Yesterday Garmin introduced its new ActiveCaptain app for Android. ActiveCaptain interfaces with your boat's Garmin chartplotter, providing you with a 2nd screen companion that gives you access to all your charts and maps, as well as feeding things like notifications back the other way. With the new app, you can plan your next trip on your phone and sync it over to your boat's chartplotter later. 

Buy charts, check waypoints, and download maps.

At first glance, it might seem superfluous to have access to your Garmin chartplotter while you're already, well, next to it. But it's able to sync your notifications, so if you're on the water and your phone is safely stowed away, you'll still be able to see when a call or text comes in.

Off the water is where it really shines, though. You can purchase charts before a trip, put together navigational waypoints, and check out maps (of both waterways and marinas). You can do it all from your phone throughout the day, planning your trip ahead of time before later syncing things back to your boat.

It should be tremendously convenient for planning trips ahead of time. There is community-generated content via the ActiveCaptain community so you can see reported hazards and POIs in an area that might not be included on your maps. You can even use the app to deliver updates, eliminating the need for the tedious SD card update process.

The ActiveCaptain app is compatible with Garmin's ECHOMAP Plus 6cv, 7cv, 7sv and 9sv; STRIKER Plus 7cv, 7sv and 9sv;  GPSMAP 7×2/9×2, 10×2/12×2, 7400/7600, 8000/8200 and the 8400/8600 series. If you have a compatible Garmin device, you can check it out over on Google Play.

Garmin ActiveCaptain® Developer: Garmin
Price: Free
3.9
Download

Source: Garmin