October 15th, 2007

If you want to learn more about Electronic Navigation look what these two companies have to offer

Maritime navigation

Starpath

GPS sources

GPS PS-757

PS-757 Solar energy Bluetooth GPS data logger. This unit will be able to show you where you have been or it has been. You can download the data to a PC and track your route on Google Earth. Check this review

BT-338

This Bluetooth GPS makes for wireless GPS information for your laptop software . Bluetooth technology is in your cell phone wireless headset and has the ability to send and receive through solid objects, so you can have it below deck and not need an antenna, $144. 

BU-353

For $80 and in a very small package you can use this waterproof GPS receiver for your laptop. Many applications as this can attach to your laptop, power book, ibooks USB port and its small enough for convenience in storing and has a non slip base.

Ocean Navigator

They have many articles on charts and Navigation online. Some are free while others require subscription.

Charting software Sources©

When choosing Electronic charting one of the decisions to be made is to use a PC or a Chartplotter. 

Here we look at Electronic Navigation from a marine PC. We look at what you will need equipment wise and the various alternatives from Software suppliers. There are many software options and there are too many to cover all of them, but these should represent the best. We will add others at a later date when the come up.

We also give you a couple of sources to get training on electronic charts and see what's in the future.

Article Overview and quick links

We discuss some of the additional benefits of electronic charting and the downside.

You will need to know the difference between a raster chart and a vector chart

What do you need to run chart software for navigation onboard.

You will need a Computer (see hardware requirements below). You will need a GPS source, which can be the existing instruments onboard or you can use a standalone dedicated GPS.

Then you will need to choose one of the software options below and then you will need to find charts for the area you will be boating in.

Then we show you what new developments are in the future.

Additional benefits

One of the big advantages of using a PC or a mini plus monitor is that you can display many other items not just the charts. You can overlay radar, AIS, Weather and the boats instruments speed depth etc. You can even watch movies. Position the screen so It can be seen from the salon or have it swing on a ram mount.

To handle all the cables and sensors you can use a multiplexer. This is one example from Actisense.

Typically a multiplexer can handle 4 NMEA cables and will provide RS232 and USB connections.

You can also use a remote waterproof display that can be used on deck and connect to the boats system via wireless connection. You can get these displays touch screen also.

This one from Argonaut is less than $1,000 and uses a wireless mouse.

This one is by Panasonic and here supplied by Nobeltec.

Much more expensive at $2,500 but is touch screen.

The downside

The problem with Electronic charting and a computer driven system is that you are relying on one piece of equipment. I have witnessed a great system go down because of a simple failure.

We recommend a backup, either a separate GPS source. This could be a stand alone plotter or a simple GPS. A good paper chart is also recommended.

The second problem is the complexity. If you are not particularly fond of messing around computers and do not like loading software then a Chartplotter system from one of the manufacturers like Raymarine, Garmin, Lawrence, Standard Horizon, Furuno, Simrad, Navman, NorthStar etc would work better for you.

Before we begin we need to understand the difference between, Raster and Vector Charts. 

NOAA Raster Chart

Raster Charts are digital scans of actual paper charts. They are commercially produced and only represent what is on the actual paper chart. However they are extremely popular because they are what we are used to.

Vector charts

Most chartplotters like Raymarine, Garmin, Furuno,  and many others  use Vector charts. Vector charts are not like paper charts, they are like layered digital maps. These charts are more flexible and can offer many more features. 

One of the major features of Vector charts is the ability to add data points into the charts, thus allowing you to put the cursor over an object to find details, and then easily establish a route with simple click and drag and drop.

However the vector charts offer more possibilities there are not as many as raster charts, due to the complexity in making them.

NOAA's long term plan is to reverse the chart making process by creating a ENC database and then print the paper charts from those.

Hardware requirements

If you are choosing a laptop or PC, you will need more than normal to run Navigation Software. To begin you will need close to 1 GB of RAM for some software, (Check each products system requirements), high end graphics card, a DVD drive so you can load charts, Plus a serial port if you can plus USB ports. 

You can also load charts with an internet connection.

Windows XP is needed for most software, if you have an apple see MacENC

You will also need a GPS source which can be a wireless one or one that connects via the serial port or a converter via USB port. The signal that the software and GPS talk to each other with is NMEA 0183.

First load the software and then load the charts.

Software

Maptech Chart Navigator Pro $500.

chart Navigator pro is a re-branded version of Chart Navigator pro from Rose Point. the software is available from either company. Supports AIS and GRIB.

Raster Charts, use BSB and Softcharts. Vector charts use S-57

Rose Point

Coastal Explorer is one of Practical Sailors favorite programs along with the above mentioned Chart Navigator Pro.  Support for official raster and vector charts from almost every major hydrographic agency in the world, route planning features with multi-level undo capability, integrated gazetteer and Coast Pilot™ books, virtual instrument display, and obstacle alerts. 

Fugawi Marine ENC $200. 

This is one of the cheapest options and a good solid program that supports AIS, GRIB, but no radar overlay. More likely to be used by the more technology savvy navigator. Supports BSB raster charts and S-57 and Navionics Gold and Fish n Chip vector charts.

Fugawi has announced a Google Earth plug in that allows a GE satellite image to be imported and displayed as part of the screen display.

MaxSea  is a powerful feature laden modular program the basic is $500 and you can go to $5,500 depending on the individual  modules you add.

