IPAD NAVIGATING

[ANTREVELL]

Hi

Happy Xmas and New Year to all.
I will be getting an  Ipad Aire for Xmas. Can anyone advise what navigating software works best .
I use Neptune at the moment on my old laptop which does tidal calculations and passage planning . I have been  pleased with that but do not think they do it for the ipad.
Regards Tony Revell    Cruiser 33  2014

[Escapade]

Hi Tony
I am using iSailor from a number of years. I happy with it and find it easy to use, create routes, alarms, etc. It is also well readable in the cockpit (but not in direct sunlight).
As I am sailing in the Med I did not buy the Tides&Currents option, which is an add-on available within the app.
I attach herewith the user manual so that you may have look at the available features.
Season's greetings, atb
Oliver

PS. They have been recently taken over by Wartsila of Finland, but the software features are unchanged for what I can see.

[Escapade]

Oops
The upload of the manual did not work, but you can have it at the following link

http://www.isailor.us/faq/i/Transas_iSailor_User_Manual.pdf

Oliver

[JEN-et-ROSS]

We use Navionics and Memory Maps (Admiralty charts) on ours, combined with Antares Charts (West Coast Scotland only but in astonishing detail), along with Imray Tides and Currents...Works great..!!....Bill.

[Yngmar]

When trialing apps on IOS, I've found iNavX to be pretty good, although in the end I found the sandboxed (IOS/Android) tablets too limited and we're now using OpenCPN on a 10" Windows tablet (with some tweaks to make Windows behave).

As secondary/backup we have Navionics on a phone, which is very good for its detailed Sonarcharts, but I wouldn't want to use it for route planning due to the clumsy interface. OpenCPN is excellent for that and I usually make routes on the laptop, then sync them to the tablet.

[Salty]

I’ve got OpenCPN installed on a Samsung android phone, and whilst I’ve never used it in earnest, I’ve often turned it on while on passage just to confirm that it’s showing me the same position that my chart plotter is. The detail it gives is amazing and it’s very easy to use. I don’t know where openCPN get their chart information from, but so far I’ve not found any obvious errors or discrepancies in the way that charted detail is depicted. This is quite unlike the Navionics chart that was supplied with my then new Raymarine plotter, where wreck data in particular was occasionally shown incorrectly.

[Rampage]

I’ve been using Navionics on iPhone and iPad for the past few years as a quick planning tool and back up for the plotter.  It works well and the sonar data is often a useful confirmation of the sometimes ancient chart data.  Occasionally used it for close navigation where the plotter charting is not as good as the Navionics.

However, and it’s a big however, when buying your iPad you need to make sure it’s the version that include a SIM card slot.  The Wi-fi only versions don’t have GPS and therefore are no use for navigation unless you buy an external GPS thingy (such as a Bad Elf).

[ITIL MAN]

I’ve been using navionics for UK and the Med when chartering boats around Greece and Turkey.  Very good.  This year on own boat around Ireland and Scotland I preferred it to my Raymarne chartplotter.  User friendly and if updated excellent.