPhone though it's no longer supported. A bit of a bummer, I love the Garmin stuff. I'll be moving to Navioncs eventually. Especially if I upgrade to some "real" nav gear this year.
 
I've never had any overheat issues using an iPad while boating. Maybe in Florida but up here in the north the heat is not that oppressive. Though creating some shade for your iPad, if required, should be a relatively painless endeavor. :)

I still use the Garmin Blue Charts on my iPad and iPhone though it's no longer supported. A bit of a bummer, I love the Garmin stuff. I'll be moving to Navioncs eventually. Especially if I upgrade to some "real" nav gear this year.

I’m in the Chesapeake Bay, not exactly in the south. It happens frequently when boating on sunny days. Never rely on a phone or tablet as your primary nav aide. As a backup, fine. But not as a primary.
 
I’m in the Chesapeake Bay, not exactly in the south. It happens frequently when boating on sunny days. Never rely on a phone or tablet as your primary nav aide. As a backup, fine. But not as a primary.

Marine nav is expensive and suggesting folks can't survive on less can come off as elitist sometimes (at least to me). It's minimally different than the guys that suggest it's a mortal sin to finance a boat. :)

There are thousands upon thousands of dayboats out there running all over place without a single bit of nav gear. The OP is running a great looking 185. I bet he's racking up some hours but I also suspect he's not planning on crossing Lake Michigan anytime soon. If I were him I'd spend my money on Navionics, a waterproof case for my phone, beer and gas. Maybe an external Glonass receiver if I'm feeling really fancy.

Marine grade MFD's/Chartplotters are cool tech, we should all aspire to have them, but phones and tablets are pretty darn good. Probably more than many of us truly need...
 
Marine nav is expensive and suggesting folks can't survive on less can come off as elitist sometimes (at least to me). It's minimally different than the guys that suggest it's a mortal sin to finance a boat. :)

There are thousands upon thousands of dayboats out there running all over place without a single bit of nav gear. The OP is running a great looking 185. I bet he's racking up some hours but I also suspect he's not planning on crossing Lake Michigan anytime soon. If I were him I'd spend my money on Navionics, a waterproof case for my phone, beer and gas. Maybe an external Glonass receiver if I'm feeling really fancy.

Marine grade MFD's/Chartplotters are cool tech, we should all aspire to have them, but phones and tablets are pretty darn good. Probably more than many of us truly need...

Thanks for the tongue lashing. I’m sorry my post made you feel inferior. No one was being elitist. Nav aides are safety items, not cool tech. And they come in a wide range of price points. If you are willing to use a solution that may shut down at a crucial moment, that’s your right. Happy anchoring!
 
I still use the Garmin Blue Charts on my iPad and iPhone though it's no longer supported. A bit of a bummer, I love the Garmin stuff. I'll be moving to Navioncs eventually. Especially if I upgrade to some "real" nav gear this year.

After some initial bugs (crashing upon launch), I'm doing well with ActiveCaptain. No go for you?
 
Thanks for the tongue lashing. I’m sorry my post made you feel inferior. No one was being elitist. Nav aides are safety items, not cool tech. And they come in a wide range of price points. If you are willing to use a solution that may shut down at a crucial moment, that’s your right. Happy anchoring!

Not my intention. I included a smiley face. Sorry if it came off that way.

The vast majority of boats operating on our waterways have zero nav aides onboard. Nor are they required safety gear. I've been boarded by the USCG many, many times. Never have they asked to see my paper charts, nor have they asked me to demonstrate the function of my chartplotter. That was more the point I was trying to make. For the average boater, particularly the inland boater, navigation gear does not rise to the level of "critical safety gear". It's a "nice to have" for most guys like the OP. And in that case I think we should be more accepting of lower cost solutions. You don't have to be. It was just a suggestion I was trying to make.

I have a functioning Furuno chartplotter. And DSC on my VHF. And an EPIRB. And a cooler. The two new Garmin' MFD's I'm narrowing in on are still mostly cool tech in my book...and even after I install them I won't tell the average inland boater that he shouldn't embrace his iPhone with some Navionics...and that beer'gas money is more important than MFD's :)

My two cents only!!!!!!!!!!!
 
After some initial bugs (crashing upon launch), I'm doing well with ActiveCaptain. No go for you?

Ohh no, I'm still running it. I ran my Blue Charts all the way across Lake Michigan last summer. Worked like a charm. I'm just bummed about the fact that it's not being updated and it's been taken off the app store.

I'm also a little confused by the Active Captain integration. I had to download a separate Active Captain app this year. I haven't investigated much on that app yet...but it seems to work?
 
