A PC driven nautical software - that works.
Hello,
I bought software for my laptop PC called "Coastal Explorer 2011". It runs great on Windows XP or 7. It will not run on any kind of Unix, Linux or Solaris. But it runs great on Windows software.
I bought the "Coastal Explorer" from
Rose Point http://rosepointnav.com/CoastalExplorer2011/default.htm. I get the charts from the folks at [Coastal Explorer] CE and they get the charts from NOAA. I can also download and apply the charts from NOAA directly. I have also purchased new charts from a European company that made them for the Bahamas. They work great too.
I create my own paths with waypoints and I my 45 foot Hunter Passage never bounces off the bottom or hits any trees. <- Joke.
The software has a way to hook up to my Raymarine Autopilot using serial cable and uses the public protocol [NMEA] to communicate to with the Autopilot. In other words the PC drives the sailboat.
The Autopilot has three buttons of importance. "Standby", "Auto" and "Track". Track makes the wheel follow the path in my PC. Auto - can be used for one direction, but it can be changed by other buttons. That is not needed when going by your PC, Coastal Explorer hand-made waypoints and lines on your chart. Standby allows you to go to manual steering.
Rose Point is the seller I used [Rosepointnav.com]. The Coastal Explorer software at one point was $399.00. I tried using the "Maptech" software but I could not get it to work. There charts are good but there navigation software would not run for me.
I also bought a Navigation GPS from Rosepointnav.com - $99.00.
And I also got help from both of the companies later in the game to purchase a USB-Serial 9 pin transformer. The newest PC I had did not have a 9 pin serial connector. The piece you use for that is available in two types. One type works and the other does not by design they are totally different. Ask Coastal Explorer folks they will guide you to the correct path. Mine cost $12.00 [not much money for an important unit]!
With the thing mentioned above you will save a lot if you already have a laptop, [compared to buying expensive navigators and inconclusive items from the companies available when I looked] and have access to free charts plus you can use your Internet connection to get other sites info pasted into Coastal Explorer. Now that is really important when you are far from the Internet at sea!