I have just about every navigation app there is on my iPad's. I need them to let customers play with so they can decide what app they prefer to use as a secondary or tertiary navigation tool.
The hands down winner they choose most often, after using them, is Transas iSailor. A lot of people assume iSailor is a
bit player but the parent company, Transas, has been a global leader in shipping navigation & bridge management systems for years. Transas is not a "
bit player" at all.. With all the nav apps available on my iPad, the one I go to most is iSailor. It's also the one most of my customers choose when they get to use them all side by side.
Some still choose Navionics, and of course Garmin Blue Chart for Active Captain, but Blue Chart Mobile is not really a full featured nav app and is really intended as a planning app.
What I like with iSailor is the simple clean nature and the well drawn NOAA feel vector charts. No matter where I have gone, or done a delivery, the iSailor charts have been spot on and in many cases a more accurate rendering than Garmin or Navionics.
Also, in course up, everything displays perfectly, including text & soundings. Navionics, for example, will not rotate text, just the chart, a real PITA for when you may prefer to run a course up view. There really is no excuse for this with Navionics in this day and age.
In general I am not a fan of the Navionics chart renderings. Still trying to figure out where the little pink "
Peeps" are shown in
Chart #1.....
None of these apps are perfect in every aspect but for myself, and most of my customers, they prefer iSailor over the others.
Disclaimer: I would never suggest and I am not suggesting the use of an iPad as your primary (only) means of electronic navigation.