Chris Medway has just published an interactive book about Chart Navigator and Tides Planner, in which he describes passage planning and how to use the apps. Chris is a very methodical sailor and plans passages in very good detail. You can get the book at https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/ipad-route-planning-using/id570412841?mt=11 .
Professional photographer Julian Calverley uses Tides Planner to time the best moment for photographs at the seaside. ‘… I’m an advertising photographer and use the tides app for achieving tide crucial shots like the one below…’
See more of his stunning photographs at www.juliancalverley.com.
New in the app store, the Boat Instruments app connects to NMEA WiFi repeaters and displays boat instruments and AIS in configurable screen instruments.
AIS, GPS and instruments for your boat. Essential and useful companion to boat instrumentation or to complement the GPS functions of your device. The app connects through Wifi to NMEA bridges that transmit instrumentation and AIS data. You can configure flexible pages of analog and digital instruments, which display realistic gauges and panels:
● Depth, speed, course, wind, location, rudder, rpm. More instruments in future versions.
The AIS screen shows relative position, speed and course for nearby targets that the on board AIS receiver is reporting. A minimum safe distance can be used to show warnings about potential collisions. The relative direction of travel of targets is shown in colours to indicate relative position in 5, 10 and 20 minutes.
● Relative course and speed, collision detection, forecast position.
Works with many WiFi enabled AIS transceivers and boat devices like Digital Yacht iAIS, SailTimer Windvane and Brookhouse iMUX.
Tides Planner now includes 2013 and 2014 as well as the new Tidal Atlas for the UK coastline.
- The App is free to start with. The initial mode is ‘day predictions’.
- You then go to Tools>App extensions and get the year, which will allow the app to make predictions beyond one day. In future years you update year on year.
- The 7 day restriction in European countries (UK/Ireland/Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal) can be removed with a hydrographic licence. This is done only once, and will remain valid in future years.
- NB: for France a hydrographic licence is always needed
Please note that the 7 day restriction in Europe (1 day in France) blocks predictions for 2013 until the beginning of 2013. Predictions will work from that date.
Tides Planner 11 users should migrate to the free Tides Planner and get the appropriate extensions.
Swim from the Mull of Kintyre to Northern Ireland – world first
On 26 August 2012 Wayne Soutter became the first swimmer to ever make the crossing between the Mull of Kintyre and Northern Ireland, taking 12 hours of incredible stamina and perseverance to overcome the challenges of the North Channel tidal streams and very rapidly worsening weather. The route and feeding schedule had been carefully planned ahead but the conditions of the day took over at dusk when the wind picked up to F5-6, the sea became rough in swell of 3m and landing south of Fair Head became impossible. Tides of 3-5 knots swept Wayne and landing finally took place at Kinbane Head, on the western side of Ballycastle Bay. Huge congratulations to Wayne!
The image is from the track captured on the day by Carlos using Chart Navigator.
Many thanks to Lisa at the National Ocean Service who kindly provided a detail tidal stream model. Congratulations to the support team of Sean, Joe and Gerard from the Community Rescue Service who steered the boats and provided invaluable local knowledge and hospitality, Bernie ashore who tirelessly kept everybody around the world abreast of events (and who often also corrected our data in the frenzy of communications), friends Paul, Johnny and Mark who maintained the swimming and feeding schedule and provided Wayne with ongoing support, Gary who monitored and recorded the event, and Carlos who put his sailing and tides knowledge plus app to use for the navigational plans.
Charts Navigator was awarded the 2012 Best Digital Data Product at the International Map Trade Association which took place in June in Dresden.
Happy sailing!
Version 2.0 of the free charts app is available at the App Store. This update introduces downloads of chart sets directly from the app, including 2012 versions of the existing chart apps. Chart sets available:
- North Sea 2012
- Netherlands NL1800 2012
- English Channel 2012
- Germany BSH charts North Sea 2012
- Germany BSH charts Baltic 2012
- West UK and Ireland 2012
- Atlantic France and Iberia 2012
- West Mediterranean 2012
- Central Mediterranean 2012
- East Mediterranean 2012
- East Caribbean 2012
Users of 2011 Chart Navigator apps can migrate to the 2012 charts at a reduced update price.
NEW in 2.0:
- Chart downloading from the Imray Charts Navigator app.
- GPX format import/export of waypoints and routes.
- Auto zooming when switching between charts.
- Usability and presentation enhancements. Thank you to all users for your feedback.
David enjoys holidays in the south west of Ireland: “This is why the tides are so important! This is Barrow harbour just around the headland from Fenit, when the sun shines it is one of the best places in the world… Boats have a limited window at high tide, the best prawns are caught an hour into the incoming tide… your app has proved invaluable in planning, shame you can’t forecast the weather as well! “
Aircraft pilot Raoul flies the link to Ascension Island and has big plans.
‘Whenever I can I try to take a boat out fishing [Ascension]… about to
purchase a motorsailer for which we have great plans when I retire from Flying… So your Tides App is essential around the Globe’.
Version 2.0 of the free charts app is available at the App Store. This update introduces downloads of chart sets directly from the app, including 2012 versions of the existing chart apps. Chart sets available:
