Online charts availability/recommendations for non-navigation reference (following demise of Navionics)?

LittleSister

LittleSister

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I very much miss the Navionics website's chart viewer which I used to find very useful (and interesting) on the computer at home to check e.g. rough distances; the general layout of locations/sandbanks/routes/separation zones, names of particular features/places that I'd forgotten and wanted to mention on here; etc.

I didn't use it for actual navigation, as I use paper charts and my onboard stand-alone chart plotter for that.

Is there something similar available free or for a very modest subscription?

I rummaged around online a bit, but lost the will to live without finding anything that had useful coverage and detail.
 
robmcg said:
C map chart viewer?

Orca?
Click to expand...

Thank you! 👍

C-Map chart viewer seems to fit the bill, though I miss the measuring tool and some other features that Navionics chart viewer had.

Orca I found generally annoying - makes it v. difficult to reject unwanted cookies, website difficult to understand the different products/facilities; didn't find a chart viewer on the website (not sure if I've missed it), and says the app is for tablets (I don't have) and phones (mine too small for this sort of thing), but it turns out the app works on my MacBook. Having downloaded the app, I can't see any advantage over the C-Map website viewer without coughing up for a subscription without being clear what it gets me.
 
LittleSister said:
I very much miss the Navionics website's chart viewer which I used to find very useful (and interesting) on the computer at home to check e.g. rough distances; the general layout of locations/sandbanks/routes/separation zones, names of particular features/places that I'd forgotten and wanted to mention on here; etc.

I didn't use it for actual navigation, as I use paper charts and my onboard stand-alone chart plotter for that.

Is there something similar available free or for a very modest subscription?

I rummaged around online a bit, but lost the will to live without finding anything that had useful coverage and detail.
Click to expand...
Are you aware of the "seamless charts" add in overlay for Google Earth from the folks at Membership... Join Us : by Bryant [Membership] - VisitMyHarbour articles ? I have it installed on my home computer and use it a lot. You can use the Google Earth ruler set to any of a number of units of measurement including Nautical Miles. They don't have total coverage of the world but the areas covered can be zoomed to the largest scale of chart in that particular location. This means that you can zoom in to a harbour plan for Fishguard or zoom out and see the entirety of UK waters or the North Atlantic.
 
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Orca is more suited to running in an app on a tablet. Presentation is different to Navionics as it uses mapbox base mapping. The C map chart viewer is more akin to what the Navionics chart viewer used to be. Shame Navionics ditched it 😞.
 
I moved to the Garmin ActiveCaptain one. It has most of the Navionics bits i used and looks like it’ll eventually get the rest. All the others I’ve tried have been bad in one way or another.
 
Davy_S said:
i-Boating : Free Marine Navigation Charts & Fishing Maps

https://activecaptain.garmin.com/en-US/Map
Click to expand...
I like the I _ Boating . Thanks.
I don't suppose my position could be located on the chart ? Probably not.

I'm still using the ancient MX Mariner on my smartphone. I also have it on a tablet. Unfortunately the charts have disappeared for some reason and it has defaulted to Google Earth maps but still shows my position . I still use a H/H gps and transfer the position onto a paper chart. I know that I am going to shell out sooner or later.

I
 
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