Navionics or C-Map NT Platform??

[ThirdHatt]

Does anyone have an idea what the major differences are between these two charting platforms? Santa was good to me and is allowing me to purchase a new electronics/navigation package for Sweet Melissa. I have decided to go with the Furuno 1944C 64mi 4' open array radar and chartplotter. I have an older C-Map NT+ chartplotter that I will be replacing and I wonder which is the better format these days. My primary cruising area is Gulf Coast and Bahamas.

Any opinions are greatly appreciated.

 

[solanderi]

I was also contemplating that exact question a few months ago when I began upgrading with a NavNet 2. FWIW, the people I had do my install in Miami strongly felt that if the Bahamas was any part of your future cruising grounds then C-Map was the way to go. I trusted their opinion but have yet to do a Bahamas check out cruise. This is just one person's opinion. BTW, if you buy one and decide you should have gone the other route, the service people can reprogram your hardware....but you still get to pay for a second software package.....ha ha. Good luck, I am interested in how others weigh in on the subject.

Greg
1985 45C
Hat Time
Miami Beach, FL

 

[Trojan]

I have the C-Map in My 3 units. But I can't tell you which is a better program. The people at West suggested I get it. I don't know. I like it, but then I can't compare. I know of no one that has the other program. You could call Furuno and ask they are very helpful.



BILL

 

[REBrueckner]

Just in case you'd like more feedback, you can join Trawlers and Trawlering, online and free, and ask your question. There are some real navigation experts there, several in the business who know lots about different packages.

Perhaps five years ago, I'm pretty sure some there complained about C-MAP for the Bahamas...but likely that has changed. Many on that forum use laptop computers instead of dedicated marine hardware and most recently free navigation chart downloads via the internet.

I've used C-MAP NT with Raychart, Interphase, and Standard Horizon chartplotters and found it very satisfactory. I avoided Garmin because I did NOT want to be locked in to a proprietary system.

Whatever chart scheme you decide to go with, just remember surveys haven't been done in most recreational areas for 20,30,40,50 years and longer so where there are shoals with sand or mud, you'll be on your own. Coral and rocks stay in place! For example ok for Maine granite, not so good in Nantucket Sound and Long Island Sound Sand shoals. So it's the underlying government survey information that is most lacking.

 

[ThirdHatt]

I've used C-Map NT+ before as it came in the Simrad Chartplotter that came with my boat, which was used extensively in the Bahamas. I have heard that the Navionics Gold has the full overlay option for depth contours ahead of you and ariel photos as well. This sounds useful, but not sure if C-Map us capable of that as well.

I guess a call to Furuno is in order here. I plan to use the 1944c (dual stations) primarily for the radar and use the chartplotter as a backup. My main chartplotter will be a Northstar 962XD (dual stations) that I recently inherited from the Admiral's Father's boat which is upgrading to the "glass bridge" from Nobeltec. I will keep my handheld Garmin hooked to my laptop with Captain software for more redundancy at the lower helm. I will add the sounder option to the Furuno, but keep my two separate sounders as well. This way, I will have triple redundancy with chartplotters and sounders, but none with radar (unfortunately). Maybe I'll add a 2kw radar as backup in the future.

I have been reading through Passagemaker's forum, Boatfix and others to research this. I have not tried Trawlers and Trawlering yet because I had not heard of them. I will look into it and I thank you for the advice.

If anyone has experience with Navionics Gold or the Navnet Vx2 system in general, please post it here.

 

[Chapeaux!]

FWTW..After a lightning strike last year ( http://www.adrift-again.com/zapped.htm) we had to replace all electronics. Flew back to US and had three days to decide, order, receive and return to Bahamas with the goods to install so we could continue trip. Decided to go with Furuno 1943C 48mi w/navnet, network sounder, twin GPS rcvrs, for lower helm..right decision. Had to make choice between Navionics and C-Map. Decided on Navionics due to some previous dissatisfaction w/ C-Map. When we purchased the Furuno, got the "overlay' function and it is the only thing we use the Navionics for. Have only the South FL and Bahamas charts (haven't bothered to purchase any Navionics charts for any other areas). Had C-Map on previous boat running on a Raytheon Chart Plotter...weren't as comfortable with it (now realize it was the counter intuitive user interface on the Chart Plotter) as we are with the Cap'n software running on PC (our primary Nav system). However, after having both C-Map and Navionics, I would suggest a very thorough checkout before making the decision to commit to Navionics. BTW..our opinion is that the Explorer Charts are the best for the Bahamas...both the Electronic and the chart books for backup. They are now available on C-Map chips. The following link gives a graphic and word picture comparison between the different chart alternatives and makers. http://www.bluewaterweb.com/electroniccharts/ComparePlans.asp

Good Luck

 

[Chapeaux!]

I will keep my handheld Garmin hooked to my laptop with Captain software for more redundancy at the lower helm. I will add the sounder option to the Furuno, but keep my two separate sounders as well. This way, I will have triple redundancy with chartplotters and sounders, but none with radar (unfortunately). Maybe I'll add a 2kw radar as backup in the future.

.

We found out, based on a tough experience we had, that perhaps most important piece of gear you mentioned in your post is the Garmin hand held...period. Only thing you need to do about that is make sure there's one with a good supply of energizer batteries in your ditch kit. When we got hit by lightning last year, everything connected to the vessel's electrical system, including hand held radios and GPS's connected to chargers got zapped...inop. I'd never given a thought to the possibilities before that. We had a tough time finding West End and if we'd had a hand held GPS and/or VHF we could pull out of the ditch kit, it would have been easy. I know I'm telling tales on my own stupidity, but I always thought redundancy in system installed gear was the most important, and thought hand held GPS's were for sailors. I'm not saying that well thought out systems and redundancy is not important. Like you, we had two radars (a 16 mi and 48 mi), two VHF's, plus a handheld sitting on it's charger, two sounders, two GPS and a Northstar Loran....all got cooked, but a good simple fallback, connected to nothing would have made geting into West End a snap. Probably the scariest parts of it all was that one of the sounders didn't just quit....it kept outputting numbers that spooled up and down, as if we might be coming up on the bank in the reduced visibility. Fortunately, all's well that ends well. First thing I did when we got in was to find a place where I could buy a Garmin 76....didn't care if it was discount priced or not.

 

[REBrueckner]

As another input, try asking local USCG personnel what they use. Likely the package on USCG boats is based on nationwide considerations, but they may have some feedback of value. And since the local guys likely did not make the selection, perhaps they'll be really objective.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

We have a unit with C-Map. I don't like the way it re-draws when you wove the cursor. We also use a bright screen laptop with a Nobletech program. Any GPS with a NMEA output will send your position to the Nobletech. The charts are now free and can be downloaded from the NOAA site listed below. You want RNC charts. I downloaded every chart from the top of Michigan, down the east coast and up the gulf side to Tampa. This system worked great on our trip from Detroit to Miami.
http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/