C-Map NT chips to lend? Sell? Anyone?

[Doug Arey]

Hey all!

I'm new to this site, but am impressed so far with the interesting and useful (as well as some useless but fun) information I've been reading.

I was wondering if anyone knew of a forum for lending or renting, or buying used equipment such as C-Map chips for chartplotters. I just purchased a boat in Bay City, Michigan, and am planning to sail it home to Massachusetts in the spring via the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence, and then around Nova Scotia, and down the coast to Mass. I can only imagine that this will be a one-time excursion, so I am hesitant to purchase all of the navigation chips needed for my chartplotter that will cover the entire trip (close to $1,000!) only to be used one time.

Do folks on this site ever lend out their equipment to each other? I would be interested in buying used chips that cover the areas as well, if anyone has any they'd like to unload. Perhaps someone else has been in the same situation, or has sailed the Great Lakes or the St. Lawrence in the past and has C-Map data chips for the area they can't imagine ever using again.

Any help, thoughts, links, or advice (preferably the useful kind!) will be greatly appreciated.

Doug

 

[Deadhead]

Get Paper Charts Too

Even if you can beg, borrow or steal the electronic version I would make sure to have the paper versions aboard. Ross has posted a good link for charts many times. Search the archives to find the link.

Enjoy the trip!

 

[seadaddler]

C-Map

I don't know how many chips you need but if you buy maybe one for say $199.00 and than you can trade it in for a new needed area.
Also go on their web site and check I think they have some kind of renting and upgrading system,it's been a while since I used C-Map for my raymarine.
Nick

 

[Ross]

Re: C-Map

http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/GreatLakesBookletCharts.htm
http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/AtlanticCoastBookletCharts.htm

You just can't get free charts from Canada But if you turn right at the Richelieu River and go down through lake Champlain anf the Hudson river you can use NOAA charts.

 

[sailaway78]

Lots of Cmap chips

There are a usually quite a few C map chart chips on ebay. Take a look, probably something you can use. Some of them go pretty cheep.

 

[Patrick17430]

I have one of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf Coast) I'll sell ya for $100. Shoot me a PM if you're interested.

 

[Doug Arey]

Re: C-Map

Thanks so much for this, Ross! These charts are perfect. I didn't know they were available like that for the taking. We're putting them on a disk to bring to Staples for printing. That was a substantial savings. Thanks again!
- Doug

 

[Doug Arey]

Re: Get Paper Charts Too

Thanks D. I think I have most of the paper charts I need now via Ross. I agree that one shouldn't depend entirely on electronics for navigation, but it never hurts to be reminded.

 

[Ross]

Re: Get Paper Charts Too

The only complaint I have with the chart booklets is they don't label Lat and Lon on each page.

 

[BobM]

Call Jeppesen

They are pretty reasonable. Plus, I believe that you need less chips than you think. Their Club gets you one annual upgrade for $79/year, if I recall correctly. I wouldn't pay more than $40 for a used one unless the data is pretty current. Maybe they will cut you a deal for a one time use. Personally I wouldn't want to rely on data older than three years, no matter what the savings.

Are you aware that there are chart books available that span large regions? Personally I have only used Maptech, but had no issues with doing so beyond the fact that the larger non-waterproof edition I borrowed was cumbersome. The smaller waterproof edition was nice, but harder to read due to font limitations.

You definitely need paper to go along with C-Map or if you use lap top charts that is fine, but realize there are times when you are doing strategic planning when the small screen of a gps is limiting. Be sure to get the tide charts for critical areas. Stop in Mahone Bay Nova Scotia for sure. It is beautiful.

 

[BobM]

They are pretty reasonable. Plus, I believe that you need less chips than you think. Their Club gets you one annual upgrade for $79/year, if I recall correctly. I wouldn't pay more than $40 for a used one unless the data is pretty current. Maybe they will cut you a deal for a one time use. Personally I wouldn't want to rely on data older than three years, no matter what the savings.

Are you aware that there are chart books available that span large regions? Personally I have only used Maptech, but had no issues with doing so beyond the fact that the larger non-waterproof edition I borrowed was cumbersome. The smaller waterproof edition was nice, but harder to read due to font limitations.

You definitely need paper to go along with C-Map or if you use lap top charts that is fine, but realize there are times when you are doing strategic planning when the small screen of a gps is limiting. Be sure to get the tide charts for critical areas. Stop in Mahone Bay Nova Scotia for sure. It is beautiful.

In 2005, C-MAP by Jeppesen produced a new NT+ library with even larger coverage areas than the earlier versions of NT+. Earlier cards may cover smaller regions. When I bought an upgrade, via their Club Jeppesen for $79/year, I got a card that covered the entire region I needed where prior to 2005 I probably would have needed multiple cards for the same region. 800-424-2627 is their number for their office on Cape Cod. Before discounting them, I'd call them to see what they are willing to do to help you out in this one time situation. You might be pleasantly surprised. On the other hand, if you are not, there are many options now and C-map cards seem to be a little old school these days. A Garmin 421 is only $400 these days. The screen is a bit small, but likely brighter than what you have now. The base maps it comes with are likely equivalent to what you have now and no cards are necessary. It also takes bluechart G2 cards, which are regional and expensive but take GPS to a whole new level with satellite images of areas (you can literally see a satellite shot of the marina...but you can do that with goolemaps too). I have a couple of friends that bought them and I can get more detail from them if you like. That is likely the route I would go before buying a bunch of NT+ cards for my old chart plotter. I am only continuing to use it because it came with the boat and I am trying to limit my sailing budget...which is a challenge because there is some deferred maintenance on every old boat.

Congrats on the new boat. Have fun varnishing!

 

[Doug Arey]

Hey Bob,
Thanks! I did contact Jeppesen, and was pleasently surprised by their rent-a-chip program. That was a great lead, and it looks like it is going to meet most of our needs, so thanks a bunch! I recently heard about these new Garmins you wrote about. I may look into them in the future as well so that I can have a GPS unit at the helm (whereas the current Raymarine Radar/Pathfinder is at the nav station). With the rented chips I should be able to get my boat from Michigan to Masachcusetts, and that's about all I can afford for this season.