Electronic Charts

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Under Construction

Note that this section is under construction. I am puttling together information here and building this up. I do not have access to all the software and you are welcome to add to this section you experiences and notes.


Background and introduction

Electronic versions of paper charts have been avaliable for some time. Initially these were avaliable on electronic cartrages which were used with specalist chart ploters on ships and yachts (see examples and pictures at [1]. However with the spread and lowering in cost of portable computers products have been launched for the Windows based PC. Below is a collection of information about the products likley to be of use to Sea kayakers.

Unfortunatly most of the products are aimed at either the commercial shipping or the crusing market. The commercial products can be very expensive. However there are some lower cost products which cover the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Some information and comments on these are given below. All tend to use the UKHO charts which are published yearly. I beleive that the licencing of these charts from the UKHO has the consequence that for all of the products below to get chart updates you essentially have to purhcase the updated product each year. This means shelling out 40-80 pounds each year (at 2011 rates) to keep the charts up to date. However it should be said that although navigational features and dangers do change they change slowly these changes are unlikley to be of great importance to kayakers.

It is noteable that at the time of writting that there is only one navigational product for the Mac OS-X operating system and it to the authors knowledge does not come with any charts which makes it unusable for UK kayakers. Some products include options to export charts to Mobile devices, but, it is also noteable at the time of writting that none seem to have any interest in android devices. One, Memory Map has an additional product that allows some use on I-Phones.

Memory Map Marine charts

The Memory Map marine charts can cost about £50 when just released and can be purchased through amazon. Amazon tend to discount them as the year goes on and a current year edition can be purchased for as low as £35 just before the next year's edition is due (in April) and use the same software as the Memory Map OS land based maps use. They published in April each year. There is no updates to the charts - as with most other products to get new charts you purchase the product again with updated charts. The product comes on DVD and can run from the DVD or install all the charts on you hard drive which takes a lot of space. The interface is reasionably intuative and you can merge ajacent charts of the same scale. You can print out charts or extracts. There is an interface to GPS

With the purchase you get a license to install the charts on 2 PCs and 2 mobile devices. Features: Can interface to GPS, Can read other charts (optional licenced feature at extra cost).

Mapyx Charts

Mapyx Charts http://www.mapyx.com/index.asp?tn=productview&pid=43175 are a new product on the block. Again issued yearly, issue date unclear.

Sea Pro Lite

[Sea Pro Lite http://www.euronav.co.uk/Products/Leisure/lite/seaProLite.htm] avaliable fro chandlers e.g. Kelvin Hughes is a cut down version of the Sea Pro high end product. From my recolection of a discussion at the boat show this product cannot read charts other than those that it is supplied with and it does not use the UKHO charts.

EasyChart from Meridian Chartware

[EasyChart from Meridian Chartware http://www.meridian-chartware.co.uk/] is a development of the RYA chart plotter. The product can simulare courses and course to serrt, interface with GPS, caculare magnetic deviation, has the Facility to install Imray charts (unclear if this is extra), supports Garmin GPS, Ability to print charts with routes, waypoints and boundaries overlaid, and a facility to Import Routes


Nuno Navigator http://www.nunonavigator.com

[Nuno Navigator http://www.nunonavigator.com] A new product, but, one which offers updates to the charts for up to a year. Cost £100.


Yet to do

Need to add. Which can export wave points to a GPS, which can take in a GPS log of a trip. Which can print. Which can read other charts. This is a cut down version of the Sea Pro product. As with all others it requires a yearly re-purchase