Navionics Gold or Maxsea

[claymore]

Anyone got any opinions on whether one is better than the other?

[jim.r]

Nope ..depends where your using it, the Gold one looks better if a bit blingish, but the Maxsea sounds better for a scottish environment

[Julian]

Nope ..depends where your using it, the Gold one looks better if a bit blingish, but the Maxsea sounds better for a scottish environment

Why blingish? I have gold and don't see that at all, it is a vast improvement on the original in that it contains current and tide diamonds.

Are you perhaps thinking of the platinum, which contains 3D representations to help powerboaters visualise the bottom of the river and see an overhead port shot as even a plotter requires rudimentary understanding of a chart. [/slappywristy]

Anyhoo, Sailing Today reviewed the main players in electronic charts a while back, I may still have it (I will look tomorrow). Unlike IPC stable, their reviews are worth a read. I know they liked and recommended the navionics, I don't remember their thoughts on maxsea as it was not a contender for me.

I have used c-map and navionics and have bought navionics twice, the main thing for me is that it is the closest looking to a chart before using raster. The colours match, all the others seem to change colours. If you have as I suspect grown up using admiralty charts you will like navionics.

If I was to state one thing I do not like, but all of them are guilty of this, the charge for updates is far too expensive.. but with navionics the problem is enhanced as they pull you in with extra large coverage, the UK is now a single folio. So, you are sailing to the Mersey for example to see the tall ships and say a few big wind turbines have been erected on route.. one chart.. can you just update that part, no, you have to pay 2/3 of the original price to have the whole uk. I think it is time they allowed us to buy updates per area online. end of gripe