Active Captain

windmist said:

Correct me if I'm wrong but it looks to me that you have to be on line to use it. I don't see anyway to download the information to a memory stick for use on the boat computer.

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80% of ActiveCaptain use today is offline using one of the navigation products that license our data (for free). Included with that is our own ActiveCaptain Companion app (also free) for iOS, Android, Windows, and Macintosh OSX. The Companion is a different kind of thing - I wrote newsletter item about it recently because it has been misunderstood:
https://activecaptain.com/newsletters/2014-11-26.php

20% of ActiveCaptain use it on the website. That is the only use today that is "online". Using ActiveCaptain on any of the apps that have it built in requires no internet connection at all. Every marina, anchorage, bridge, hazard, etc along with all reviews are kept offline - our entire website. When you have an internet connection, you can synchronize the app with our server to make sure you have the latest info. What gets downloaded is everything that has changed since the last time you sync'd it. It's pretty quick and should be done every day before taking off underway - it will take under a minute of sync time like that.

At the Miami Boat Show in a couple of months, the first manufacturer is releasing ActiveCaptain on their MFD's built in and offline (releasing, not announcing). Another might be announcing support and a third is working out the details. The fourth (there are only 4 major manufacturers) surely knows about it but hasn't moved forward. We believe that having ActiveCaptain on chartplotters will reduce website use down to 10%.

And when the OpenCPN PlugIn is released (January?), that'll knock web site use by another 3-5% bringing it down to about 5% of total use.

The bottom line...our goal is to have 0% of boaters using the website for planning and analysis. For pure ActiveCaptain exploration, you should be using it on your navigation product. There are plenty to choose from and if yours doesn't support ActiveCaptain, you can replace it or augment it with a variety that do.

Jeffrey S said:

I've been involved with the developers of OpenCPN for a while. The problem is that their licensing (it is licensed) conflicted with the license and requirements we have for ActiveCaptain. It's a complex area and caused years of disagreement between me and the OpenCPN community.

After years of trying to figure out a way, a new capability coming with a server product I'm working on shined a light on a way out of the licensing issues. I'm currently working with one of the main OpenCPN developers on an ActiveCaptain PlugIn. He's writing the OCPN part and I'm developing a new open API to ActiveCaptain that doesn't need the same type of licensing. OpenCPN will be the first user of it. Development is progressing well - I'll attach some screenshots. All of them are real - I just made them based on where we are right now with the latest version of OpenCPN. Note that the PlugIn still has some development to go and has not been released yet.

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This is absolutely fantastic news. I'll be patient.

My offer still stands if you need test or dev resources (especially on ARM boards)

mattkab said:

My offer still stands if you need test or dev resources (especially on ARM boards)

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I'm sure some early testing will be desired. There's a section on CruisersForum.com just about OpenCPN and announcements will likely happen there. It's their PlugIn to release and we're definitely write about it in a weekly newsletter when there's news.

Tom.B said:

Hello group--- The mod team has received Jeff's inquiry and will discuss it. However, being that I am the first to see this, I will say that I, currently, don't see a problem with either continuing on with an Active Captain Q&A session or the starting of an AC101 thread in the commercial section.

HOWEVER!!!! Be aware that we have guidelines to commercial content and commercial members so that our community is not totally inundated with people trying to mine your data or get you to buy Rolex watches It also keeps 'em honest. Please, please, please keep it ON TOPIC and don't put Jeff in a position where he has to defend Active Captain against other competing companies or other boating services. STAY ON THE SUBJECT OF ACTIVE CAPTAIN... ONLY! Should petty arguments, posturing, personal attacks, trolling, or even minor thread creep stray into the thread, we will deal with that per the community rules.

We'll discuss it among ourselves, but for the time being, y'all have at it. We'll be in touch.

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Thanks really looking forward to the active captain 101 thread if you guys can make it possible

mattkab said:

This is absolutely fantastic news. I'll be patient.

My offer still stands if you need test or dev resources (especially on ARM boards)

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agreed it is fantastic exciting stuff

What are the flags attached to some of the marina icons? Some have a flag with a (*), others have (1st) and some have (1st C)

Here's a question...

