Open CPN vs Raster chats

[BigJoe]

I'm in the process of getting Open CPN from a friend, as a back up to my paper chats and plotter, and I assume these will be vector charts ?.

I'm am considering the possibility of getting some form of PC raster chats, as a back up to the backup.

Any suggestions on affordable PC raster charts, for the Med and Caribbean, would be greatly appreciated.

 

[RobbieW]

The Achilles Heel of OpenCPN is that there are no built in charts. Its a very good plotter package and for those, primarily in the US where government take the view that thier hydrographic data has already been paid for through taxes, who can download legal free charts its great. OpenCPN has a plugin for S63 encrypted charts which gives access to a range of commercially available charts world wide but pricing is more geared to business users and mostly higher than leisure users are prepared to pay. Depending on what your friend is doing for you, you may get a set of CM93 ed2 charts installed. Jeppesen and the UK Hydrographic Office consider these to be pirated and have had download sites offering them closed down. There are one or two suppliers of chart packages for OCPN covering limited regions available, mostly UK only, but those wont address your Med or Caribbean requirement.

 

[Mistroma]

Open CPN is the chart display application, not a chart format. It doesn't come with charts when you download the application. Many people use pirated copies of CMAP (CM3) charts and these are vector charts. So you won't be starting off with any charts, vector or raster unless you get a source. No idea about affordable raster charts.

 

[captmikecoin]

Take a look at http://1yachtua.com

Mike

 

[Tranona]

An alternative for PC usage is the Meridian chartware software which uses Imray charts. These will cover all the areas you need except the Caribbean.

 

[Andy_B]

NOAA charts for Puerto Rico and the BVI's:

• Raster: http://www.charts.noaa.gov/RNCs/10Region_RNCs.zip
• Vector: http://www.charts.noaa.gov/ENCs/10Region_ENCs.zip

Both these chart types display in OpenCPN.

The way you're asking about raster charts, I think you're thinking of .bmp, .jpg or .png displayed in a regular image viewer. It is possible to convert raster charts to .bmp, .jpg or .png, but I advise against it. Apart from anything else, they're huge files.

Much better to learn to use OpenCPN - it allows you to easily switch between different chart scales, and is optimised for displaying them.

Expect to spend several hours getting used to OpenCPN, which is slow and frustrating at first. It has quite poor performance until charts are cached.

OpenCPN is a complicated but powerful program. It's worth taking the time to get to understand it, so you can switch between these two chart types and understand for yourself the differences between them (and what it means for you).

 

[Bertramdriver]

All my med charts for cpn for the med are available in the for sale section. They're not perfect but good enough for PC based passage planning and as a back up (which is what I used them for)

 

[rogerthebodger]

I do understand that you can scan your existing charts stitch then together than include then into OpenCPN.

Never done this but the OCPN web site may have some info on this.

Google OpenCPN will get you to the web site and forum.

 

[BigJoe]

Hi folks, thanks for all the replies.

I now have Open CPN, and apparently all the world charts, as you have mentioned, the program takes a bit of getting used to but looks to be a great back up.

Regarding other systems that use raster charts, Meridian, looks a good option and I will give it some thought.

1yachtua is an awesome site, and thanks for pointing that out.

It will take me a while to get my head round Open CPN, with all the jargon and things that I can do in it.

Thanks again for all your advice.

Fair weather and stay safe.

 

[Mrnotming]

I seem to remember that charts from 1 Yachtua are really rentals, and expire after 6 months?This is not noticed by many at first.

 

[LadyInBed]

I do understand that you can scan your existing charts stitch then together than include then into OpenCPN.

Never done this but the OCPN web site may have some info on this.

Google OpenCPN will get you to the web site and forum.

Ozi Explorer - Map Merge will do it for you.

 

[OldBawley]

Very pleased with Open CPN and its possibility to make your own Google Earth detail charts.
Works offline, maps are created from GE info.
One trip we ware caught by a violent N wind. We have no instruments, so I can only guess the wind force. Under just a small head sail and the yawl the boat dipped its deck in the water so I guess it must have been 35 knots.
Wanted to hide behind Keros island. Used CPN with the usual charts, could not even find the forked bay. -
Now I use GE made maps of places like that, find that the accuracy of GE is lots better than any map. Crawling into small bays using the map we often anchor on land, using the GE map is correct. Can even be used in total darkness.
Also a lot more input by GE than by map. Even stones and rocks under water can bee seen.
See the examples of the same place in GE and Map. On GE is clearly to see that the forked bay had good anchoring depths, The map shows nothing and is GPS wise half a mile wrong.