Yeah, I'm liking it. I too have kept BCM installed because somehow I'm a guy who likes tech and fears change at the same damn time!?!

BCM:

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Familiar, friendly, but IIRC, I had to pay to use charts in it, didn't I?

I was just starting to use Charts in AC when an update came along and this happened:

y4m5rxvL4sxC33laMyslV8lWHZbtbe1GN8Kdfn-TBOkPyoxKhlN-FCzMUfGDbJMgFyDjdwM4j3T_-TNY0wKokEsdt40xvL6sQW3av3N8HbY2HZl_5vavAiBxuDx70q4e9XyBjuQu4MSZ-j4bN9MTERLMWyyi0H4ziSQD7PoT6iqBF31cfW5oN9oEvsn0wBtmTDR


Holy sensory overload Batman! Orange?! I panicked, but then realized that I could de-select crazy depth color shadings.

y4me4itSaBpTgZoV1YiNXs7_gEwzPGQtyX_1AW9usUPgHVp-3Tj29XjRl-D5Jej9T6tH9gwmi12qXL1Qib4mOAAdKXFvJTuT8eqZeyez2_VhuUTfT6OUx_Yk8fE6aLVs3cysK2AzQE4Y8xwMToooOQgxgBZkEbWbrw2BwLYBZ4FOJ57StAJ3RaQfOCU5RoODMTz


Once the orange was gone, I was good. I don't think I launched BCM after deleting the orange shading. I also didn't have to pay for any charts as an registered owner of devices with charts.

Tomorrow I'm going to use AC to load OS updates on the devices. I really like the Helm app (remote control), so now that I'm getting acquainted with AC charting, I think I'm officially a happy AC user.
 
To clarify Garmin's questionable monikers:

Active Captain was (is) an online community boating database. "Yelp for boaters"

Blue Chart Mobile was Garmin's plotting app. The app was free, but you had to buy charts for it.

Garmin bought Active Captain and integrated the data into their new app and devices. Then they retired BCM and replaced it with a more feature-rich app and for whatever reason, called it Active Captain.

The AC app is targeted to owners of Garmin devices.
 
I have been a long term user of AC, both Desktop and BCM app.

Doesn't seem to have the same volume of updates over the last year or two. Not healthy for a crowd sourced app.

AquaMap - has both AC and Waterway Guide. WG is coming on pretty strong it seems. Don't know if/when it will have the same level of information, but worth watching.

Not a huge fan of AquaMap - but it works - most of the time.

Just did the upgrade to get AC on my Garmin chart plotters. Haven't cruised with it much, but will in March.

I will start with the Active Captain app pretty soon since I am all Garmin on electronics.
 
As an older boater, and one that has been boating fo more than 50 years, I prefer to use navigation tools that are purpose-built. On my 52' CPMY I had a fully integrated Raymarine navigation suite with GPS, Chart Plotter, Sonar, Radar and Auto-pilot all networked through 12" displays at both stations. Between my wife and I we have 3 iPhones and 4 iPads. It's pathetic how neither one of us can do anything without a device close by. But as much as I love and use them, there is no way in the world I would think of making any trip in a boat with an app on an iPhone/iPad as my main source of navigation.

Stee60.… You say it works fine and hasn't let you down. Will you know what to do if it does?

The OP says he wanted something for trips on Lake Michigan to see buoys and underwater objects. I commend him for being responsible. In his case I would recommend the SIMRAD GO XSE Series. (GO5, 7, 9, etc.)
IMG_0603.JPG

I installed the 5" (seen above) in the new helm of my '85 Cobalt CM23 restoration project. These new units have full touch-screen technology (pinch-to-zoom, etc.), support all chart formats (Navionics, BlueChart, C-MAP, etc.), are wi-fi capable and if you have Navionics, for example, on your phone or tablet you can connect and download your charts. The GPS antenna is built-in and the unit is very compact and perfect for smaller helms. It's available as a GPS unit only or with a fish finder as well. And depending on the transducer purchased it has SideScan/DownScan technology available. https://simrad.factoryoutletstore.com/cat/71725/Simrad-GO5.html

I installed mine in about 90 minutes including mounting the HDI transducer. Prices start at $419 for a unit without a transducer and $469 with. If I were a fisherman I would go with the model with the upgraded transducer for $539. And all of those prices are less than a new iPhone or iPad. I'm sure yours works for you and nothing anyone here says will change your mind. But, IMHO there are better, safer, more responsible ways to navigate. You talk about cost and elitism....I ask what is safety and well-being of your family and friends worth. Certainly the price of a dedicated, reliable, purpose-built navigation device.
Shawn
 

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