I use Active Captain on my laptop, and like it. Most oof whaqt I like is the marina ratings.

Is there a way to use it on my IPAD?

Thanks

Reveille said:

What are the flags attached to some of the marina icons? Some have a flag with a (*), others have (1st) and some have (1st C)

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Marinas with a special icons are sponsor marinas. They are selected by us and allowed to pay for more exposure. We don't accept all facilities who want to be sponsors. 1st Choice facilities are sponsors who average more than 4 stars by users. Ones with Co-Op symbols have a special deal happening right now that we approved - it's time sensitive and something quite good or else we won't approve it. And there's a new WiFi icon on a few marinas that have verified exceptional WiFi - good enough for streaming video on multiple devices while also doing normal web use.

ksanders said:

Is there a way to use it on my IPAD?

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Definitely - many ways. Better ways!

Check out:
https://activecaptain.com/navProducts.php

windmist said:

I look at AC in the comfort of my living room but not on the boat. Correct me if I'm wrong but it looks to me that you have to be on line to use it. I don't see anyway to download the information to a memory stick for use on the boat computer.

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If you have a wifi/cellular iPad you do not have to be online to use charting apps like Navimatics because the wifi/cellular models of iPad contain a stand-alone GPS/Glonas receiver. The wifi-only models do not. The is why the charting/positioning/tracking app Navimatics (which is NOT a plotter app) will work perfectly with no connectivity at all. And if one has downloaded the Active Captain data base to Navimatics, no connectivity is required to use it, either.

Connectivity IS required if you want to submit information to Active Captain or download the database.

Which to me is brilliant because we can use Navimatics and Active captain without regards to cellular or wifi signals because we don't need them

There are land applications that are similar--- I have a world streetmap app which, once you download the maps you want, will then track your position, and with the new version you can even enter routes to folllow, all with no connectivity at all. So I've used it out in the middle of China, on our France trip the other month, in Australia, Brazil, the Middle East, and so on.

But only the wifi/celular models of iPads will do this. My wife's newer mini, for example, is a wifi/cellular version and has all the same appls my full-size iPads have. You do not have to have a cellular account, only a cellular iPad.

(The clerks in the electronics stores dont seem to know this, however. The techs in an Apple Store should. The info is in the iPad specs but you have to drill down to find it.)

I do not know if any of this applies to the iPad Air. I have not drilled down into the specs to see if the wifi/cellular Air has the same GPS/Glonas stand alone receiever as the regular iPad models.

As one can see from the two screen shots I posted, the iPad app Navimatics with Active Captain activated and the database downloaded is a terrifc tool. We use it in place of the big chartbooks we keep at the helm. Unlike a charbook or a stand-alone plotter, of which we have two on board, the Navimatics app lets you zoom in and out and pan around all with a few finger swipes to get the big picture or zoom in for the super-detailed picture. And with Active Captain layered onto it, it makes Navimatics the equivelent of a cruising guide. Better, in fact, because you can move around on it so fast. It has become as important a tool for us, particularly on a longer cruise, than the plotters, radar, and radios.

The iPad in the shot below is happily plotting our exact position on the screen and leaving a track, and is displaying all the Active Captain database links on the chart, any one of which could be tapped to get the information displayed. Both the wifi and cellular connection buttons on the iPad's control panel are turned off. And if my wife wanted to, she could zoom in to just the tightest part of the passage with one reverse pinch of the fingers

Bloody brilliant thing you've created here, Jeffery.

siestakey said:

Jeffery

we should start a slow learner training thread for active captain

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X2

Greetings,
Mr. Jeffery. X3

X 4

We hear you. The consensus among mods is emerging, and will probably end up, general info & experiences, feedback, tip exchange, etc. re AC in the 101 thread, and ongoing tuition via the AC website. Watch this space.

Peter B said:

We hear you. The consensus among mods is emerging, and will probably end up, general info & experiences, feedback, tip exchange, etc. re AC in the 101 thread, and ongoing tuition via the AC website. Watch this space.

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Thanks guys

Last summer we cruised the ICW from Tampa to the Chesapeake and found AC the most valuable planning tool in our tool box.

