What navigation system

Conachair said:
OpenCPN PC charting software is free , though there are issues about the copyright with cm93 charts , if you've bought charts anyway and just use it to plan then you could argue it's OK, down to you.

anyway, it has good route planning and can upload to a Garmin 128 for sure, probably most modern GPS models. But with Garmin it seems to be just waypoints, you still need to make your own routes. But still worth thinking about.
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This is kiddy you want, it's free, it's very good, It is very easy to use, you can plan great circles now, you can run AIS on it, all sorts of stuff. You can get the charts from "your mate" if not, then once on the cruising route you'll find loads of copies floating around, all you need to do is get the latest version. It will of course read very expensive bought charts - but your cruising and you really can't afford these now! ;-)
 
LadyInBed said:
I didn't pick up on this the last time you said it!
Where does the idea come from that you have to have paper charts?
I haven't bought a paper chart for years and the ones I have haven't been out of the chart table since I became familiar with the chart plotter.
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I used paper charts in Greece as all the electronic charts were very accurate with the mapping but in some cases 1/4 mile out on position of your vessel on said chart; I've been anchored in churches, on hill different bays even. So , there is a place for paper charts - don't dismiss them, your insurance Co doesn't!
 
Very many thanks for the responses.
The paper vs. electronics was interesting! I still like a big paper chart for planning (and small chartlets in case of total electronic failure!!) but will embrace any technology that improves things.
Baggywrinkle; many thanks I will return to look at your system in more detail
I think the various comments to date have helped me ask some more focussed questions and I will appreciate any further offerings of advice!

In the Uk we were using Seaclear with the 'My Harbour' mapping, this worked well on the laptop with a small GPS receiver and our NASA AIS engine the system worked very well for our requirements. I confess to taking off screen dumps
of critical areas complete with way points for critical places in case of electronic failure!!
I did try Open CPN but gave up trying to downloadCM93 charts, mainly as I was getting lost in all sorts of download sites. ( as someone hinted at)

So....... can I use Seaclear in the Med, what mapping can I use on it? could I use Garmin g2 vision charts with it and also use them on my 451S in the 'wheelhouse'?
If I can't use the G2 maps with Seaclear and I get the Homeport software instead , can I use this with my GPS receiver and NASA AIS engine for navigation on my laptop
Are CM 93 maps available for the Med In case I feel up to trying to down load them again?
Again, many thanks for your help to date.
 
pcatterall said:
I did try Open CPN but gave up trying to downloadCM93 charts, mainly as I was getting lost in all sorts of download sites. ( as someone hinted at)
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I was extremely keen to use OpenCPN, but I was unable to find charts legally available for purchase. It was easy enough to find illegal copies on the Internet but, sadly for me, I could not bring myself to use them. I am not judging others for doing so - my blood boils at the thought that we are being asked to pay hundreds of pounds to buy charts that were originally funded by UK tax payers. In the US, government funded charts are public domain by law and in my opinion the same should be true here.

Anyway, politics aside, in the end I bought PolarNavy £45 and their recommendation of GlobalSat BU-353 receiver £25 on Amazon. It is certainly all working, although I haven't yet used it in anger.

I was hoping to bring the PolarNavy charts into OpenCPN, but it seems they are a newer encrypted format, not readable by OpenCPN.
 
Whilst I understand various posters' obsession with paper charts there are several practical considerations that make this an unattainable objective. Two of these considerations are storage capacity and the depth of one's pocket. It's probably a reasonable objective for those whose cruising distances are limited by either lack of time or lack of self-confidence.

I've relegated paper charts to route planning on very large scale charts since 1991. Since then electronic charting has advanced in gargantuan steps. I understand there are few commercial vessels, now, even carrying paper charts (though they do have to possess two stand-alone and approved electronic systems).
The snag is that recreational boaters are gulled into buying obsolescent charts, frequently in obsolescent formats by the majority of suppliers.

I too have observed Ariadne's Mediterranean problem of wildly inaccurate boat positions, more probably due to uncalibrated GPS receiver than chart inaccuracy. Fortunately the obsolete commercial charts operating on openCPN (both free by the way) which I also use, have not, in my experience, repeated the errors found in paid-for chart/reader systems.
It is not without reason that all yachtie electronic charting systems have a disclaimer about their fitness for purpose.

