I decided to install OpenCPN and give it a try

[SoSound]

After the flurry of posts in the thread about Navionics Price Increasing, relaying positive experiences with OpenCPN used as a planning tool for cruising, I decided that I would give it a try. Much of my working life was spent in IT support, training, and systems development, and I have always liked finding IT tools which can be used to help me find and compile all of the information that I will need to keep track of in order to have a fun, safe, and successful cruise.

My current information toolbox contains a B&G Zeus2 chartplotter onboard, a subscription to the Navionics app on my iPad as well as Navionics US/Canada charts on the Zeus, a copy of iNavX on the iPad (it started as a download of GPSNavX on an iMac computer), and various paper charts and chart book collections covering the Puget Sound and Canadian Gulf Islands region. I also have a number of PNW cruising guides that I refer to.

Being in the beginning stages of planning next summers cruise to Canada, and after seeing posts on the thread above, I decided to try OpenCPN. This isn't necessarily a review or even a request for help or support, I just thought I'd start a thread and see if manages to accumulate useful conversation, information, and tips on this forum. I also didn't want to completely hijack the Navionics App thread with questions about a different chart and planning tool.

 

[SoSound]

I started the way most of us start any new project... I did a web search for OpenCPN and quickly followed the search results to the official web site. Nearly as quickly, I clicked on a "Start" button, read the three step installation Quick Start Guide, and then downloaded the software to my Mac. Each of the three steps in the Quick Start Guide takes you to the appropriate section of the online documentation, which looks and reads exactly like it was written directly by the system developer, which was perfectly fine for me. I did not watch any of the instructional videos. I also read the cautions and tutorials on some previous Mac problems which helped during the installation of the software.

Step one of the quick start guide covers downloading and installation of the software. Step two covers downloading charts. Step three discusses configuring the software and GPS. I was installing it on my home computer, so I skipped setting up the GPS connection and went straight to downloading charts for my area and seeing if I could build my first route, which I managed to accomplish in fairly short order. I can see why @dLj likes the route builder, it's a quick and easy collection of clicks with a pencil tool. I also like the table of route details that the software creates of the route, its waypoints, and the related data.

Where I started to have problems was when I tried to create my second route, one that is related to the early planning for next summers cruise to Canada, and it's mostly just a display problem with the overlapping charts that cover the area where I live and cruise. The problem appears to be related to what OpenCPN calls "Chart Quilting". There is a section of my displayed chart and route where the detail on the chart zooms way out, even though I have the appropriate chart downloaded onto my computer. I can zoom in and regain the detail, but at the zoom level that I need to capture the entire route on one screen (or one printed page), there is a glitch in the "quilting" of the various integrated NOAA charts.

Here are two screen shots of my problem, quilting glitch, and no glitch.

 

[dLj]

I started the way most of us start any new project... I did a web search for OpenCPN and quickly followed the search results to the official web site. Nearly as quickly, I clicked on a "Start" button, read the three step installation Quick Start Guide, and then downloaded the software to my Mac. Each of the three steps in the Quick Start Guide takes you to the appropriate section of the online documentation, which looks and reads exactly like it was written directly by the system developer, which was perfectly fine for me. I did not watch any of the instructional videos. I also read the cautions and tutorials on some previous Mac problems which helped during the installation of the software.

Step one of the quick start guide covers downloading and installation of the software. Step two covers downloading charts. Step three discusses configuring the software and GPS. I was installing it on my home computer, so I skipped setting up the GPS connection and went straight to downloading charts for my area and seeing if I could build my first route, which I managed to accomplish in fairly short order. I can see why @dLj likes the route builder, it's a quick and easy collection of clicks with a pencil tool. I also like the table of route details that the software creates of the route, its waypoints, and the related data.

Where I started to have problems was when I tried to create my second route, one that is related to the early planning for next summers cruise to Canada, and it's mostly just a display problem with the overlapping charts that cover the area where I live and cruise. The problem appears to be related to what OpenCPN calls "Chart Quilting". There is a section of my displayed chart and route where the detail on the chart zooms way out, even though I have the appropriate chart downloaded onto my computer. I can zoom in and regain the detail, but at the zoom level that I need to capture the entire route on one screen (or one printed page), there is a glitch in the "quilting" of the various integrated NOAA charts.

Here are two screen shots of my problem, quilting glitch, and no glitch.

View attachment 220656View attachment 220657

Very interesting indeed! I have seen something similar doing some route planning in the past couple weeks. I thought I was just not running the chart setups correctly. Maybe there's more to it.

I'd suggest asking about this in the Cruisers and sailors forum dedicated to OpenCPN. They may have a solution.

dj

 

[mermike]

I use OCPN more and more, as my Garmin 742 is obsolete and the remote screen function is unreliable. I finally switched to running OCPN on my tablet and that has worked well.

