chart plotter map update frequency?

[lauraj]

Our recently purchased boat has a garmin chartplotter with 2009 charts. I have heard that the newer garmin charts had some real issues and so am reluctant to update. Is there a reason to update to new charts? does anyone know if they have changed info sources to fix issues?

[Moody46CC]

I do not know about Garmin charts having issues (I have a 1040x), but 2009 charts are 6 years old. The land does not change (much), but buoys are moved all the time and bridges are built, etc. I have some MapTech kits that are 6-8 years old, but they are back-ups to my electronic charts. Update those annually where I routinely cruise.

[Sandero]

Buoys are moved all the time? That's a crazy statement... Perhaps a few buoys are moved, or added or even removed... But it's insane to think that the are all moved all the time... Why would they do that? And where?

[four winds]

I think Moody was saying buoys are always being moved, somewhere. Not that all bouys are being moved, everywhere.

[Moody46CC]

Four Winds is correct. I did not say all buoys were moved; said "buoys are moved all the time ...." Lateral buoys are placed to show shallows, and wind, waves, currents all combine to move these from time to time. In looking at my MapTech Chart Kit of Region 3, Cape May to Nantucket, 15th edition (an older one, by the way), on the chart for Absecon Inlet, the entrance to Atlantic City, an important waypoint and stopping site for boats traversing the Jersey Coast, the buoys are not plotted. On the chart it says "buoys not charted. See Note B." And Note B says "The channels are subject to continual change. Entrance buoys are not charted because they are frequently shifted in position." There are buoys there--they just won't be on the paper chart owing to frequently being moved to allow for hydrographic changes.

Such entries are not uncommon, and I'll wager that a lot of charts were re-done in the Long Island/NJ area after Sandy to show the movement of buoys owing to the changes in shallow areas. The USCG will issue a NOTAM to advise of changes, but unless you are subscribing to these, you won't know unless you update your electronic charts.

The electronic charts can all be updated a lot cheaper than buying up-to-date paper ones. One can do those annually and keep the paper ones as back ups, but after a while, charts that are not kept to date can be deceiving.

[monroe0]

Region? The updated west coast US charts were okay. Garmin's updated Mexican charts, at least as far a Ensenada, still seem based on ancient data. Odd, because an friend's Raymarine plotter had it right.

[ranger58sb]

FWIW, we update the plotter and laptop charts at least once/year, or more often when available. Our tablet charts seem to update slightly more often, at least the C-Map charts.


-Chris

[Stu Jackson]

Moody's right. Much depends on where you sail or plan to do so. On SF Bay they've taken out one or two buoys in the past 25 years, one at the new east span of the new Bay Bridge and one at the west end of the Oakland Harbor. Other than those, not much has changed.

In other parts of the country, they are much more subject to change.

Only YOU can determine whether it makes sense and/or is necessary to update.

[Garethk]

Recently upgraded my Navionics gold chart for Australia, what a waste of time and money, seems they put to much crap in them these days so if your chart plotter is more than 5 years old you will have to update your software in the plotter or it will run slow or may not even work at all!! I run a C-90 wide raymarine plotter and a C-80 raymarine plotter, My earlier 2 GB card worked fine on both,sent it in for the upgrade, they sent back a whole new card and no work on my 8 year old C- 80 plotter and very slow on my C-90. Rang the tech guys who sold me the upgrade and said to bad, you will have to upgrade your software in your plotters. they should have said that in the first place.Had to buy back my previous card to run my c-80, I did keep the new 6 GB chip for the C-90 but it made it so slow when paning in and out I have gone back to my old 2 GB chip for both units.
Unless your Hydro graphic survey guys are out every 6 mths mapping the changes to the movements of channel markers and bouys the upgrades are useless unless you want to see where the latest coffee shop has opened up on shore!!!
So in my opinion, if you have not run aground with your old chart and you still want to keep your older nav gear save your money keep your chart that you know works

[Shrew]

After dredging an area the buoys get moved. Sandbars shift over time, even after storms, and the buoys need to be repositioned to accurately reflect the location of the shoal.


I ran into an unknown area last summer where my electronic chart didn't show a specific marker. I was supposed to turn to Stbd after the 'middle' can.....uh, TWO cans in the middle and neither were marked as a bifurcation to determine which marked the opening to the secondary channel.


The admiral was navigating via iPad and hers showed the second marker and the channel. As did a verification of marker numbers, so no crisis. But it is an example of what can happen.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

FWIW, we update the plotter and laptop charts at least once/year, or more often when available. Our tablet charts seem to update slightly more often, at least the C-Map charts.

Originally Posted by Garethk

Recently upgraded my Navionics gold chart for Australia, what a waste of time and money, seems they put to much crap in them these days so if your chart plotter is more than 5 years old you will have to update your software in the plotter or it will run slow or may not even work at all!!

I probably could have included that our plotter/laptop chart updates are free...

-Chris

[NewMoon]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Much depends on where you sail or plan to do so. On SF Bay they've taken out one or two buoys in the past 25 years, one at the new east span of the new Bay Bridge and one at the west end of the Oakland Harbor. Other than those, not much has changed.

In other parts of the country, they are much more subject to change.

FWIW, Garmin Bluechart chips for my 2002-vintage 2006C are all at least several years old by now. Cruising BC and SE Alaska some 2000-3000nm each summer, I can recall only one or two spots where there has been any change. I'd expect much more change where the bottom is not solid rock.

[bluetequila]

By the way, what is the best Chart Plotter out there…?

[Garethk]

Happy with my C-80,C-90 raymarine gear. I know it's the earlier models and I have not used the later touch screen plotters but if they are like the new touch screen phones I think I would look at a standard type screen without touch.Any one else with similar views ??

[lauraj]

Current areas would be s. Fl and west Carib. Question was really specific to Garmin digital charts. I know that they switched over nfo sources a couple years ago and things were not marked correctly. Wanted to know if anyone has exp. With 2015 Garmin charts.