My first, 5-channel, chart-plotter used to allow for recalibrating the chart software with the aero-GPS Garmin receiver. Probably a step to far for those who proudly consider themselves navigators to match James Cook.
 
pcatterall said:
So....... can I use Seaclear in the Med, what mapping can I use on it? could I use Garmin g2 vision charts with it and also use them on my 451S in the 'wheelhouse'?
If I can't use the G2 maps with Seaclear and I get the Homeport software instead , can I use this with my GPS receiver and NASA AIS engine for navigation on my laptop
Are CM 93 maps available for the Med In case I feel up to trying to down load them again?
Again, many thanks for your help to date.
Click to expand...
CM93 are world wide but being a bit legally grey one could not possibly comment on such a public forum ;)

Another thing worth looking into, if you are getting a laptop up and running somehow anyway, is getting a gps feed into google earth. Opencpn has a plugin where there is a small google earth window on the screen. Not the sort of thing I'd trust for sole nav but can be very useful coming into anchorages and using the 3d view to see which hill is which. When you have some wifi you can look around next port of call on GE and it will get stored in the cache.
 
charles_reed said:
Whilst I understand various posters' obsession with paper charts there are several practical considerations that make this an unattainable objective. Two of these considerations are storage capacity and the depth of one's pocket. It's probably a reasonable objective for those whose cruising distances are limited by either lack of time or lack of self-confidence.

I've relegated paper charts to route planning on very large scale charts since 1991. Since then electronic charting has advanced in gargantuan steps. I understand there are few commercial vessels, now, even carrying paper charts (though they do have to possess two stand-alone and approved electronic systems).
The snag is that recreational boaters are gulled into buying obsolescent charts, frequently in obsolescent formats by the majority of suppliers.

I too have observed Ariadne's Mediterranean problem of wildly inaccurate boat positions, more probably due to uncalibrated GPS receiver than chart inaccuracy. Fortunately the obsolete commercial charts operating on openCPN (both free by the way) which I also use, have not, in my experience, repeated the errors found in paid-for chart/reader systems.
It is not without reason that all yachtie electronic charting systems have a disclaimer about their fitness for purpose.

My first, 5-channel, chart-plotter used to allow for recalibrating the chart software with the aero-GPS Garmin receiver. Probably a step to far for those who proudly consider themselves navigators to match James Cook.
Click to expand...

Good point about the 'error' possibility. Despite my ignorance on the latest systems I spent several years conducting bathymetric surveys. The latest technology is great but so is the opportunity for serious mistakes ' the chart looks very glitzy' but is it right, what scale was the chart surveyed for and what scale are you looking at? I always still make basic checks when using track or chart plotters such as sailing close ( not too close!) to fixed features does my charted position match the reality? if so great, if not more checks may reveal a fixed positional discrepancy that you can, at least be aware of.
 
Any errors would be a calibration problem on the part of the user. If you are going to buy a Gps puck now then I would recommend one with the Sirf 4 chip, far more sensitive than the old Bu353 units, even works instantly through a steel roof at my house. 40 or so channels. Lot dearer than a BU353 at the moment but well worth it.
 
Ariadne said:
I used paper charts in Greece as all the electronic charts were very accurate with the mapping but in some cases 1/4 mile out on position of your vessel on said chart; I've been anchored in churches, on hill different bays even. So , there is a place for paper charts
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Maybe it was set to the wrong datum?
Paper and Electronic Charts are derived from the same source!
Was GPS lat/long also putting you in the wrong position on the paper chart?
If so, how did you get to your anchorage, compass bearings plotted on chart or pilotage?
- don't dismiss them, your insurance Co doesn't!
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This has already been picked up, no policy I have ever had stipulated that I must have charts.
 
We're trying to find the best options also, looking for help here. Originally posted in the liveaboard link forum.

This season will see us enter the Med from the canal du Midi, our plan is to slowly work our way east during the summers. May we ask the forums advice on purchasing paper charts? We normally use Imray charts although they seem limited in the Med and quite large scale, whichever choice we make it’ll be a considerable investment so any suggestions will be gratefully received.
Our helm mounted chart plotter uses Navionics CF cards, we are also considering purchasing Tiki Navionics Gold for our onboard nav computer – the ability to use the card in both plotters at the same time is appealing. Any views good or otherwise welcome.
Our normal practice is to passage plan on paper then transfer waypoints to the plotter keeping the paper chart on the table as backup.
Many thanks
 
fishermantwo said:
Any errors would be a calibration problem on the part of the user. If you are going to buy a Gps puck now then I would recommend one with the Sirf 4 chip, far more sensitive than the old Bu353 units, even works instantly through a steel roof at my house. 40 or so channels. Lot dearer than a BU353 at the moment but well worth it.
Click to expand...
I think that that is a rather bold statement!! Many of the charts I worked on are still in use electronically today. many contained significant errors. A simple case could be an island where the original survey control was iffy (No GPS!!) the survey around the island, rocks inlets wrecks etc was 'accurate' in relation to the local control but possibly many meters out in real terms.( case in point Perim Island which I helped survey in 1963) In some cases whole large scale charts were out of position( I believe we spotted something like this in the Kyles of Bute not to long ago. If your chart plotter just switches from one chart to another then there may still be a big shift in position?
 
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