[Alberg30] Onboard Electronic Charting

[Robert Kirk]

At 04:36 PM 1/29/01 -0500, Brian and Elaine Timmins wrote:
>Has anyone set up an onboard Charting Program that you actually use while 
>sailing?
>I'm talking about the type that runs on a computer and displays charts and 
>your boat location (from GPS input) in real time. The type where the 
>charts resemble actual paper charts.
>If so, how and where do you have the computer mounted? Can you work the 
>program from the cockpit or do you have to go below to work or even see 
>it?[...]


Sure. There are several programs from free tp expensive. For free, see:

    http://www.sping.com/seaclear/

In addition, the ham radio people have several, and you can use one of 
those as a non-ham if you're not going to transmit you position. There are 
versions for Windows, DOS (crude maps but tiny - which I use) , & Mac.  A 
good one couples with Street Atlas maps.   See:

    Http://tapr.org/

Of course Garmin & Magellan sell their own very nice marine chart oriented 
software at a fairly reasonable price. See their web pages.

I just remembered a site which does a good job of referencing these 
programs and more:

    http://joe.mehaffey.com/

So plotting your position on a moving map is a piece of cake; but the 
downside is that it's inconvenient without a dedicated and expensive gps 
chart plotter. A color laptop is lousy in the sun and it does not belong 
anywhere around spray: i.e. in the cockpit. They do work wonderfully on a 
well secured laptop donwn below.  For myself I am a minimalist. I use APRS 
Dos on an old handheld HP computer that I can keep in the compass recess 
and glance at every once in a while. I sue it primarily to broadcast my 
position course & speed in real time to the ham world and Janet back at 
home (who never remembers to look at it.)

Fortunately, I only need one digit to broadcast my speed.

Bob Kirk
Isobar #181




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