Start looking at Maptech products and it's pretty easy to get confused. With more combinations than a Starbucks, it takes a bit of time to read the menu. We think we've sorted it out, so let's give it a try.

A good first step is to sort out the differences between the "Lites" and the "Pros." Maptech has two applications in its Offshore Navigator line: Offshore Navigator ($249.95) and Offshore Navigator Lite ($99.95).

Offshore Navigator is the navigation application included with many of Maptech's past and current Digital Charts offerings. This includes products branded as Chart Navigator, Marine Navigator, Digital ChartKit, and Digital ChartKit Pro.

Offshore Navigator Lite is the navigation software application included on the Companion CDs that accompany their paper ChartKits and Waterproof Chartbooks. In the past, Offshore Navigator Lite has also been included with other chart CDs, usually for waters outside of the U.S. It is very similar to Offshore Navigator, but does not include features such as tracks, instant and named waypoints, autopilot support, alarm zones or a ships log.

Maptech has four applications with "Chart Navigator" in the title: Chart Navigator Viewer, Chart Navigator Light, Chart Navigator ($249.95), and Chart Navigator Pro ($499.95).

Chart Navigator Viewer is the free software application for planning with and printing Maptech BSB charts. It looks similar to Offshore Navigator and Offshore Navigator Lite but does not integrate with a GPS and have a "vessel" with which to navigate. It is often used to demo Maptech charts and is available as a free download (see link below).

Chart Navigator Light is the navigation software included with Chartbook Companion CDs for the Bahamas and Caribbean. It has many of the same features of Chart Navigator Pro—but without the DVDs of U.S. charts.

Chart Navigator (without "Pro" or "Light") features Maptech's Offshore Navigator software and includes DVDs of raster, photo, and topographic charts (but does not include vector or 3-D contour charts).

Finally, Chart Navigator Pro is Maptech's full-featured product for recreational boaters, and one of the packages we've recently reviewed (to read the review, see link below).

Maptech also recently purchased The Capn. Although The Capn was one of the first and most popular PC charting packages for recreational boaters, it is now marketed primarily to the commercial market of workboat, merchant, and government professionals.

Confused yet? We still are. But thankfully, Maptech provides a summary comparison of all these offerings on its website (see link below).