You can download Coast Pilots for free at
http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/nsd/cpdownload.htm
Light Lists at
http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pubs/LightLists
Tides and Currents actually come from Nobeltec as part of VNS
The Softcharts are raster scanned copies of the NOAA charts, just like Maptech,
and should be identical for the same edition. They do use a different color
scheme, similar to the ECDIS colors in the Passport charts. I like being able
to define my own collection of charts I want to download and buying them at a
package discount-I bought a number of Mexico charts from Softcharts that way. I
haven't tried the Softcharts Photo Navigator charts that compete with the
Maptech photo overlays. I also have a set of the Passport Charts (Region 12)
and find so much data is missing that I don't use them at all for coastal
navigation. Very disappointed in them and would not buy again.
"Ray D" rayd at gis.net wrote:

I got the same information but they didn't tell me when. I doubt if
Nobeltec would provide a patch for anything earlier than version 7.
It makes good marketing sense for Nobeltec to position their Passport Charts
over Maptech. They are offering a trade in discount for Maptech CD's over
the next couple of months.
The SoftChart stuff works and the resolution dosen't suck but I would like
to have the marine, currents, tides, places, coast pilot, etc. information
provided by Maptech.

...I called Nobeltec and they will be supporting the
BSB v4.0 CD's - you just need to know the right person to ask. There are
plenty of other applications that support the new CD's too.