Maxsea has a large following on the offshore racing circle, the winner of the last Bermuda race used maxsea. It has a well developed system for downloading weather, and a routing module can examine the weather files coupled with your boats performance characteristics and determine the best route. Useful for cruisers also to avoid bad weather situations.

Maxsea also can display 2-D and 3-D  bathymetry and sea surface temperatures which appeals to the sports fisherman.

Supports BSB and Softchart raster files and S-57 map media Vector charts.

Deckman V8

This software package is mainly influenced by the yacht racing  world.

B&G Deckman software includes all the tools you need for short course round the buoys racing, long distance offshore and ocean racing. Deckman has been used by winners from sports boats to the Volvo Ocean Race and America's Cup. 

Deckman Version 8 pays special attention to the start screen including a toolbar for quick access to common functions like mark pinging and the timer, an overlaying grid that makes it easier for the user to conceptualize boat length distances. 

Supports charts form C-Map MAX*, Euronav Livechart* , Maptech/BSB , ARCS.  $1,645. Weathernet from Ocens is fully integrated into Deckman V8.

Nobeltec

Visual Navigator Suite $490 and the more advanced Admiral $1,200. 

Nobeltec offers plus packs which are add-ons for performance which brings Polars to its program, and one for weather and another for Bathymetric recording

Both programs read a long list of raster formats as well as C-map. Nobeltec's passport charts are a good example of what good vector charts are like. 

Supports AIS, GRIB and radar overlay.

Expedition

Another software package for the yacht racing community.

Racing and routing software will work with multiple instrument systems. You can ping the marks of the course including the start line offsets and the software will work out time and distance to any of those marks, give you laylines time to layline and much more. You can download weather GRIB files and route you distance race or even cruise. With this product you can race like the Americas Cup. 

RayTech

RayTech RNS 6.0 seamlessly integrates with E-Series navigation system, $700. 
This new upgrade brings 6.0 into line with the graphics capabilities of today's chartplotters. You can use Raytech with other GPS from rival companies as it supports NMEA 0183. Advanced features include pinging a mark with a laser and other boat tracking.

Uses raster Maptech BSB and softcharts. Vector charts Navionics and C-map.

Tiki Navigator

$130. Norwegian programmer/sailor Fred Jenssen wrote Tiki an easy program to use. You can purchase software online and load immediately. Raster charts only but is compatible with AIS. The screen show shows the boat in three different zooms at one time so you can see the big picture and the small picture.

Memory Map

Largely developed for the outdoor enthusiast including hiker, biker, and boater. You can used the software on a Smartphone and use Bluetooth GPS to track you routes and when you get home you can replay your trip via Google Earth including elevation and speed.

Nav Sim

boat cruiser 2.0 $550 was originally created by Canadas National research council which spun off NavSim into the commercial market. Available online download or CD, is supports AIS, radar, GRIB files. Supports C-map and S-57 vector charts.

MacENC

For the apple user not to be forgotten. MaxSea was originally set up for the mac but is now windows based. MacENC has added an algorithm that can figure out a windward tacking route for sailboats including time and distance to arrival.

New Developments

EarthNC

These days we are seeing a wealth of projects surrounding Google earth and navigation and POI's. Here is EarthNC for Google Earth is" the first ever integration of NOAA ENCs, marine weather and real-time positioning data directly into the Google Earth platform. EarthNC Marine charts feature full-integrated Google Earth renderings of over 600 official NOAA and 70 U.S. Army Corps of Engineering ENC charts". This is new and we can expect some interesting developments in the future. EarthNC, Inc. is a privately held, Florida based corporation made up of a fast growing team of energetic engineers and boating enthusiasts.

Active Captain

Points of Interest can be seen and added to Active Captain. You have to subscribe to this FREE service and who knows where it will go, by adding POI's from users they can build a map of boating places around the world, and give cruisers a place to go and find the local hot spots and anchorages etc.

Sources of charts  for various parts of the world

Imray  Mediterranean

admiralty leisure UK

NOAA raster

NOAA Vector

Managing the Waterway raster

Maptech NOAA

Chart World Wolrdwide

SoftCharts now owned by Maptech

Marine Planner  Maptech

Mapserver  NavSim

Fugawi  Bsb Charts

MapTrax Australia 

Soltek Sweden & Europe

Links to charting software section

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Glossary

Vector Charts; Vector charts are comprised of a series of points and lines that illustrate chart features. Electronic navigation charts (ENC), such as NOAA ENCs, are vector charts that form the basis of (ECS) Electronic Chart Systems.

Raster Charts: Raster Charts are digital scans of paper charts. The offer the same visual as we would normally with a paper chart, but no more.

Electronic Navigational Chart: (ENC) charts are vector charts based on the international Hydrographic Organization (IHO) S-57 standard. These are digitized from the original survey data.

NOAA ENC's are available at Nautical Charts for free.

Raster Navigational Charts; RNC's are scans of paper charts. In NOAA adds geo referencing to the scans which enables a computer based navigation system to locate and display the chart on the computer screen.

NOAA RNC's can be downloaded from Nautical Charts for free.

Digital Nautical Charts; DNC's are vector charts produced by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

AIS; Advanced Identification Service 

see AIS newsletter

GRIB. Gridded weather files

see weather newsletter

  logo and or link.