Buying Navigational Software and Electronic Charts (ENC’s)
Getting Started
Choosing the right navigational software requires asking a number of questions.
There is no one “best” program available since many criteria will be unique to your boating habits. And remember, software is not a replacement for up-to-date paper charts – always carry back-up in the event of a failure.
More Topics
Types of Navigation Software
Chart sources and formats
Basic Features
Advanced Features
Vendor Support
Try Before You Buy
Types of Navigation Software
There are generally three types of navigational software:
Chart viewers are designed to do just that – view charts. You can also zoom in and print charts. Many viewers are free including NOAA’s Online Chart Viewer.
The key feature of planning software is the ability to create and save waypoints and routes. Having saved waypoints allows you to plan your itinerary in advance and in stages. These are often “light” versions of full featured applications. There are also a few free planners available.
Full feature applications deliver a wide range of functionality beyond viewing and planning such as real-time navigation and piloting. Most integrate with a vessel’s onboard electronics such as GPS, radar, auto pilots and wind & depth sounders – even AIS. This integration takes navigational software to a new level. In addition, some include additional data such as destination specific information for coastal cruising.
Chart formats and sources
Digital charts come in a variety of formats: The basic ones to be familiar with are Raster and Vector.
Raster charts are simple scans of original paper charts. Common file formats for raster charts include RNC, BSB, BSB3, BSB4 and BSB5. They were co-developed by Maptech and NOAA but are now the standard across North America. Due to their simple nature, they are viewable by a larger number of software programs. The chart file sizes, however, are larger than comparable Vector charts.
Vector charts are created from a data file of chart features or geospatially referenced points, lines, shapes, symbols and areas. Because they are created from a data file they become interactive. Different features can be layered onto the display as needed. Not all software programs support Vector files, but the trend is toward Vector. S52, S-57, S-63 are examples of Vector file types.
Some programs only recognize proprietary file formats. It is important to understand what chart types your program uses, especially if you plan to cruise outside the US. Some programs have better chart coverage of international waters than others.
Basic Features
The following list includes basic features you can expect to find in many full-featured navigation software packages. This is not a comprehensive list but will provide a sense of available features.
Advanced Features
Advanced features differentiate navigation software packages. The list below includes features worth investigating in any navigational software you are considering.
Vendor Support
While most boaters purchase navigational software based on features, the type and cost of support available from the actual software manufacturer (and distributor) is also important. Are upgrades free? What happens if you need to reinstall the software? How good is customer support?
Try Before You Buy
We recommend you try out different programs before investing. To help customers, Armchair Sailor has a dedicated software display where you can test drive any of our software packages with the assistance of staff. You can also visit the display to see the latest versions of software you already own, to see details of chart regions or to simply ask questions.
If you can’t come in to Armchair Sailor, visit a local boat show or download free trail versions. This way you can “try before you buy”. There are also a few books available including Get Onboard with E-Charting; The Complete Reference Guide to Electronic Charting and PC-Based Marine Navigation, by Mark & Diana Doyle and How to Read a Nautical Chart, by Nigel Calder.
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