I also ran into the quilting problem in the same chart. Rebuilding the chart database has helped, though not consistently.

 

[stephen_i_w]

This shows a part of the North Channel of Lake Huron. It illustrates one issue I have with O-Charts on OpenCPN. No matter how I try to view this chart, a part of it is always blanked in this way. When viewing NOAA charts on OpenCPN, I have no such difficulty. Also, I find there is less detail on the O-Charts, compared to either NOAA charts of the US or the Navionics charts. There some really useful planning tools on OpenCPN, a shame the poor quality of O-Charts ruins it.

 

[SoSound]

I use OCPN more and more, as my Garmin 742 is obsolete and the remote screen function is unreliable. I finally switched to running OCPN on my tablet and that has worked well.

I also ran into the quilting problem in the same chart. Rebuilding the chart database has helped, though not consistently.

Using a tablet in place of an old chartplotter sounds like a great solution, the price is certainly right.

Interesting, that you have a problem with the same chart, maybe corrupt or missing data in the chart itself? I just downloaded my charts, so I don’t have an earlier version. If you back up chart files, maybe it’s possible to check and see if an older version of the charts have the same problem?

 

[jssailem]

maybe corrupt or missing data in the chart itself?

Mastering the chart downloading process is a challenge. OpenCPN and O-Charts are not always easy to understand. I still have to relearn the structure.

Maybe I want and overview chart not a detail.. That mean is in the "Catalog" I limit the download to the bigger chart sections. This is with 0-Charts and NOAA charts. This works until you want to be detail oriented. In charting a route you want to know where all of the channels and rocks are hidden. If you just zoom in the quilting system looks for the detailed charts to quilt together. If you did not get that chart the program shows just the area in an off color (like shown in the above image). You can go back to the catalog and get just the chart desired. (referenced as Sturgeon Cove).

You can also get too much detail. The labels cover the map so that you cannot distinguish the coast line.

One feature I enjoy when working on open water passages, is the ability to export/import routes between Windy.com and OpenCPN.

 

[jssailem]

For example...
In Windy I can capture a map area. Select 2 points (as in this example 1 off the NW corner of Washington, and 2 the entrance to the Columbia River) then "export" the 2 points from Windy in GPX format.

Now I jump to OpenCPN and import these points. Using "Tools" "Route and Mark Manager". It imports as a "Track".


And it shows up as...



Here it can be manipulated as you desire. Add the info about the track, modify the color or the size/style of the track line etc... Here is the track as 2 points in dark red.


Even convert a track to a route ("To Route" key) .

It then shows up on the chart as a route with intermittent waypoints along the route.
Note it is a straight line on the chart... You can grab any of the waypoints and drag them to show a change in the route. I am showing the route in blue and the track in dark red.


Note the little eyeballs on the track and route screens. If you find that all that route or track images is too much to clearly understand the chart, click on the eyeball and the image is no longer displayed.



This is a feature rich software that takes some time to understand. But once you have played a little you may come to see all the potential functions that are available.

I have focused my learning on the charting and navigational functions. There is a whole other world of AIS, Grib weather charts, radar features still to be discovered. The program is evolving and you need to decide if you want the upgrades that are provided.

Be encouraged to explore. By the way you can move a route from OpenCPN to Windy just as easily using the GPX Import/Export function.

Having used several packages: CoastalExplorer (both PC and iPad), iNavx, AquaMap, Navionics, iSailor etc. For a Free download this is a powerful tool.

I use it on my Mac Laptop.

 

[mermike]

Using a tablet in place of an old chartplotter sounds like a great solution, the price is certainly right.

Interesting, that you have a problem with the same chart, maybe corrupt or missing data in the chart itself? I just downloaded my charts, so I don’t have an earlier version. If you back up chart files, maybe it’s possible to check and see if an older version of the charts have the same problem?

I don't save old chart files. I just rebuilt the chart database by checking "Scan Charts and Update Database" and "Force Full Database Rebuild" and the problem went away, at least for now.

 

[Tally Ho]

Using a tablet in place of an old chartplotter sounds like a great solution, the price is certainly right.

Interesting, that you have a problem with the same chart, maybe corrupt or missing data in the chart itself? I just downloaded my charts, so I don’t have an earlier version. If you back up chart files, maybe it’s possible to check and see if an older version of the charts have the same problem?

Am I correct that you cannot run Open CPN on an IPad?

I seem to remember that that was the case…I don’t have OpenCPN on my iPad, but I have it on my windows laptop.

Greg

 

[jssailem]

Based on your interest.. https://opencpn.org/OpenCPN/info/about.html

OpenCPN runs on a standard pc, or laptop. Supports Windows, Linux, and Mac OSX.

