Mac on board

seanfoster

seanfoster

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Does anyone use a Mac for Navigation on board?
I'd love to use mine but software seems to be few and far between (unless you use windows running on parallels)

Love the fact that the mac is stable and just about immune to windows based viruses, anyone got experiences of what they use?
 
I use mine at home rather than on-board (my boats not palacial enough to have a computer on-board, especially one that I use for work as well).
I run MacENC with a vector-based Navionics chart. The same company also do GPSNavX, which is for raster charts. website - www.gpsnavx.com .
I think these are the most advanced navigation programs available on the OS X platform, and are at least as good as any Windows offerings. The company provide excellent tech support and although I bought my program about 3 years ago I still get updates - in fact I received the latest one today by email.There is also a free demo program you can download to try it out.
I'm not sure the Navionics chart is currently the best one to have, but several others are available and tech support will advise you.
To download and upload tracks and waypoints I connect to my Garmin handheld via a Keyspan usb-to-serial adaptor (about £16 I think), and I also got a cable to attach the gps to my Raymarine tiller pilot. If you have your Mac on-board you can connect a gps mushroom via your usb port - again tech support can recommend a tried and tested make/model that will work well.
A useful forum for you to ask any questions - http://macsailing.net/fbb/
 
I've used and still use Macs for work since the late 1980s and far prefer them. But so far as navigation and training software, and weather info (eg Ugrib) is concerned I've been using my wife's old and pretty ancient pc laptop - and frankly I've simply got used to switching between the two systems.

There's very little nav software for Macs, and I don't want to risk my work Mac computer by bringing it onboard. I've also decided that I need to be as disciplined as possible about keeping my work and my obsession with boats and sailing as separate as possible.

So, FWIW, I'm now going buy a new dedicated pc laptop for all boating and sailing stuff, and connect to the internet via a Vodafone 3G paye dongle. I plan to keep it clear of all unneccesary programmes and fully protected with antivirus software etc.

Babs
 
Why shouldn't you simply use Parallels? I have a MacBook pro that also runs Windows on Parallels - does that without a hitch. I use Maxsea, Waypointgps (Dutch charts) and even the old Cmap93 on it. Just don't use the internet in the Windows mode (I never installed a virus killer on it, so internetting could be dangerous).
 
Passage Plus

I use Passage Plus on my Mac and find it pretty good. I have a Garmin Chart plotter as well which I use at sea, but prefer PP for passage planning as it uses Admiralty ARCS charts.

Check out the website http://www.windvector.com/home.html


One prob I've found with Mac on board is that I can't find a 12V cigar lighter power supply for the new style magnetic power plug. I've now resolved this by fitting an invertor.
 
One prob I've found with Mac on board is that I can't find a 12V cigar lighter power supply for the new style magnetic power plug. I've now resolved this by fitting an invertor.[/QUOTE]

Apple sell an airline adapter that includes a cigar lighter supply with a mag plug. However, it does not charge the Mac but only reduces the battery discharge rate (>10 hrs) - something to do with >12v required to charge. Otherwise an inverter.
 
hoverjumper said:
I use Passage Plus on my Mac and find it pretty good. I have a Garmin Chart plotter as well which I use at sea, but prefer PP for passage planning as it uses Admiralty ARCS charts.

Check out the website http://www.windvector.com/home.html
.
Click to expand...

I likewise have PassagePlus installed on my MacBook (10.5.8) very pleased with it, not least because it is British, (I understand the other software mentioned here is American) also the help given by the developer is really excellent. The GPS input I use is via the BU 353, and the AIS is via the NASA2 Engine. I have obtained an inverter from Maplin, but to be candid with the battery provided in the Mac I doubt I will need it much.

Absolutely no way would I consider using a "PC" - though I do admit I never have used on - being Mac only for the past fifteen years.

Philip
 
Been across the Atlantic twice with a Mac - did GRIBs, emails via Iridium. Bought a USB GPS and using USA charts which are a free download, navigated quite happily on a Mac along the US east coast.
The forum mentioned above is a useful one.
 
the other alternative is to dual-boot your mac, if it's one of the intel ones. use a programme like boot camp. but running windows on a mac however you do it always seemed a bit like a travesty to me...
 
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