When it comes to software for maritime pilots, there are numerous companies worldwide who have developed very useful applications. For advanced navigation features such as auto-routing and sonar charts, purchase in-app enhancements.Four piloting softwares to use with a PPU sensor Tracks can be shared via email or social media. Creating and editing routes is a matter of placing marks along the route edit by moving or deleting marks. The user interface is intuitive for panning and zooming tap on the chart to display a cross-hair pointer that can either become a waypoint or display local information on weather and tides, wind forecasts, currents and moon/sun phases. It incorporates the excellent Navionics Gold vector charts with map, satellite and terrain overlays, all for free. Navionics Marine & Lakes has long been one of the best navigation apps available for Android and IOS devices. (chart regions sold separately), iPhone/iPad/Android, PathAway GPS Lite ($4.95) offers the same functions as the free version but is full-screen and does not include ads. The free version includes the basic tracking functions, but its charts are not full-screen due to advertisements. In PathAway GPS Professional Edition ($49.95), users can track other boats as well as display several tracks and routes simultaneously. With PathAway, sailors can import maps from practically anywhere-whether from an online source like Google maps, or downloaded from PathAway maps or any other BSB/KAP navigational chart application. This feature does, however, come at an added fee. One of the app’s newer features is a Weather Forecast map that can be layered onto other charts and displays conditions such as wind, precipitation and temperature. The distinguishing feature of the Fugawi PathAway Express Edition app, however, is that it allows users to create customized charts and multi-layered maps. Like many other navigation apps, the PathAway Express app plots tracks, waypoints (with photos as well as descriptions) and routes. $29.95, Android smartphone and tablet, /PWAndroid.htm $49.99, other worldwide regions starting at $54.99 Nav Module $4.99, AutoRouting: $4.99, Advanced Map Options $4.99, 1 Year Annual Chart Subscription $54.99). If you already have Marine & Lakes, it will update to Boating for free the next time you update the app. The app is free, but you must purchase chart regions and other upgrades. Finally, unlike the old app, new chart regions seamlessly blend together with existing charts. Most recently, this Community has been tasked with improving the charts of the East Coast by sharing its local information. (Raymarine, Navico and some Simrad, Lowrance and B&G models are also Sync-capable.) It also integrates with the “Navionics Community,” a group of some 1.5 million users that regularly contributes to a directory of marine services, waterfront restaurants, magazine articles and travel guides. For example, it allows for Plotter Sync through which users can wirelessly transfer routes and waypoints from their app to a plotter. This past spring, Navionics came out with a new version of the app called Navionics Boating, which has all of the features of the original plus some extras. Likewise, apps that allow you to geotag photos to waypoints are useful, as you can record photographic reminders of various locations. This is a great way to communicate with friends and family during a cruise or race debrief. Sharing tracks via email or social media sites is also becoming popular. I prefer apps that allow you to manage waypoints and routes, and import them via GPX, a data format that allows you to share GPS information across multiple devices. Newer apps manage routes by connecting marks on the chart, so actual waypoints become less important. The more established apps allow you to manage waypoints and create routes using selected waypoints from a predetermined list. Look for an app with usability that makes sense to you, one that has an uncluttered display, transparent overlays, intuitive menus and easy-to-use zoom buttons.Īll apps support waypoints, routes and tracks to a varying degree. What works differently is panning or zooming around the chart, chart quilting and displaying chart layers. Check for the added features of a street map, satellite or topo/terrain map overlays.Īll nav apps display a ship’s location in a similar manner. An app should allow you to store charts on the device so they can be used while underway and offline. When using an app, managing the charts should be as simple as selecting, downloading and installing chart tiles or regions. Also be sure to check the chart management functions.
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