Maptech Chartbooks?

Da Nag

Da Nag

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Staff member
Any of you ever use the Maptech Waterproof Chartbooks? In particular, I'm looking at the San Juan Island and Puget Sound editions.

They seem to get pretty good reviews in the newsgroups, and I like the form factor (12" x 17".) They would seem to be much easier to work with (and stow) in the relatively small 22 cabin, and at $50 a pop, they seem pretty reasonable given the detail they include.

Opinions?
 
Bill, We have found the waterproof chartbook of the San Jaun's more than adequate--they are the only paper charts we have & highly recommend them.
 
I have the Maptech San Juans book, and am going to pick up the Puget Sound book Real Soon Now...like you say, they are a convenient size, comprehensive and waterproof - what more could you ask for? For me a chart book is sort of questionable however, as I rely almost totally (sorry, you old mariners) on my Garmin 188C and my Garmin GPSMAP76 for backup. I am in trouble if the guvmint turns off the satellites, but otherwise I am covered...I tried using compass and charts - problem is that you have to recognize some landmarks in order to fix position, and it seems one green island looks pretty much like another (except Speiden, which looks like what we imagine Ireland would look like). But we always have the chartbooks open and try to track where we are and where we are headed. The Maptechs are the cat's meow (eh, Brock?) for local charts.
Da Nag":1n6ybgld said:
Any of you ever use the Maptech Waterproof Chartbooks? In particular, I'm looking at the San Juan Island and Puget Sound editions.

They seem to get pretty good reviews in the newsgroups, and I like the form factor (12" x 17".) They would seem to be much easier to work with (and stow) in the relatively small 22 cabin, and at $50 a pop, they seem pretty reasonable given the detail they include.

Opinions?
Click to expand...
 
I have a similar maptech product called a chartkit. It isn't waterproof, but it has wider coverage than the chartbook (coverage area "Pacific Northwest". It covers Puget sound and the San Juan's.) One thing I've noticed about the chartkit, and I don't know if this holds true for the chartbook, is that it's coverage is based on U.S. charts, and it doesn't have detailed coverage of Candian waters. If you cross the boundery, you'll still need Canadian charts. Jim
 
Hi Bill, looks like you have made up your mind. I have also both of the Maptech books and like them alot. They are about 50 bucks each at West Marine.

When I/we venture up to Canada will need to find something small for that area. Don't know if Maptech makes one that takes in the area above they San Juan book. Have't seen one yet.
 
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