As you point out, Navionics is owned by Garmin.
The new chart plotter that I bought a few months ago came with Bluechart G2 charts standard, and Navionics charts were a no cost option. For a fee I could upgrade to Bluechart G3, which was basically the same Garmin charts with extra functionality. With G3 you could put in the draft, air draft, etc. of your boat and when you routed from point A to point B, for example, the plotter would lay out a route curving around shoals and shallows and keeping you from going under bridges too low for the mast height you enter. (Which is pretty cool, but is basically the functionality I’ve seen on Garmin products sold to over the road truckers who have to avoid going under short bridges and worry about length and weight restrictions among other stuff.) My preference is for the Bluecharts, mainly because the depth color shading and symbols used are those on a NOAA printed chart, whereas Navionics has always shown a different pattern for depth shading and used a different set of symbols for ATNs. So I installed the Bluechart G2 charts. After downloading the charts and registering the plotter (or maybe it was the charts) I also had the option of installing them on my other devices. So I have the same charts on my IPad Air (which I use when doing deliveries and such) and on my laptop. A few days ago I got an email from Garmin announcing a new line of chart plotters being introduced. The basic charts are Navionics, with Garmin charts as an option. IIRC, when I decide to update the (relatively recent) charts on my chart plotter – and other devices including what shows up in Active Captain - the North American charts will cost the better part of $200. I suppose the higher cost for the charts on the Garmin plotter vs the low cost of the Navionics mobile app for an IPad or phone is because there are a lot more folks using the mobile devices than boaters keeping up to date charts in their chart plotters. So the cost of maintaining the chart database is spread out a lot more widely. Rick Brass Washington, NC From: Doug via CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com] Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2022 5:03 PM To: Stus-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> Cc: Hoyt, Mike <mike.h...@impgroup.com>; Doug <svrebeccal...@gmail.com> Subject: Stus-List Re: Navionics I have Navionics on both of my android phones and on my chart plotters. I have found here in mexico that the charts on the plotter aren't as accurate as on the androids. You would think that for $250 for the plotter Navionics charts they would be more accurate than the $21 phone charts. Just voicing my displeasure in Navionics. Which BTW is owned by Garmin. Doug Mountjoy sv Rebecca Leah C & C Landfall 39 Port Orchard Yacht Club +1 253-208-1412 WhatsApp&phone +52 669-267-4740 phone
