Perhaps my dream of having one app that shows both Charts and Maps may soon become real! Garmin BlueChart Mobile (Ver 1.4) Skipper’s creator, Andrew Johnson says that Inland Rivers Charts including all NOAA vector charts will be added soon and he is working on ways to integrate Open Street Map technology. Raster charts (the best!) load fast and look great since they are mosaic-ed together and are only 1.8GB each for the smallest possible download size. Your subscription syncs your personal data and routes, waypoints, tracks, etc. It also does routes/waypoints and real-time navigation (which Garmin’s app doesn’t do). All is cached and displayed offline very seamlessly, except weather and Google Earth requires an online connection. NOAA Charts are auto-updated (or choose Google Earth or Topo maps, including historic topos. For the Pro version you pay an annual fee of $12/year and you don’t have to pay extra for the charts you’ve already paid the Government for in taxes. The newest offering in the Apps Store is Skipper and the free version isn’t just a trial it includes a handy NOAA online chart viewer for onshore planning and satellite imagery on shore. They all include ActiveCaptain data as an overlay for members. Sail with confidence with any of the five navigation apps below. And there’s the rub: How do we get the latest information, preferably from other cruisers? The answer: AC.įor the past few years ActiveCaptain (AC) has grown and expanded to include over 100,000 boaters who write reviews and updates on anchorages, ports, hazards, facilities and more, all around the world. As we all know, this kind of information is always in flux. With the recent news that NOAA will stop printing paper charts this April, iPads are fast replacing chart plotters on the bridge or in the cockpit.Īs a former cruiser, I often relied on print cruising guides to learn about a new port or cruising area. Some cost a few precious boat bucks just to download, and “free” doesn’t necessarily mean “less” when it comes to features. Ĭhoosing the right navigation app is no easy feat. The project launches November 28th and will run until the end of December. Lines reports that the retail price for the Optio Fuel will be just US$199, but on Kickstarter, the first 100 units will be $99, the next 200 - $149. In true Kickstarter style, being an early supporter gets you a big discount when it’s delivered. As a new technology startup company looking to do things in new ways, Interactio is using modern crowd sourcing from Kickstarter to bring Optio Fuel to market. With the funds and awareness raised through this Kickstarter campaign, Interactio will offer a series of new products leveraging “Internet-of-things” technology to bring products to the marine market. “Our goal is to raise $25k to fund the production of the Optio Fuel,” commented Roger Lines, co-founder of Interactio. ( *Numbers will vary depending on your boat, how often it’s used and your cruising style). David Burton, Interactio’s co-founder said “In many cases Optio Fuel pays for itself in a weekend of cruising”. Preliminary tests show fuel savings in the range of 10-30% or more *. Further, current range and optimal speed are also displayed on the device’s map in real time. The fuel sensor and the mobile app is all that is needed to monitor fuel flow and consumption. This new device makes it easy for boat owners to directly monitor their vessel’s fuel use using a free app on their smart phone or tablet. The Victoria, BC-based creators of Optio Fuel, Interactio Inc., will launch their first product on the popular crowdfunding platform Kickstarter later this month. Until now, the options boat owners had for monitoring their boat’s fuel consumption were either very expensive or difficult to retrofit, leaving boaters relying on instinct and math! Novem(Victoria, BC) – Every once in awhile a deceptively simple innovation comes along that just makes sense. New Optio Fuel wireless sensor from Interactio New Fuel Saving Device and Mobile App View real time boat fuel flow, consumption and range information using your Smart Phone or Tablet. Interactio Launches Kickstarter Campaign for
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