PRO CHARTS - Marine Navigation Reviews

I’ve had PROCHARTS for 16 months and have kept it on my IPad as a backup to Navionics on my chartplotter. It’s in a nutshell just a GPS overlay on NOAA charts. You have to select the areas on the map that you would like to download, and even after downloading the screen will go half blank randomly while underway. Most chart downloads are dated info, and zooming in for detail the chart generally just disappears, leaving you to find the bottom with your keel. For all intensive purposes I guess it’s ok as a backup, but nothing compared to Navionics, and cannot safely rely on it for navigation. If your looking for an accurate, up to date, and reliable product, this isn’t it.

Using PROCHARTS for the first time, I found it to be reasonably user friendly, but some features were difficult or impossible to use. I am writing this as a review because the “support” button does not work.

1) The boat icon’s direction is tied to the compass, not the actual track. As you move the phone, the icon turns. It is only correct when the phone is exactly aligned with the center line of the vessel.

2) Tried using the route feature with mixed success. Creating the route was straightforward, but when trying to edit or select a route, the list appeared to have a font of white on white. Same with other fields in PROCHARTS such as editing a waypoint name. Finally had to give up on routes and use “navigate to point “ repeatedly.

Used on an iPhone 8.

PROCHARTS has potential, but is not at the quality of a paid app yet.

Downloaded a used the two week free trial. I liked it for the most part. Once the trial was over I subscribed to continue using. It failed to work and kept trying to sell the subscription (I had paid for a year through iTunes). I tried logging out and logging back in and received network errors and time outs. iPad turned off and on, still failed to login. Sent a message to support and haven’t received an answer. Deleted and canceled membership. Potential is lost.

Why sell an app and put out the illusion that you are in business when it takes you weeks to reply to simple questions, if you bother to reply at all?
I had hundreds of waypoints to import that were converted by GPS Visualizer to 8 digits for the fractions after the period - the instructions for PROCHARTS show 6 digits. Do I need to round or truncate the 8 digits? Can you import tracks? None of which matter now as I cancelled and deleted PROCHARTS . What an inconsiderate time waster.

Been using PROCHARTS for 5 yrs. I teach ASPS marine piloting and use PROCHARTS for demonstration as well as navigation out on the big water in our boat. And tech support o Is great!

I tried. I really did. Made purchase and cannot use app. I tried to create an account and login to account inky to get time out error. I tried to restore purchase— nothing. When I try to use premium features, app error says I need premium subscription — which I have and have confirmation email saying I’m subscribed. and the circle continues. Going to have to bail. If they can’t get this right can I trust that it’ll get me from Long Island to Connecticut? Cant take the chance.

I downloaded PROCHARTS prior to our first coastal cruising venture on our Catalina 22 sailboat. I found it much easier to read than our handheld Garmin unit. I’m still learning how to use all of the features and plan on visiting the full website for full instructions on how to use all of the features.

The trial version worked perfectly and PROCHARTS was pretty solid. Upon paying for my yearly subscription PROCHARTS would constantly mention that my trial subscription was over and that I had to purchase a subscription even though I had already done so. I ended up purchasing the Boating app which worked perfectly from the start.

I recently updated PROCHARTS because it started bugging out after being a long time user with a great experience, but then I renewed my subscription and a “request timed out” window kept popping up after the recent update, so now I’m cancelling my subscription and never using PROCHARTS again. Do not download PROCHARTS. Recent updates have broken it.

Would be a lot better if there were depths charted on the map similar to navionics As a charter guide I’d love to use these maps but I need to have the depth variations so I can judge whether to run to different depths or stay put. I absolutely love PROCHARTS but sadly because of the depth issue it’s hard for me to continue.

I was on the lake. Needed to renew subscription. Did so. Got confirmation from Apple. Application said all set. Tried to use chart overlay. App says I need a subscription. I’m on the lake you dumbbells. I need this to work. You lost me as a customer. Cancelling. You stink! Want to contact me? Sorry, maybe you need a better way of contacting you. Pfffft. On to the next thing.

