Online Chart Resources

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Briggsy
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Online Chart Resources

Post by Briggsy »

Anyone used Maptechs US Boating Charts DVD ?? Seems like it would be perfect for kayaking being able to print the section of chart you need for your trip. Cost $99, .... or 4 regular charts, but you have the entire US coastline.
www.maptechnavigation.com/water/usboati ... /index.cfm

Briggsy
Last edited by Briggsy on Wed May 27, 2009 6:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
pallen661
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Post by pallen661 »

B-

NOAA charts are available for free download. So I download the one I need, makes 8.5x11 sections of the relevant info and print it on waterproof paper. Tide and current data is online as well.

http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/ ... iewer.html
http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/

if your comp. is having a hard time with the chart format, GraphicConverter (Lemkesoft) software will open the chart and save it a more useful format.

Phil
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P&H Cetus MV, black over white with red tape
Necky Jive, Orange swirly things
Briggsy
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Post by Briggsy »

Thanks for that, Lemkesoft appears only to be for Macs and I have Windows but I'm working on it......
Cheers Briggsy
pallen661
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Post by pallen661 »

do a search on opening the .BSB or .KAP format of online chart (which you can download when you are actually on the online chart). My memory was that it was easier with some of the windows software.

P-
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P&H Cetus MV, black over white with red tape
Necky Jive, Orange swirly things
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lora925
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Post by lora925 »

I poked around the NOAA site and came across their free booklets that don't require any specialized software to download and print.

http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChar ... Charts.htm

Looks useful especially is you only print the pages you need/want.
pallen661
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Post by pallen661 »

Lora-

Nice find! That simplifies things quite a bit compared to downloading the fullscale chart, reformatting and grabbing small pieces to print.

Phil
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P&H Cetus MV, black over white with red tape
Necky Jive, Orange swirly things
Briggsy
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Location: Sarasota, Florida

Post by Briggsy »

Yes,I checked and there are plenty of options to open BSB files (some free, some were $20 ) but you need some sort of Photoshop program to be able to print etc and I don't have any such programs. By the time you get Adobe Photoshop or similar you may as well just buy the maptech device. I used to print direct from the NOAA site but the quality wasn't too good. I checked out that chartbook link above and printed a page, the quality and clarity was vastly improved...Thanks
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Chip
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Post by Chip »

That is really cool.
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Post by pic »

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kayakerjnj
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Post by kayakerjnj »

very cool!
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Post by pic »

Not bad and I like the zoom in capability too. Also it prints out well too.
Hope to meet you all on one of the trips.
Briggsy
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Post by Briggsy »

I originally used http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer ... able.shtml or http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/ ... iewer.html which prints OK and can use on any computer as it is a web page. Phil, you are downloading the chart by clicking "Download RNC" in the top right corner, right? The chart then downloads to "documents" where it is saved as a BSB and KAP file, which you need a seperate program to open and import to Photoshop where you can zoom,crop and print a custom chart. If you have Photoshop already ,a program seems to be available( about $20) which will open the BSB file and send it to Photoshop.
Lora , That NOAA site you found, http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChar ... Charts.htm Prints much, much better quality and full page. A great find. Dave
pallen661
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Post by pallen661 »

B-

The thread you started has morphed into something much more useful (the various online chart sources). I think that you can edit the title as original poster, and if you did change to something like "online chart resources" people would be able to search for this info and find it for a long time. Just a thought.

Phil
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P&H Cetus MV, black over white with red tape
Necky Jive, Orange swirly things
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Chip
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Post by Chip »

Maybe if we ask nice, Pat will put them on the links page. :D
Current Designs Solstice GTS
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Briggsy
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Post by Briggsy »

Tell me how to edit the title and I will
Briggsy
pallen661
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Post by pallen661 »

B-

Can you see an edit button on your first post? if so try that. It will work for the text, but I'm not sure about the subject line.

P
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P&H Cetus MV, black over white with red tape
Necky Jive, Orange swirly things
Briggsy
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Post by Briggsy »

That was easy
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