 

[SoSound]

There is a little of this in the parallel conversation in the Navionics thread, but I don't think it can be installed on an iPad or iPhone. It can be installed on a Windows PC or laptop, Mac OS (I'm using and M1 Mac Mini, @jssailem is using a Mac laptop), Android, and Linux (among others). My source is the list in the installation instructions at OpenCPN.org. I don't consider myself to be very up to date on personal software anymore, so I'm going to stop here.

 

[Tedd]

I've used it for a few trips now and I'm please with it. I won't be buying a commercial chart plotter.

I run OpenCPN on a Microsoft Surface Book 2 and display it through a 10" iSmartView display mounted under my dodger, so the laptop can stay safely below. Got the display for free from my brother-in-law and frequent crew member, who's a retired IT person. Weirdly, it's 12 V DC so I can power it directly from the boat's instrument cluster. GPS is provided by a USB dongle I bought from CanadaGPS.com for 65 CAD, plus shipping. Canada west-coast charts were 30 CAD from O-charts. So, only about a hundred bucks Canadian in total. (I think that's coffee at Starbucks for two, in USD.)

It's a completely workable system as-is, but a bit awkward with cables, power adapters, and what not. One of my winter projects will be a dedicated system built into the boat's instrument cluster. It will run on a Raspberry Pi. Initially, I'll use the same display I'm using now but I might spring for a bigger one at some point.

 

[Allan12210]

For those so inclined, OCPN runs on a Raspberry Pi 3. It's not quite as portable as a tablet or phone but I used mine below deck connected to a monitor. There are YouTube instructions on how to do this. It's been so long, the details now escape me. What was nice is I hooked it via USB to a small GPS puck (BU-353) and my AIS receiver. I bought a small rechargeable Bluetooth keyboard/track pad. I would easily take it back and forth home and preload routes as .gpx files. Later I would save my bread crumb trail for future route planning. The photo is of it at home.

 

[JBP-PA]

I have the same quilting problem frequently. Note that detailed charts are available, and I can force OpenCpn to use them by touching the blue & green chart selector buttons at the bottom. But whenever I zoom out even a bit it fails to choose a chart. This is the Dave Register Android version.

 

[SoSound]

Yeah... I would want a little more detail than the 10 NMi scaled chart. Interesting that most of our examples which have quilting problems are near the border with Canada (or some other international chart overlap?). It looks like the Erie chart has at least one additional more detailed chart available, do you have it loaded as well? It's the same with my charts of the San Juan Islands, the area where my quilting goes crazy has overlapping charts at 1:25,000, 1:80,000, and 1:3,500,000. Maybe it's time for one of us to try the forum where we might find real knowledgable resources and possible solutions?

 

[JBP-PA]

It looks like the Erie chart has at least one additional more detailed chart available, do you have it loaded as well?

Yes, I have everything from "Erie Harbor" up to "Great Lakes" loaded. Opencpn just seems to ignore them occasionally. Since I can manually pick one, it hasn't been too much of a problem.

 

[jssailem]

What it appears to be is a conflict between using Raster charts and ENC charts.
Here I am using ENC charts for both the US and Canada. The Canadian charts are from O-Charts (deeply discounted) and the US are from NOAA (free).

Here is the San Juan's, the area that the US charts over lap the border with Canada.

Here is the section where the US and Canadian charts are quilted together. Note coloration change. The depths go from Fathoms/Feet to Meters and the charts reflect this change in the colors of the water depths and the contours.

If I zoom in the Canadian quilted charts take over as I am looking at only Canadian waters.

When you are looking at two different sources of data, you need to be aware that they will be presented differently to you based on the way they are coded.

I suspect that some of what you pay to companies like Navionics (for their charts) is the homogenization/normalizing of the data to make the charts all appear identical. Unless they are very careful with this process data can be lost or modified.

 

[jssailem]

Ok. I tried to reproduce the issue shown by @JBP-PA . I do not have the US Charts loaded for Erie. I used what I do have loaded. The screen image shows the area of Florida (NOAA Charts) and the NE Canada/St Lawrence (O-Chart for Canada/Atlantic). You can see the differences at the 100KM range on the chart. I can see the two separate charts quilted together. The area in the middle is where I have not loaded charts. When the quilting function does not have a "layer" to display (at the zoom level) it resorts to display the Base chart provided.

the Base

 

[jssailem]

In order to deal with this you need to download the additional charts for the area you want covered. In the Raster Chart mode, it was easy. The Charts were all provided and as you zoomed up and down the software just flipped internal pages from one chart to another.

Now with the advent of ENC charts, the data stream must be there to display the layers. If you as missing some of the data due to downloading some but not all of the files the system attempts to compensate. Go back to the Chart Download function and add the additional charts. Then be sure to "Prepare all ENC Charts" function on Chart files.