It's that time of the year when I, like many sailors, am making summer cruising plans. So on one rainy day recently I was poring over my electronic charts of areas I'd like to visit and realized I have so many devices now (for the tests I run of apps and software) that I need to be more selective of what resources I use when cruising. Basic chartplotter and navigation functions are, for most coastal cruisers, not a big issue any more, as many different apps and programs now provide the needed functionality. What I realized I really wanted, however, was to have ActiveCaptain always at my fingertips to check out anchorage choices, find the best marina to refuel or get water, etc. - and I don't want to have to depend on connectivity at the time. (For those who don't know about the online ActiveCaptain Interactive Cruising Guidebook, check it out - it's a terrific resource for cruisers.)
ActiveCaptain is built into several different navigation apps, but I dislike having to read text on a small screen (on a rocking boat, in the rain, etc.). It's easier to browse information like this on a laptop, but again I don't want to need connectivity or put up with slower 3G download times using the online version. So I have switched my laptop chartplotter program to Polar Navy, which can download the entire ActiveCaptain database for offline use. I have a Bluetooth GPS receiver for the laptop, which makes it even easier to see my boat's position on a chart overlaid with points of information from ActiveCaptain. That feature alone for me justifies the purchase of Polar Navy at a much lower cost than most software navigation packages. If you're in the same boat, check it out!