NOAA is publishing free marine charts...

[Derek Rowell]

... well not quite, but the news is exciting. They are in the process of making available for free download their Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) suite that is effectively a set of databases from which charts may be constructed. I understand that they currently have 190 charts available with more being added. All that is required is a software package to draw the charts from the database.  Take a look at the link below. Some questions immediately jump to mind: does this mean the end of the expensive charting modules for electronic plotters? Will the hardware manufacturers embrace the new public-domain data sets and write software directly into GPS and plotters so that it will be possible to download charts for free on to inexpensive memory cards (such as Smart Media, etc) instead of C-Map etc? Will MapTech be out of business?Also there will be little problem of keeping a current chart set, because they wil be continually updating the databases with Notices To Mariners. A simple download will refresh your charts.A list of viewers (some free) is available at:http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/resource.htm190 charts is not many, but my understanding is that their goal is to have seamless coverage of the US coast soon.Derek

 

[Justin - O'day Owners' Web]

Cool

At a minimum it ought to mean that those using computer based systems will be set. I use my laptop instead of a chartplotter. I'd love free updates.Justin - O'day Owners' Web

 

[Ron]

ENC Formats

These charts are in a digital format (IHO S-57 NOAA ENC Product Specification) that most commercial nav software I've seen won't directly load. I think they are intended for release to commercial vendors to then be reformatted/packaged as products to consumers.That said, it probably won't be long before the hackers out there come up with something as freeware. That may then drive the commercial vendors to follow suit -- but, don't hold your breath ... their market strategies may have to be re-thought. MapTech, for instance, takes in the NOAA RNC products, repackages them & sells the digitized chartkits, and gives away the nav planning software. Obviously, that strategy wouldn't work too well with the freebie ENCs.Of more interest to consumers is that NOAA now has a "publish on demand (POD)" program for "just in time" chart preparation with all the available updates when you order it.--Ron

 

[Jose Venegas]

MaxSea can read them

And has a lot of nice features for a modest cost. See Link