Making a Chartplotter out of your Laptop for under $225

Presented byLt/C Bob Eure, AP, February 10, 2009

This article assumes you already have a computer that you can use on your boat, therefore, this cost is not included. To make a chartplotter out of your laptop, you need four things, (1) a laptop computer, (2) chartplotter software, (3) a GPS receiver, and (4) electronic raster nautical charts. Very specific items are required to bring this together for under $225.

For the chartplotter software, you need Maptech’s Offshore Navigator. Offshore Navigator GPS planning and chartplotting software is a real-time navigation program fully compatible with Maptech/BSB charts. You can use it to plan routes, print route plans and show your real-time GPS position right on the PC screen. Maptech’s web site claims this is available for sale separately without charts though no price is provided at

http://www.maptechnavigation.com/water/offshorenavigator/index.cfm.

It is also available for the low price of $99.95 from

http://www.landfallnavigation.com/emonav.html and

http://www.captainsnautical.com/11828/Maptech-Offshore-Navigator.html.

Make sure your laptop meets the minimum requirements to run this software. I know Windows XP works.

For the GPS receiver, Maptech offers two compatible units. One is the iGPS USB GPS Receiver for $99.95 and features a 32 channel design, is WAAS & EGNOS enabled, NMEA compatible, & a magnetic housing for secure positioning. The other is the Zenstar III GPS with USB Connector for $119.95 and features a 3 meter cable that connects to standard USB ports, an antenna that draws power from the USB port, a compact size of 1 3/4" x 2 1/2" x 3/4", a waterproof integrated antenna/receiver, 20 channel design, with 1 to 5 meter typical accuracy and quick satellite acquisition time. You can order either of these from http://www.maptechnavigation.com/accessories/usbgps/index.cfm.

You are up to about $220, but what about the charts? Through an agreement between the government and Maptech, the NOAA offers free compatible electronic nautical charts. Charts are available at http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/Raster/index.htm. NOAA’s Raster Navigation Charts (RNC) are geo-referenced, digital images of NOAA navigational charts. Because the images are geo-referenced, you can display your vessel’s position on the chart image with a computer-based navigation system that is connected to a Global Positioning System (GPS) as explained above. As long as you have a dry location to use the laptop, this can serve as a primary or backup navigation capability!

LT/C Bob Eure, AP