C-MAP: Boating

• Free to download
• In-app purchases

Last verified 31 Jul 2026

4.5 2346 ratings · App Store

1. 2/5Dangerous

   I am desperate to find a replacement for the greedy Navionics (now Garmin) Boating app so I’ve been trying out everything I can find. I had a delivery yesterday and decided to sign up for the trial subscription to test it out. I couldn’t believe how ridiculous the route it chose was. It ignored navigation aids and channel markers and directed me into dangerous waters and completely unnecessary directions out of the way. At several points it even had me going outside a navigation marker and right over a shallow rocky area! I can’t believe this could happen in a modern navigation app. Other than having ZERO trust in the safety of it’s “auto routing”, I liked the app. I wish it had a little more guidance as to how to use it (the help section goes to a dead website). It doesn’t automatically follow your boat when you’re on a route and there isn’t any clear indication that it is actually FOLLOWING a route. My first chart plotter used C-map cartridges and that was more than 20 years ago. You’d think they could figure this stuff out by now. It’s not quite ready for prime time.

   rtln · 31 Jul 2026

2. 5/5Professional Guidance Needs Professional Tools

   As a professional running a guide service in the Inland Northwest, the importance of accurate and reliable navigation tools cannot be overstated. C-Map has proven to be an effective and valuable part of my daily operations, however, its functionality could be expanded to better serve professionals in the field. The app’s current reliance on the built-in GPS of tablets and phones can be limiting, especially for professionals like myself who depend on the superior accuracy and reliability of external GPS units. The addition of support for external GPS devices would greatly enhance its usefulness. Equally important to me, as a professional, is the ability to use NMEA data from my boat’s internal network. Incorporating the ability to utilize this data would allow for greater interoperability with existing systems, as the coordinates from the external GPS are broadcast in NMEA format. Despite these areas for improvement, C-Map continues to be a reliable app that I frequently use and recommend. I hope that in the future, developers will consider these enhancements, thereby making the app an even more indispensable tool for professionals in the maritime industry. In its current state, I would rate C-Map at 3.5 out of 5 stars, but with these improvements, I am confident it would easily earn a perfect score. Until then, I will continue to utilize and support C-Map, eagerly awaiting these crucial upgrades.

   Brand1111111 · 31 Jul 2026

3. 1/5Sloooow download speed, not enough detail.

   If you are using it in an area with high speed cell signal it might be fine. But if you need to download charts because you plan to be out of cell/WiFi coverage (like offshore Mexico) save your money or give yourself a few days to download charts. I am currently on day 2 of downloading less than a gigabyte of chart data on a high speed cable connection- apparently connected to a low speed C-Map server. I also run Navionics software and can easily download the entire pacific coast of Mexico and the US in minutes. Currently going on 36 hrs just to download Baja Mexico on CMap. Tolerating it now just to see how long it actually takes. My advice - go to Navionics. Having finally downloaded the charts, it is clear that they are fine for commercial shipping from major port to major port, but useless for coastal cruising and anchoring anywhere in coastal Mexico and Central America. Don’t know about the rest of the world but popular anchorages and small yacht marinas don’t even exist on C-Map charts of these areas. Save your money and use Navionics charts if you plan to sail beyond major ports and harbors outside the US.

   S/V Rhapsody · 31 Jul 2026

4. 1/5Lost a star

   I was going to leave 3 stars and submit constructive feedback from the form in the app, but the feedback form errored out and then disabled the submit button so the feedback I spent 5+ minutes writing was all for nothing. Here's a shorter version: the automatically expanding menu when you select or deselect a spot on the map is incredibly annoying. This "feature" makes maps extremely difficult to use quickly and to explore local lakes because the map constantly expands and contracts and I'm costs tky fighting with the ui just to explore a freaking lake. The broken feedback functionality within the app cost you another two stars. The maps are decent and there's plenty of features, but the annoying auto-show menu combined with the broken feedback function has left me unhappy with an otherwise decent app. Fix the menu interaction bug and fix the feedback form and I'll give you guys some stars back. Until then I would consider this app's interface far too annoying to use effectively.

   Markh142 · 31 Jul 2026

5. 5/5Best looking charts available

   Embark has quickly become my favorite charts app. The cartography is top-notch and takes full advantage of a high resolution display. Updates are frequent, and the dev team is amazingly responsive. There are still some features I’d love to see (tidal currents, make it easier to find tide stations other than the closest and predictions farther out than a few days, track export), but they are continuously improving and I keep looking forward to seeing update notifications. I just hooked my B&G MFD up to my account, and I’m loving the way that tracks and routes sync. That feature plus the solid auto-routing make planning a joy- no more standing at the helm fighting the smaller screen and less responsive touchscreen! Instead I can do my planning sitting in an easy chair at home while anticipating the trip! Hats off to the devs for an app that is truly a joy to use!

   zenmoto · 31 Jul 2026

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