Chartplotter

A chartplotter is an electronic navigation display that combines GPS position data with digital nautical charts, allowing a vessel’s location, course, speed, routes, and waypoints to be viewed in real time. On sailboats, powerboats, and commercial vessels, it is the central screen for practical pilotage and passage navigation.

For boaters, a chartplotter improves situational awareness by showing hazards, depths, channels, marks, and planned tracks relative to the boat’s live position. When integrated with GPS, AIS, and Radar, it helps monitor traffic, avoid collision risks, and navigate safely in reduced visibility or unfamiliar waters.

Chartplotters are most effective when used alongside current weather and routing information. PredictWind forecasts, GRIB data, tides, and Weather Routing can support route decisions before departure, while onboard connectivity through DataHub can feed navigation data, tracking, and vessel performance information into the wider onboard system.