Overview

The Garmin BlueChart g3 Vision HD VUS515L is an electronic coastal chart covering the U.S. Gulf Coast from Brownsville, Texas to Plantation Key, Florida, including the Florida Keys west of Key Largo.

Along with navigation detail, it adds planning and visualization tools such as Auto Guidance route suggestions, Depth Range Shading for up to 10 depth ranges, and up to 1-foot contours in many areas for tighter bottom definition around channels, swamps, canals and marinas. In supported areas, relief shading and 3D views help make underwater structure easier to interpret at a glance.

This chart is used in a compatible Garmin chartplotter, and the storage card needs to remain inserted while you navigate so the chart data stays available.

Key features

• Coastal coverage from Brownsville, TX to Plantation Key, FL, including the Florida Keys west of Key Largo, plus inshore areas such as Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas and Lake Calcasieu
• Offshore bathymetric coverage across Gulf features from Vernon Basin to Alaminos Canyon, including areas such as DeSoto Canyon, Mississippi Canyon and Green Canyon
• Integrated Garmin and Navionics chart data for coastal navigation detail
• Auto Guidance route suggestions based on your entered depth and overhead clearance
• High-resolution relief shading in supported areas to make bottom structure easier to read than contour lines alone
• Depth Range Shading for up to 10 depth ranges, plus Shallow Water Shading at a user-set depth
• Up to 1-foot contours in many areas for clearer bottom detail when you are working close to shore or inside the ICW
• Satellite imagery, aerial photos and 3D MarinerEye and FishEye views for added context around ports, bridges and landmarks

Variants

This chart is offered in multiple formats depending on how you want to receive the data.

The chart region and on-screen features stay the same; the difference is whether the chart comes on a preloaded card or is downloaded to your own card.

• 010-C0744-00: Format microSD/SD. The chart comes on a preloaded data card that installs by inserting it into the chartplotter card slot.
• 010-D0502-00: Format Download. The chart is downloaded using Garmin Express and written to your own microSD/SD card before it is used in the chartplotter.

Coverage area

VUS515L includes detailed Gulf Coast coverage from Brownsville through Corpus Christi, Matagorda Bay, Galveston Bay and Port Arthur, across Atchafalaya Bay and the Mississippi Delta, then over to Tampa Bay and down through the Keys. It also includes inshore waters such as Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, Vermilion Bay and Lake Calcasieu, plus offshore structure across multiple Gulf canyon areas.

Compatibility and setup

This cartography is intended for compatible Garmin chartplotters and combo units that support BlueChart g3 Vision mapping and have a microSD or SD card slot. Keep the chart card inserted while the chart is in use.

Raster chart-style cartography is available as a free downloadable feature through the ActiveCaptain app. Some chartplotters do not display raster charts on the unit, even though they can be viewed on a mobile device in ActiveCaptain.

Using it on board

Auto Guidance generates a suggested route for planning based on the depth and overhead clearance you enter, and it should be checked against local conditions and standard safe navigation practices. Depth Range Shading and Shallow Water Shading are handy when you want your display to call out a target depth band or highlight shallow areas near passes, shoals and backcountry routes.

This chart suits coastal cruisers running the Gulf and Keys, anglers who lean on contour detail and bathymetry, and crews who like extra visual references when approaching marinas, bridges and unfamiliar harbor entrances.