iPAD Marine Chart Question

ScottM

ScottM

Taxi to Parking
Joined
Jul 19, 2005
Messages
42,530
Location
Variable, but somewhere on earth
Display Name
Display name:
iBazinga!
Anyone on PoA who is also a mariner that uses the iPad for marine navigation? If so is there a Foreflight like product with marine charts on it?
 
Here's a response from my brother to your question:

"Yes, you can get nautical charts for your iPad and I suppose you could use them along with a paper chart for navigation on small private vessels. My question is why? There are so many inexpensive chart plotters out there that are more suited to operating in the harsh marine environment. Most will now interface with the vessel's radar and give you a picture with chart and radar data. You can get a good one for under a $1000.00 and an ok one for around $500.00. I personally would not take my iPad out on my boat unless I had a water/shock proof case. I would not use it aboard a commercial vessel for navigation."

Since I was an airdale in the Navy and never learned the correct nautical terms and all that, I can't give you his credentials, other than "his job involves boats" and he's got some licenses and certifications :)
 
gkainz said:
Here's a response from my brother to your question:

"Yes, you can get nautical charts for your iPad and I suppose you could use them along with a paper chart for navigation on small private vessels. My question is why? There are so many inexpensive chart plotters out there that are more suited to operating in the harsh marine environment. Most will now interface with the vessel's radar and give you a picture with chart and radar data. You can get a good one for under a $1000.00 and an ok one for around $500.00. I personally would not take my iPad out on my boat unless I had a water/shock proof case. I would not use it aboard a commercial vessel for navigation."

Since I was an airdale in the Navy and never learned the correct nautical terms and all that, I can't give you his credentials, other than "his job involves boats" and he's got some licenses and certifications :)
Click to expand...

I can't fault what he said.
 
gkainz said:
Here's a response from my brother to your question:

"Yes, you can get nautical charts for your iPad and I suppose you could use them along with a paper chart for navigation on small private vessels. My question is why? There are so many inexpensive chart plotters out there that are more suited to operating in the harsh marine environment. Most will now interface with the vessel's radar and give you a picture with chart and radar data. You can get a good one for under a $1000.00 and an ok one for around $500.00. I personally would not take my iPad out on my boat unless I had a water/shock proof case. I would not use it aboard a commercial vessel for navigation."

Since I was an airdale in the Navy and never learned the correct nautical terms and all that, I can't give you his credentials, other than "his job involves boats" and he's got some licenses and certifications :)
Click to expand...
The answer to his question about why I would want to use the iPad for Marine charts is that I plan on using it in the aircraft cockpit along with Foreflight. Why do I care about marine charts in cockpit will be the next question. The answer to that is to better communicate with USCG surface vessels during aviation operations for the USCG and USCG Aux which I do fly. We have played with paper marine charts in the plane and they are just too bug and bulky. Having access to the same nav information that the surface guys use just makes things a little easier. An example where lat/long exchange just does not work is on a couple of canals and rivers in the Chicago area. The surface guys use mile markers to state where things are at. It is a PITA to convert to their system so a lot of time we just guess. This could make life a lot easier.
 
Hey Scott - here's my brother's reply to above:
----------------------------------------------
Okay now that makes perfect sense! I have spent numerous hours in aircraft spotting oil slicks dealing with the same sort of issues wishing I had a tool like the iPad.

I use a program on my MAC laptop called MAC ENC. You can plug a remote GPS antenna into your USB port and use it like a commercial grade ships navigation computer. In fact it's the system we use on our smaller vessels (50 to 100 ft); on our larger vessels we use a windows based system called Nobletech. It is a complicated system and I would not recommend for the occasional user.

I did find on the mac enc web sight www.macenc.com that they have a version for iPads and iPhones called iNacX. I haven't tried the program but if it is anything like the full version it should give you all the information that you are looking for. If you give it a try, let me know how it works out.

Jeff
----------------------------------------------
 
Isn't the lingua franca just to tell 'em to give you a lat/long or you do the same? Aren't you just reporting distressed vessel locations?

If you're getting stuff like "3 miles from the breakwater", just tell the guy sitting at a nice cushy desk on the ground that you'll head that direction and to give you a lat/long or approximate lat/long from HIS chart. You're busy aviating or looking out the window. It's a lot easier for him/her to do it than you fussing with Marine charts in the aircraft.

Seems to work just fine for ground teams from aircraft... both directions. I've done the nice thing and gotten out a topo and helped them figure out which fire road to go up to get to that lat/long, but that's secondary service when crew and conditions permit. They can navigate toba lat/long on their own.

Everybody can find a lat/long on whatever tool/chart/system they're using, I hope?!
 
denverpilot said:
Isn't the lingua franca just to tell 'em to give you a lat/long or you do the same? Aren't you just reporting distressed vessel locations?
Click to expand...
No and no to you two questions. There is more to it than that. As I mentioned on some of the waterways the use of mile markers is they way that things are referenced. There is also a lot of work done with marine nav aids and the description of those nav aids is on the marine charts. Then there is just the simple fact that our air charts lack the details of the marine environment that are helpful when reporting more than just distress situation. Which btw is a tiny portion of what is being done.

The uscg aux supplements the uscg for air operations doing a lot of what we call marine environment patrols. We verify and check operation of nav aids, hazards to navigation, spot incoming and outgoing vessels, other targets of information. In the Chicago area we spot a lot of issues with a couple of fish barriers on the Ill river. We also help the investigative service with areal recon on cases that they have open. Further north in the great lakes, especially in winter the big thing is spotting illegal entry to the us from canada and another is illegal fishing. Sure lat and long is e way most stuff gets reported. But sometimes it helps to have the same chart that the boat crew has to see what they mint be looking at. Our air charts lack that sort of detail. As a pilot I don't need the marine chart as much as my right seat air crew member does. He is the guy on the marine radio talking to the surface facilities and stations. This way they are all on the same page.
 
Last edited:
ScottM said:
No and no to you two questions. There is more to it than that. As I mentioned on some of the waterways the use of mile markers is they way that things are referenced. There is also a lot of work done with marine nav aids and the description of those nav aids is on the marine charts. Then there is just the simple fact that our air charts lack the details of the marine environment that are helpful when reporting more than just distress situation.
Click to expand...

Once thing I have noticed with some digital charting systems is that nav aid characteristics are not printed.
 
Skyvector used to have a marine chart viewer similar to their aeronautical chart site. Can't seem to find the link at the moment but it was reasonably iPhone friendly.

I assume you know about INavX?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top