T&T: Which electronic charts?

[Chuck and Susan]

Michael, We have been long time users of C-Map also and I have used Naionics on many occasions. My preference is still C-Map over Navionics. I believe you should at least try both before making a decision because you are going to get positive feedback and perhaps some negative from users of both. This like many other things boats, is more personal. Do not discount the plotter since a great set of charts will be a sad experience with the wrong plotter. Many of the most popular plotters are are also the most difficult to use and prone to problems and breakdowns. Chuck

To follow our adventures, go to
http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/
http://sea-trek.blogspot.com/


--- On Sat, 7/4/09, Michael Slater <m-slater at btconnect.com> wrote:

 > 
> I have been a long time user of C-Map vector charts,
> starting some 20 years
> ago with the CF85 cartridges, I was always pro vector
> charts compared to
> raster as the logic of managing the data in layers is
> incontrovertible, in
> my opinion. But vector vs raster is not the debate I want
> to start; I am
> considering the next move in my electronics, they are 10
> years old now and
> sure as eggs are eggs they will start to fail and I want to
> be proactive in
> the maintenance of the system on my boat.
> 
>  
> 
> So it seems to me that the issue of "which chart-plotter?"
> is not about the
> hardware but primarily the quality and accuracy of the
> charts that it works
> with. So I see the decision route starting with the
> electronic chart
> publisher. And there's the rub for me; as a 20 year C-Map
> user, I am finding
> the proprietary plotter market, centred on C-Map, has
> almost evaporated, as
> it appears under Jepperson they have walked away, or maybe
> created non
> commercial arrangements (who knows) with most manufacturers
> out there?
> Furuno's Nav-net was originally going to be based on C-Map
> as all their
> previous solutions and suddenly at the last minute they
> switched to
> Navionics.
> 
>  
> 
> So how do you compare the myriad of vector chart options to
> find the one
> that is truly the most accurate and good value, it's not
> like you can test
> them all, you have to rely on feedback from users. A good
> friend of mine
> told me of a discussion he had in Sweden last year when a
> Norwegian told my
> friend that he was lucky to have C-Map. The Norwegian had
> Navionics and had
> hit an uncharted rock, which was on the C-Map chart. 
> 
>  
> 
> So what say listees about, Navionics, Bluechart, C-Map et
> al? What is truly
> the best vector chart publisher?
> 
>  
> 
> Michael Slater