The gps location on my boat is on the money. Thanks

No cway in app to cancel. No response from customer service. GPS ERRATIC! Ship icon jumps around every 10 sec. or so, ans jumps cancel my subscription 1/2 to 1 mile. Not just a few feet. Still trying to get a refund. File complaint with iTunes where it is billed.

I only use this in the summer. so after a summer of hard fishing and a lot of stored data it’s gone the next year because I forgot my login credentials and there is absolutely no customer support glad I wasted 4 buck a month for nothing

App seems buggy. I’m a professional software developer and couldn’t figure out how to look at a chart at all - the view kept going back to satellite view. I ended up paying for another app instead.

Canceling your subscription is virtually impossible. I’ve contacted the company twice. Tried to cancel before the free trail period was up. Nope. Their directions do not make sense. I can’t figure it out. So I guess I’m paying 2.99 a month until I get help. They got me!!

Best. I use this over my gps and radar electronics on boat

I have been trying to download charts for a few days. I am trying to download the St Lawrence River. I have repeatedly tried to do this download but it does not give me the complete down load. Even befor the download the chart is incomplete. Support button does NOT work.

Paid for the monthly subscription but PROCHARTS is not updating to reflect this. I am not able to use many features and I have to wasted time and money on this.

All I want is to download an area, and have my depth contours and hazards mapped. All I can see is Google Maps type images, and can not find how to get bathymetry. Can't anyone make something as useful as the old Navionics?

I tested several Mac apps and this one was the best... last year. This year too many problems and yes I am using the same phone. The icon is too big and does not point on your heading. Some areas of downloaded map are just blank. Very poor when zooming in or out.

Decent but often freezes and every time I try to contact support I never receive a response

Please don’t charge my account twice for this service. I’m on auto renew and my credit was shut off. It’s now back on. Please don’t bill me twice. Thanks

Once you restore the purchase it works until you close PROCHARTS . Then everything goes back to square one. I downloaded maps and then it was gone too.

I can’t truly rate this with a high rating until I can get it to work properly.

Please fix it!

Thanks.

First page will not let me create an account. Says “invalid login”. I want to like PROCHARTS but so far it’s just irritated me.

I downloaded PROCHARTS and I’m assuming it’s trying to get me to buy the subscription but there’s absolutely zero text above the “learn more” and “dismiss”

Subscription fees are debited like clockwork but PROCHARTS fails to allow access to charts. Waste of money and frustration on the water.
Buy a handheld map!!!

Frozen screen when we needed it and very difficult to cancel . Super frustrating

Navigates in straight lines across land and no way to cancel! I will contact Apple to get my money back. How is there seriously no way to cancel??!!!!

Horrible app that gives no useful information. Do not Buy!!!

Frozen .. can't log into app .. no way to cancel .. stealing people's money!

None

PROCHARTS is not free — $30/yr.

Over the past few months I have tinkered with several charting apps available ranging from free to upwards of $30 and I have come to the conclusion that simple charts is by far the easiest to use and most complete app available. PROCHARTS is the perfect compliment to my onboard system and functions smoothly as I go in and out of cellular or Internet service. As the name indicates is fairly easy to operate and the learning curve is low as I compare it to most of the others. The feature set is much more than I anticipated and caters very well to my needs. The documentation is on the light side but I found the FAQ section useful, the support email allowed me to contact the developers and get the remaining questions I had answered. I was pleasantly surprise at the quick turnaround on the email and the tone and level of detail provided led me to believe they actually cared. highly recommended.

Very impressed with PROCHARTS . We have taken it along on a handful of trips down the ICW from southern VA to Key Largo. The instruments panel including location, speed, distance, etc has matched my garmin installed onboard in every instance that they were side by side. Love the detail in the raster charts rather than the electronic charts on the garmin much more appealing to look at. My wife and I really enjoyed the course export functionality that allowed us to share our course with friends which has come in handy.

Really like PROCHARTS and have already gotten more than $10 worth of enjoyment out of it. Hopefully the developers will continue to add new features. We requested several features which we would find useful and think others on the water would as well. They stated that they would be adding these features to a list of enhancements they have planned so time will tell if they get added.