When I finally figured out AC Companion, about the time we hit northern FL, it became our constant companion on the helm. This is a safety device that anyone cruising in shoal prone waters should have.
Companion is not a chart plotter and I think this has confused a lot of people. It is simply a hazard alerting program. The built in maps are not detailed enough but when run with a mapping program like Plan 2 Nav or many others, it is easy to get detailed mapping info on upcoming hazards. I believe Jeffery has indicate he has plans to infuse more detailed maps within Companion, but at this point I don't see the need.

Jeffery has indicated some chartplotter makers will include AC data on future models. I suspect Garmin may lead the way on this since they were the first (I believe) to incorporate AC data on their nav PC software. I just hope they allow backward compatibility. About a year ago I posted a suggestion on including AC data on Garmin plotters on their forum but never got a reply.

I'm another supporter of a separate AC 101 thread topic. The more people that use it the better the data. I also would like to learn more about e-boat cards something I haven't taken the time to learn.

manyboats said:

The only thing about Navamatics I don't like is the lack of names .. towns, bodies of water ect.

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I think this is a problem with all electronic charts. I've had to pull paper charts out several times to gain situational awareness. I'm not sure there is an answer to this.

timjet said:

Last summer we cruised the ICW from Tampa to the Chesapeake and found AC the most valuable planning tool in our tool box.

When I finally figured out AC Companion, about the time we hit northern FL, it became our constant companion on the helm. This is a safety device that anyone cruising in shoal prone waters should have.
Companion is not a chart plotter and I think this has confused a lot of people. It is simply a hazard alerting program. The built in maps are not detailed enough but when run with a mapping program like Plan 2 Nav or many others, it is easy to get detailed mapping info on upcoming hazards. I believe Jeffery has indicate he has plans to infuse more detailed maps within Companion, but at this point I don't see the need.

Jeffery has indicated some chartplotter makers will include AC data on future models. I suspect Garmin may lead the way on this since they were the first (I believe) to incorporate AC data on their nav PC software. I just hope they allow backward compatibility. About a year ago I posted a suggestion on including AC data on Garmin plotters on their forum but never got a reply.

I'm another supporter of a separate AC 101 thread topic. The more people that use it the better the data. I also would like to learn more about e-boat cards something I haven't taken the time to learn.

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Thanks for your input sounds like you already have a good bit more knowledge then me

I think sometime the hardest part of learning a new software program is trying to decide if the program has value for your specific need and then how to use it to satisfy that particular need.

TJ,
Thanks for the input on #47 and sounds very objective on #49.

timjet said:

I think this is a problem with all electronic charts. I've had to pull paper charts out several times to gain situational awareness. I'm not sure there is an answer to this.

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I had the same problem ... lack of big picture view. I found having a second device with bigger screen set to smaller scale/zoom and set north up functions as well as paper chart. It provides redundancy and backup device as well. I use iPad with Navionics for this ... in addition to two chartplotters, one integrated with radar, another with sounder.

timjet said:

I think this is a problem with all electronic charts. I've had to pull paper charts out several times to gain situational awareness. I'm not sure there is an answer to this.

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There is, but it requires new coding. And for the app producer, who may have moved on to something else, this may be an unwarranted expense. Plus app producers generally try to keep things backwards-compatible, at least up to a point, because a good chunk of their market is using older devices. So they have to be careful not to change their coding to the point of making the app not work right or at all on older versions of the devices.

The only complaint we have about the Navimatics edition we have is that the names of bodies of water like bays, channels, inlets, etc. do not appear until one is quite zoomed in. And the name is just in one place, so you have to move around on the screen until you find it.

As shown in the photo I posted earlier we place the iPad we're using underway on top of the chartboard to the left of the helm. So the paper chart info is all still right there should we need it.

I believe there is a newer version of Navimatics available now and this problem may have been eliminated. But it's not a free update, it's a whole new edition. Since the names thing is our only complaint about the edition we have now, we've not seen fit to buy it again.

Marin said:

There is, but it requires new coding. And for the app producer, who may have moved on to something else, this may be an unwarranted expense.

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Marin, I was thinking more of chartplotters. But you make a good point.

