When people look up Google maps for boating, they want something familiar when navigating through the water. After all, Google Maps has established itself as the default tool for driving, walking, and mapping. However, boating is not the same as driving – the terrain changes all the time, there are no painted lanes, and dangers might lurk below the surface. That is why nautical charts are necessary. Yes, Google Maps will be useful for finding a marina or even getting some satellite pictures. Still, it does not contain the special marine information needed for a successful journey. Modern marine navigation software, like GPS Nautical Charts, integrates Google Maps' easy interface with high-quality nautical maps created for boating. Why Google Maps Falls Short for Boating Google Maps is designed for land transport. This app is perfect for road navigation, business locations, and traffic reports, but it lacks all the marine information that can help to navigate ...

Have you ever wondered where the Bab el-Mandeb strait is? Where the traffic lanes are on this body of water? How narrow it is and where are the lanes located with respect to Yemen and Djibouti coastlines. We have an interactive nautical chart viewer that covers the Bab al-Mandab Strait, clearly showing these features and more in detail. Bab el-Mandeb Nautical Chart Viewer Attached below is an image showing where different features are on the Bab el-Mandeb chart.

We are pleased to announce that ENC Charts covering Vietnam are now available. The new chart folio is available on all platforms - Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS. Vietnam Marine Charts Online I've included below a screenshot of what coverage looks like near Can Gio, Ho Chi Minh.

  Tampa Bay is one of the most active waterways in Florida. It consists of over 400 square miles of open water, channels, estuaries, and barrier islands. From heading to Egmont Key, fishing off the Skyway Bridge or navigating the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), boating safety requires knowledge of local waterways, tide changes, and navigation aids. The following Tampa Bay Boating Map Guide provides you with all the necessary information regarding navigation, dangers, launching spots, season changes, and chart plotting. If you use digital navigation, the i-Boating app by GPS Nautical Charts includes offline NOAA nautical charts, GPS navigation, route planning, and waypoint management, even with limited mobile coverage. Tampa Bay Boating at a Glance Category Key Information Best Time to Boat October through May for milder temperatures and calmer conditions Primary Navigation Charts NOAA nautical charts Major Waterways Tampa Bay, Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), Egmont Channel Common Hazar...

 Have you ever wondered where the traffic lanes are on strait of Hormuz and how they stand with respect to the Oman and Iranian coastlines. We have an interactive nautical chart viewer that clearly shows these details for Strait of Hormuz. Here is a link to the online chart that displays these details. Traffic lanes on Strait of Hormuz nautical chart In the chart, The arrow signs show where the lanes area The pink area between the lanes is the traffic separation zone. The entire area taken together is inside  the traffic separation scheme boundary (the pink dotted line)  Here is an annotated image for the same.

 We are pleased to announce that Explorer Charts ™  for Bahamas are available in the i-Boating application.  Whether you sail in Far Bahamas, Exumas or Near Bahamas, you now have access to reliable Explorer Charts ™  right from within the i-Boating app. Its available as part of two folios: Bahamas Bahamas & Caribbean  Bahamas charts are available in all platforms where i-Boating is supported including Android, iOS, Windows and MacOS. I've included below a screenshot for Marsh Harbour from the i-Boating app running on Android.

i-Boating app for Windows and MacOS was updated recently to add support for overlaying public land/parcel maps with ownership information for US. The update is available for i-Boating Windows and MacOS versions available directly from our website.  Please make sure to update to the latest version for these. Attached below are a few screenshots from the desktop version of i-Boating.