If I navigate to waters covered by the expired subscription and select a rectangle of charts for Navionics to download it will correctly indicate that I need to purchase a subscription to get the charts I need. I also showed that the “Update Maps” feature indicated all of my charts are up to date. Caveat: Expired SubscriptionsĮarlier I showed you subscriptions that had expired months ago. Still, if this were a real passage I would do the remainder of my passage planning disconnected from the internet so that I would discover and download any missing charts. Lastly I verify charts for Portland.Īt this point I’m satisfied that I have downloaded up to date charts for the passage from Portland to Cape May Harbor. Then I check an area that wasn’t downloaded in our initial route scouting: Nantucket island. I spot check our destination, Cape May Harbor. South of the rectangle selected Navionics has no detailed data to render charts further north we have detailed charts and you can see watch as Navionics renders them. Scrolling north you can see the border where my download ended. Zooming in to a dark, not yet downloaded area confirms that navionics is no longer connected to the internet and shows you what it looks like when detailed charts are not available. Here I just disable wifi and I can see that my phone is in airplane mode and offline. Now it’s time to check our workĭisconnect the app from the internet. Otherwise you click “Update” to download updated charts. If your CURRENTLY SUBSCRIBED charts are up to date Navionics gives you this prompt.
This one is simple – just click “Menu > Update Maps“
Once I’ve downloaded the new charts I force Navionics to update charts downloaded previously I err on the side of downloading more than I think I’ll needĪgain note Navionics lightens the map in areas where charts have been downloaded Place the rectangle over some or all of the charts you need an click download to store the charts locally. Navionics then prompts you to download charts one rectangular region at a time.Īs you zoom out you’ll find that Navionics limits the amount of charts you can download at one time by limiting the size of the rectangle. Next up you is the most obvious step: you download the charts. If you don’t plan on sailing in the US you should follow along in a region where you’ve purchased a subscription. If you haven’t previously purchased charts you’ll have to go to ‘add region’ and select USA or US and Canada and click on the price to purchase the region. You can see I have a few expired chart regions but the one we need for this passage, US and Canada, is current. Next you must verify the chart subscriptions you need are current. I also regularly have chart updates that exceed a gigabyte so whenever possible I use wifi for Navionics chart downloads! In a pinch I’ve definitely used cellular data to download charts I needed. Notice Navionics lightens the areas where detailed charts are downloaded Once I know the route of a passage the process is as follows: You can observe the same thing at Cape May Harbor
When connected to the internet Navionics will download charts that you’re subscribed to on demand as you pinch and drag around Notice how Navionics downloads the charts after we zoom in to Portland. You swipe and pinch to move about the globe in Navionics, similar to any other map app The process itself is applicable to any chartplotter app.įor demonstration we’ll use a passage from Portland, ME to the Cape May Harbor, NJ I’m going to go through this process in Navionics because, one, I use it and, two, it’s the most popular smartphone chartplotting app.
This video will demonstrate how I ensure I have necessary offline charts before a passage.