Richard probably has the best solution, 2 chartplotters which we have. One zoomed to show detail the other zoomed to show situational awareness.

timjet said:

I think this is a problem with all electronic charts. I've had to pull paper charts out several times to gain situational awareness. I'm not sure there is an answer to this.

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Absolutely right - always have paper chart to check against anyway, I say. I bet the crew on board the Volvo 65 which just ran onto a reef in the leg up from Capetown to Abu Dhabi wished they had done that. Apparently did not zoom in enough on their electronic, (read GPS plotter), chart, and did not realise the reef was a reef, but thought it was just an undersea mount, but a closer zoom, or check with a chart, would have shown it was a reef - one that dries out at low tide in fact, and is quite large in area as well. How did that go in 'Pretty Woman'..? "Big mistake…big…huge…"…something like that. Expensive too.

I've been given permission to go ahead and start an ActiveCaptain 101 thread. It has been set up along with the first step to getting started:
http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s57/activecaptain-101-a-17877.html

I've been told that this thread will be closed and the conversation should move to the commercial thread.

cardude01 said:

I have to say, without Active Captain my short two day maiden voyage would have been much less enjoyable. I think I encountered around 40 bridges on the trip, but using AC it was so easy to pull up the info beforehand and check to see if I would fit under them or if I needed to call the bridge tender. If i needed an opening all the specific opening info was listed as well as the opening times so I could time the next bridge.

I found myself using AC more than my chart plotter at times because it was so helpful. I ran it on my Ipad through Garmin Blue Charts. Think I spent $29.95 for the Garmin app but it is well worth that IMO.

I also used Active Captain to help me decide on a marina. I stayed at Old Port Cove because of the good reviews on AC, and man was that a nice place! Great service, free bottle of wine at check in, great bar and restaurant, and very clean and updated bathrooms.

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Me TOO.

From Nova Scotia to the Bahamas, it was my number one tool, integrated into polar view, it was just what a novice needed.

Jeffrey

OK, this coming summer we are planning about 3000 nm of cruising from say Roche Harbor to Glacier Bay and return. We have charts, Waggoners, Douglas/Hemingway and other guides and information. Chart plotters galore including Navionics on an IPad too. We are not newbies to this area, marinas or anchorages - based upon previous trips to the cruising grounds in question.

Here are 3 questions:

1. What additional information will AC provide that is necessary?
2. Cell phone and Wifi coverage is limited to at most every 3rd day, does this pose an issue?
3. What Microsoft software is compatible, ditto Apple, with AC?

Thanks

sunchaser said:

1. What additional information will AC provide that is necessary?

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From the comfort of your armchair, go explore. You'll see.

In general, the data is kept more current because the media is electronic. And instead of an emphasis on some type of expert commentary guiding you, we believe that hundreds of thousands of boaters out there produce better and more appropriate information about a marina or anchorage.

There's a reason that NOAA licenses ActiveCaptain for updating their own charts. That happened after a couple of years of analysis by them.

sunchaser said:

2. Cell phone and Wifi coverage is limited to at most every 3rd day, does this pose an issue?

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It's completely offline (except for directly getting onto the website which only 20% of users do). When you have internet access, every product will synchronize to the server to update everything that's changed before you head out into the wild again.

sunchaser said:

3. What Microsoft software is compatible, ditto Apple, with AC?

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There are a bunch:
https://activecaptain.com/navProducts.php

If you have both Mac's and PC/Windows, PolarView will be quite attractive. If you want a really full-featured Windows charting product, Coastal Explorer, Nobeltec, or MaxSea are high-end products. There are others too including my own ActiveCaptain Companion that's free for Windows and Mac OSX (but it isn't a chartplotter).

So is anyone using this in Southern California or Mexico ? looks like mostly East Coast and abit in the PNW. I like the idea but haven't bought into the tool yet.

There has been a new thread started in the Commercial Section of Trawler Forum to allow for an open discussion of Active Captain capabilities and techniques. Here's a link to that thread.

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s57/activecaptain-101-a-17877.html

Subscribers to the thread can receive email notifications of updates to the discussion thread. Happy cruising!!