Bruce Angus of Plymouth based Navionics UK said, 'The great impact of using Platinum charts is really evident when you're on the water. The ability to easily combine the navigational information of Gold Charts with a top-down photo immediately shows where coastal developments, jetties, and marinas have been built but do not yet show up on paper charts.

The 3D bathymetric presentation portrays a unique 3D rendering of your location that will be very important to fishermen, divers and navigators.

'The Piloting Book Library is an electronic version of books published by the British Admiralty with information important to navigators in coastal waters. These volumes provide information that is not on nautical charts, including channel descriptions, anchorages, bridge and cable clearances, currents, tide and water levels, prominent features, pilotage, towage, weather, wharf descriptions, dangers, routes, traffic separation schemes, small craft facilities, and regulations applicable to navigation. This information is geo-referenced to open at the paragraph pertaining to the boat's location, or any chapter can be referenced through the index.'

Platinum combines source data from public, private and Navionics proprietary databases organised efficiently on a single 2GB CF or SD plug and play cartridge. It has been developed with an architecture which enables the rich data content to be displayed on inexpensive marine plotters.

Navionics Platinum XL3 charts will be available this summer for areas such as Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

MJ Information No: 20799