Navionics autorouteissues.

[Amity37]

Hi!

I have a current Navionics subscription for my iPhone app and the chip installed in my Raymarine Axiom 9RV aboard my Tayana 37 Pilothouse.

When I try to autoroute across Lake Pontchartrain, on my iPhone app, I get a diversion to a bridge, then a sharp turn back to my destination.

Screenshots of the route and my boat data below.

Any help would be appreciated!

Hooper Harris
s/v Amity

[Jamme]

Have you tried the “submit feedback” function in the menu option? It opens an email to navionics. Good luck!

[donradcliffe]

I always use Manual Routes because I'm smarter than the AI in Navionics

[SailFastTri]

Sometime around August 2022 they issued a software update that changed the autoroute algorithm, and it was a functional downgrade IMHO. I opened a case with them in September of that year and they did not acknowledge the change. They responded “ Please try to download and update the charts going in Menu>>Download Maps.
Try again to calculate the Route.
Please check also if crossing the bridges on the base of the height in your Boat Settings.
For long distances, we suggest to add an intermediate waypoint.
If the calculation still fails send me a screenshot of the failed route and of your Boat Settings.”
I chose not to go down the rabbit hole on this, thinking they would pick up on the issues and correct it. The autoroute function still has not improved, IMHO.
It’s still very useful for a quick trip-time estimate of simple routes, but I didn’t ever trust the autoroutes without checking them manually at wide and narrow zoom levels. There are some things Navionics does very well, and I find myself switching between Navionics and Aqua Maps to take advantage of the best of each.

[GreenWave]

In the time spent here on this problem, you could have created a manual route. Autoruting is useful in open sea and for rough planning only, IMO.

[SailingHarmonie]

Originally Posted by GreenWave

In the time spent here on this problem, you could have created a manual route. Autoruting is useful in open sea and for rough planning only, IMO.

I can't agree with GreenWave enough.

Autorouting? Why? Does anybody tell their plotter "Take me THERE," push the button and just GO following the route on autopilot?

I hope everybody looks over any route and carefully evaluates it. When I put down my own waypoints and create my own route, I always "drive" the entire route at high magnification. I would never skip that no matter what the source of the route. If you have to do that anyway what exactly have you saved? Even offshore, the decision about what route to take is dictated by weather and currents that are not understood by the algorithm. Of course, those of us with sailboats find the idea of autorouting kind of funny since we rarely go in a straight line anywhere.

I MIGHT use autorouting to give me a distance-over-ground estimate for planning purposes in a complex route, but I never have.

I guess since people are quickly losing the skill to navigate their cars to the grocery store without their phones talking them through it, ocean navigation is headed the same way. In theory, that frees up brain power for more lofty pursuits. I'm waiting to see any evidence of that.