Details like that can make a big difference.

I decided to sail up and down the south coast of Keros until the shit was over. Could have spared me a lot of work had I had the GE made map.

 

[GHA]

Very pleased with Open CPN and its possibility to make your own Google Earth detail charts.
Works offline, maps are created from GE info.

+ big 1!!!!!
GE images can contain a wealth of information very useful as an addition to charts.

GE2KAP is a very powerful chart creation tool, if a bit complex to get your head round at the start.

http://yachtzenagain.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/simple-guide-to-installing-and-using.html

 

[affinite]

Very pleased with Open CPN and its possibility to make your own Google Earth detail charts.
Works offline, maps are created from GE info.
One trip we ware caught by a violent N wind. We have no instruments, so I can only guess the wind force. Under just a small head sail and the yawl the boat dipped its deck in the water so I guess it must have been 35 knots.
Wanted to hide behind Keros island. Used CPN with the usual charts, could not even find the forked bay. -
Now I use GE made maps of places like that, find that the accuracy of GE is lots better than any map. Crawling into small bays using the map we often anchor on land, using the GE map is correct. Can even be used in total darkness.
Also a lot more input by GE than by map. Even stones and rocks under water can bee seen.
See the examples of the same place in GE and Map. On GE is clearly to see that the forked bay had good anchoring depths, The map shows nothing and is GPS wise half a mile wrong.





Details like that can make a big difference.

I decided to sail up and down the south coast of Keros until the shit was over. Could have spared me a lot of work had I had the GE made map.

It could be argued that you are sailing with an inadequate chart folio ie you dont have a small scall chart of your cruising area.
I'd be happier paying for a more detailed (and properly geo-referenced) S63 chart than relying on a GE image for pilotage.
I do take your point to some extent though as the chart survey data in the Eastern Med is, in some cases, antiquated and literally miles out!

I also use OpenCPN with raster and vector charts (including some S63s) and use the GE2KAP images for planning only.
Having said all that I may end up swallowing my words as Im moving my nav system onto a Raspberry Pi this season and it currently doesnt support S63 charts (but does support GE charts)

 

[affinite]

+ big 1!!!!!
GE images can contain a wealth of information very useful as an addition to charts.

GE2KAP is a very powerful chart creation tool, if a bit complex to get your head round at the start.

http://yachtzenagain.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/simple-guide-to-installing-and-using.html

GE2KAP works great but doesnt seem to work with latest version of Windows (10) / Google Earth

 

[OldBawley]

I use the same charts most of us use. You know, the “Free “ ones.
Sure that the Greek Admiralty has more detailed maps of that area, Would be surprised if they ware available for use with Open CPN.
I used to make my own charts using Sea-clear, detailed paper maps calibrating, only to find those charts are often way off. Surveyed in Napoleonic times.

 

[RobbieW]

GE2KAP works great but doesnt seem to work with latest version of Windows (10) / Google Earth

Thats been discussed somewhere in the last 12 months, cant remember if it was here or on CruisersForum. GoogleEarth have removed an API that GE2KAP, and other utilities, relied on. iirc the only solution is to find and install an old version of Google Earth. A Google search for "google earth ge2kap" should find the reference.... hmm not as easy as I thought but its there somewhere! There were some comments from the author of GE2KAP so perhaps the homesite is the place to go

 

[st599]

NV Charts in Germany sell chart packs (you get paper and digital) and there's an NV Charts plugin for OpenCPN.

 

[captmikecoin]

It could be argued that you are sailing with an inadequate chart folio ie you dont have a small scall chart of your cruising area.
I'd be happier paying for a more detailed (and properly geo-referenced) S63 chart than relying on a GE image for pilotage.
I do take your point to some extent though as the chart survey data in the Eastern Med is, in some cases, antiquated and literally miles out!

I also use OpenCPN with raster and vector charts (including some S63s) and use the GE2KAP images for planning only.
Having said all that I may end up swallowing my words as Im moving my nav system onto a Raspberry Pi this season and it currently doesnt support S63 charts (but does support GE charts)

I think you are being unfair to the OP. AFAIK there are no detailed charts of Nisos Keros even as S63s. Maybe hidden in the Hellenic Hydrographic Office's bilges..... I am happy to be corrected though.

Mike

 

[RobbieW]

...iirc the only solution is to find and install an old version of Google Earth...

My memory is inaccurate, there is a fix but it requires a download ... http://gdayii.ca/Downloads.php (note the password given at the top of the page)