Question about C-Map charts

Dockhead

Dockhead

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I am buying electronic charts (C-Map NT+, for a Raymarine RL80CRC) for a presumed cruising area covering the South Coast, Brittany, and Normandy, and I am a little confused by the "local" charts they sell.

Does one need them? Does a local chart contain more detail than the wide area charts as, for example, "Central English Channel"?
 
I'm not sure what the current widest coverage is but get the widest one which covers the whole of the English Channel. Then if you want Southern Brittany as well as North Brittany then add the 'wide' one that runs south from there. Ours are a year or two old NT+ superwides and cover from Dover Straight to L'Aberwrach or Scilly and the other from L'Aberwrac'h to Gibralter but I think they might no longer do these superwide ones.

Anyway the real point is that there is very full detail on these wide area charts, right down to pontoons in marinas level of detail. The local charts IMO are just for those not needing wider coverage and wanting a cheaper option.
 
Great; thank you guys. So the level of detail is the same; just you get a smaller coverage area for less money with the local charts.

I haven't ever seen any NT+ charts (maybe the MAX ones?) which cover the entire South Coast. Looks like the best you can do for that coverage is three: Western English Channel, Central English Channel, Eastern English Channel. It would be cool to have all that on one chip, but I guess three is acceptable.
 
I agree with lenseman.
I have 2 wides installed (which slows the plotter refresh down a lot) and these are down to pontoon level.
if you can actually get to join the C-Map club run by Jeppesen, then you get one free upgrade a year.
I will post details later, as I have just rung them.

i wouldn't bother with local, not worth the money.
 
c-map wide covers from about dover - scilly on the uk side.... calais - brest on the french side..... don't put too many cards in the plotter it will either crash or refresh rate will be painfully slooooooooooooow ! bit like this forum on odd occasions
 
Dockhead said:
Great; thank you guys. So the level of detail is the same; just you get a smaller coverage area for less money with the local charts.

I haven't ever seen any NT+ charts (maybe the MAX ones?) which cover the entire South Coast. Looks like the best you can do for that coverage is three: Western English Channel, Central English Channel, Eastern English Channel. It would be cool to have all that on one chip, but I guess three is acceptable.
Click to expand...

My MAXI Wide covers Scandinavia to Gib on one chip

M-EW-M009.05

http://www.c-map.com/chartcatalogue/7DAFDEC2
 
Note NT+ Central English Channel does NOT include L'Aberwrac'h - it stops just East of it. Bit of a pain when crossing from the Scillies as I didn't have a paper chart that covered the whole bit in between. My course calculation was done using the Western Channel tide diagram in Reeds - and that gave rise to a number of spirited discussions in the middle of the night when I found that my crew kept adjusting the autopilot heading because they didn't believe the amount of tidal offset I had built in!
 
FullCircle said:
I agree with lenseman.
I have 2 wides installed (which slows the plotter refresh down a lot) and these are down to pontoon level.
if you can actually get to join the C-Map club run by Jeppesen, then you get one free upgrade a year.
I will post details later, as I have just rung them.

i wouldn't bother with local, not worth the money.
Click to expand...

C-Map Club 01293 842603

94.2 euros per year
 
See http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219143

All the chips you need are available on the For Sale forum at very reasonable prices


Dockhead said:
Great; thank you guys. So the level of detail is the same; just you get a smaller coverage area for less money with the local charts.

I haven't ever seen any NT+ charts (maybe the MAX ones?) which cover the entire South Coast. Looks like the best you can do for that coverage is three: Western English Channel, Central English Channel, Eastern English Channel. It would be cool to have all that on one chip, but I guess three is acceptable.
Click to expand...
 
chrisclin said:
Note NT+ Central English Channel does NOT include L'Aberwrac'h - it stops just East of it. Bit of a pain when crossing from the Scillies as I didn't have a paper chart that covered the whole bit in between. My course calculation was done using the Western Channel tide diagram in Reeds - and that gave rise to a number of spirited discussions in the middle of the night when I found that my crew kept adjusting the autopilot heading because they didn't believe the amount of tidal offset I had built in!
Click to expand...

That is correct, the Central English Channel one doesn't have much detail west of say Roscoff. The superwide NT+ one I have covers the whole of the English Channel and does cover to L'Aberwrac'h in great detail, but you need the next one for maximum detail through Chenal Du Four and then south. I have a nasty feeling however that C-Map no longer offer these wide cartridges in NT+ but only in the C-Map Max versions.

I hate to recommend anyone to use out of date stuff, but secondhand superwide cartridges would be well worth looking for. They do come up and indeed that is where mine came from, as people buy new kit or boats with different systems. In this area, at least west of say Brighton the land and rocks are fixed down hard and there aren't shifting sandbanks. Lights and signals change anyway and a current Lights List covers that. An ad in the 'wanted' forum might get results.
 
My C-map came as part of a boat show offer in Sep 06. I bought a Standard Horizon, plus for £100 you got Part # zstacma cartridge which has very wide coverage (#5 on the pic).
This looks like the current offer C-Map Max Mega Wide Area Chart - UK & Ireland. Chart area No.5 but now £234.99

ZSTACMA.jpg
(covers to S of Brest)
 
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