Electronic Charts. Which?

[Tony Van]

I'm just getting back to boating after being away for (a long) while. Do
you folks who use electronic charts use raster charts or the vector charts.
From what I can see it looks like the raster charts are closer to the
"paper" charts I am used to.

I'm looking first to have charts on my computer to plan trips and maybe
later
for a nav instrument and maybe a on-board laptop.

Any advice or comments?

Thanks --- Tony

 

[david scheer]

I am also in a similar position and would be interested in any advice
thankyou in advance
David

 

[Dennis Pogson]

I'm just getting back to boating after being away for (a long) while.
Do you folks who use electronic charts use raster charts or the
vector charts. From what I can see it looks like the raster charts
are closer to the "paper" charts I am used to.

I'm looking first to have charts on my computer to plan trips and
maybe later
for a nav instrument and maybe a on-board laptop.

Any advice or comments?

Thanks --- Tony

You may find this worth a read before deciding:-

http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/staff/encartcl.htm

 

[Tony Van]

Tony:

True enough, the rasters do ear more like the paper we are all used to
seeing at the nav station. Maptech and Softchart http://www.softcharts.com/
are the two leaders in that format for electronic charts. That format offers
familiarity but presents a static image that cannot be adjusted to suit your
needs. Programs like The Capn, Maptech and Nobeltec can display this format.

The newer style charts are called Vector. This chart format offers layering
that can allow the informed skipper the ability to turn on and off data
layers as needed. They also can be rotated from Course up to Leg up to North
up views of the chart while always rotating the type to remain "right
reading" to the navigator. One form of this vector data is found on memory
chips and are found on virtually every dedicated chart plotter from
Raymarine, Furuno, Garmin and the rest. Most of those chart chips come from
someone like C-Map. http://www.c-map.com/

The data found on those chips is pretty much what you'll see on the current
leader in vector format charts for the PC, Nobeltec's Passport charts.
www.nobeltec.com They come on CD and can only be viewed using Nobeltec's
software. I suspect that the free aspect of US Governments ENC charts will
effect Nobeltec sales in someday in the future.The earlier post on the ENC
whitepaper is well worth reading.

There are some fantastic pages on the topic if you root around on Captain
Jacks web site at www.capjack.com too. To tell you the truth though, I have
spent many thousands on the range of this electronic gear, years teaching
it's uses and nomenclature in classes around the country at boat shows and
find that all I really need in the Puget Sound is my Garmin 76, some current
paper charts and a hockey puck compass. The computer software is useful in
checking tides and currents, route planning and then uploading those
carefully thought out routes/waypoints to my trusty Garmin. Beyond that, my
dear Tony: It's expensive fluff. Very expensive fluff. I wish I'd have put
all my "Boat Units" into a good suit of racing sails and then pocketed the
change.

Fair Winds,

Bob