ActiveCaptain Mobile makes updated NOAA charts available in mobile format for free. ActiveCaptain Mobile ($49.95) acts as three applications in one. On its own it's a chart archive, providing the capability to store thousands of charts on a smartphone. All of NOAA's charts are available with ActiveCaptain Mobile for no additional charge and are updated twice a year. International charts will be added in the future for small additional fees.
If you have a data plan on your smartphone, the software provides access to the online ActiveCaptain website. You can download markers that will be displayed directly on the NOAA chart, providing a living electronic guidebook. Markers indicating the location of marinas, anchorages, and local knowledge, such as bridges and inlets, can be displayed. Selecting a marker allows you to view additional information, such as phone numbers, services provided and reviews from other boaters.
Add a GPS and ActiveCaptain Mobile becomes a portable chartplotter, which can track your location, offering a backup to onboard navigation systems; a portable navigation solution for the dinghy or onshore use; or simply a secondary navigation option for a different view. ActiveCaptain Mobile also supports the creation of routes and waypoints.
PATHAWAY
PathAway by MuskokaTech runs on both Palm and Windows Mobile smartphones. There are two editions: Standard and Professional. The Standard edition ($59.95) allows basic functions such as using a GPS to follow and display your location, the ability to create routes and tracks of where you have been, and the capability to display trip information on screen. PathAway Professional ($95.00) adds a two-way tracking feature that lets you communicate your location to other PathAway users.
PathAway lets you display "web maps," which are downloaded on the fly from the Internet. These include Google Maps and aerial photos. It does not support NOAA charts directly, though you can obtain your own maps from websites, CD-ROM's or even by scanning them yourself and then use PathAway Tools. The Tools application for Windows converts your scanned images to a format supported by PathAway. While this offers great flexibility in the maps you are able to display, it is a multi-step process.
Pathaway runs on both Palm and Windows Mobile smartphones.PathAway has a nice user interface and provides a good way to use your own paper charts for areas that have no digital support. We find that the performance tends to be sluggish and it lacks some marine specific functions, such as direct support for NOAA charts and boating specific point-of-interest data.
TOMTOM
TomTom is arguably the best known street navigation program. Most of us either have it ourselves or know someone who does. We have had several versions of TomTom over the years, which we use to navigate in our car. Each version has gotten better. It provides a vector map of streets and many locations such as the nearest Subway restaurant or Hilton hotel.
To specify a route you simply enter an address and tell it to navigate from your current location. TomTom will calculate the "best" route based on criteria you specify. For example, you can travel only non-toll roads, or choose the shortest versus fastest route (not always the same thing). Turn-by-turn voice prompts will direct you to your location.
TomTom will automatically re-route you if you have deviated from the original route. This may occur because of construction, or if you simply missed a turn. It is constantly looking for the best route from your present location. Of course, all of this is made far simpler by sticking to the streets. If only it were that easy on the water!
The TomTom application for your smartphone is the same as the TomTom hardware products for your car. The advantage of using the software on your smartphone is that it is always with you. If you rent a car while exploring an area on your cruise, you'll have your familiar street navigation system to use without additional hardware, powering options and mounting brackets.
