Trojan Boat Forum

Since I'm mainly a northern, freshwater boater on the Rideau Lakes, Great Lakes and the St Lawrence River - Thousand Islands region - I have little need for the ActiveCaptain.com site except as an entertainment venue. I have spend a lot of probably wasted but quite happy hours charting the ICW route using downloaded Active Captain software - with it's charts, navigation aids, Alerts and Marina Descriptions/comments. Someday, I hope to make that run south but I'll need something with diesels.

I haven't noticed much comment about Active Captain on our forum and just wondered what you all think of it. Does anyone along the east coast use it? It would seem a valuable tool what with the shifting tendencies of the shoaling sections along the ICW and for info re: fueling and anchorages. But what the heck do I know?

BTW - I plan on taking a run across the eastern end of Lake Ontario this summer, from Kingston to Oswego. Then I thought that we'd lock down the Oswego River to it's junction with the Seneca River (at Three Rivers) whereupon we'd hang a left and cruise east to Lake Oneida, then sail across it to Sylvan Beach on it's eastern shore (this is all located on the middle section of the Erie Canal.) Sylvan Beach is a good spot to take a few days off, good eats and marina (apparently) - then reverse direction for home. It's looks like a two week excursion and something to look forward to, but will also depend on a weather window across Lake Ontario (both ways)

I might also add that my proposed trip to Oswego and points further south, will depend on whether a Trojan Event occurs this summer, somewhere up on the Trent System (Youngs Point etc.) If that "get together" becomes reality, we'll cruise up there instead and postpone the Oswego run for a year.

I have used it but don't really care for it .

I used the app on my phone as well as desk top. I mainly use it as a guide for places of interest. I haven't used it for cruising yet but local info on approaches to harbors, inlets, etc. should be valuable. I also started using AC's eboatcards along with some members of our club.
I also use another of their app, DragQueen, for anchor alarm.

If Paul had a smart phone, he'd probably have the apps. Paul, 2007 called...they want that old flip phone back.

Stripermann2 wrote:I used the app on my phone as well as desk top. I mainly use it as a guide for places of interest. I haven't used it for cruising yet but local info on approaches to harbors, inlets, etc. should be valuable. I also started using AC's eboatcards along with some members of our club.
I also use another of their app, DragQueen, for anchor alarm.

If Paul had a smart phone, he'd probably have the apps. Paul, 2007 called...they want that old flip phone back.

I TOLD YOU ITS MINE !!! And you can't have it

Just started playing with around with the app. Seems pretty interesting. Would bet interested in what others think about it, both pro's and cons?

Here's the site since it wasn't mentioned...
https://activecaptain.com/index.php

Found AC useful going down Long Island sound, and then up the Hudson to Lake Champlain this summer, particularly if I had my laptop out in the evening.

However, for the detail it provides, I found the paper chart, and of course a really good cruising guide for the waters travelled, far more useful.... For this summer, I'm going to load charts and tides to my ipad mini, which fits perfectly on the lower helm, connected to a Bluetooth gps receiver like this one below....

http://www.sportys.com/PilotShop/product/19251

but I must admit, I do like the paper cruising guide.....

G

Hi George,

As near as I can tell, the features associated with the Active Captain Site that I thought unique and possibly useful, initiate at Norfolk, Virginia and southward, following the official Intercoastal Waterway (ICW.) .......... at least, that's how it's downloaded on my laptop. If there are Alerts, Anchorages, Updates and Marina Critiques for locations north of Norfolk, Virginia - I certainly don't have them on my laptop.

This means that for the geographical area that your referred to (New York and northward along the Hudson) the AC site would simply be reproducing our paper charts.

I suppose that I introduced this topic mainly because I had recently paid a whack of money for my new chart plotter and chip, yet there is also technology being developed out there that might put RayMarine and Lowrance out of business in the shorter term. Thoughts??

Secondly, is there anyone out there from the Great Lakes region who has cruised to Oswego and then down to Lake Oneida and back, just for the fun of it?? I'd welcome any comments. Thanks.

Sylvan Beach is a nice place to spend a day or two. Just be carefull crossing the lake...... check and heed the weather forcast especially when a westerly breeze is forcast. Our lake is very shallow, and can turn nasty in a heartbeat. Stay in the marked channel for the crossing, as it is also full of mid lake shoals. If the weather doesn't allow for a crossing, there is plenty to do at the western end in Brewerton.

I use it extensively in US waters..... not for navigation but for preparation (recent boater reported hazards on my planned route such as shoaling), anchorages and shore access points close to supermarkets for re-provisioning.
I use Waterway guide for fuel pricing information....
Unfortunately since it is based on boater inputs the Canadian data is rather sparse.

NOTE: I use free apps on my Ipad which download the ActiveCaptain information for me to access while underway without the need for an Internet connection.

IMO based on my experience on the Inland Rivers, Gulf coast ICW there is no better resource around.

Unfortunately right now I'm sitting in a Second Cup on York Mills Rd, in Toronto...... brrr and I'm wearing boots!!
Looking forward to returning to Florida soon....

Michael,

Thanks for the input.

When you return to Punta Gorda, please take a little cruise over to Cabbage Key for lunch and leave some money on the wall - for all of us here who are stuck in these snowdrifts.

Cheers

Rick

rickalan35 wrote:Michael,

Thanks for the input.

When you return to Punta Gorda, please take a little cruise over to Cabbage Key for lunch and leave some money on the wall - for all of us here who are stuck in these snowdrifts.

Cheers

Rick

Did that last year when I first brought the President down from Alabama..... Will gladly go again and put one of the new Canajan plastic bills up. Might even look for the other bill....

Have the Active Captain App. Have not used it for navigation however we use the user information for local hazards and approaches to sandbars and marinas. We boat on the Mississippi River and this information is pretty useful. So far we like the App.