If you re-use pieces of routes, or want to include a section of another route on the route you're planning, the route segment sharing is the way to go. It's particularly helpful in ICW planning- I have a multitude of routes that I've accumulated over the almost 10 yrs cruising the ICW with CE. The problem is, you typically use the same route, but the day's run doesn't coincide with the saved route. Enter the segment sharing function. Makes it much easier to re-use routes, altering the start/stop points without the need to create a completely new route. There's a
YouTube video that demos how to use it, it can be a bit of a learning curve, but use it a bit, and you'll master it quickly.
Since I typically route plan on the laptop, and use the ship's computer to navigate, I'll plan the route on the laptop in the evening, then export it to a named file. I'll then copy it to the Nav file directory on the ship's computer, or just retrieve it from the laptop via the network to the ship's computer in the morning before heading out. That way, I maintain an inventory of saved routes to choose from that's independent of the "Voyage file" I'm using.
I have created different "voyage files" for use in various regions; for ex, I have a ICW North.nob and ICW south.nob file, since the routes for north/south travel vary according to the direction of travel. I also name saved routes with a directional orientation as well. As an ex. one route is Brswk-Port Royal OS. Another for inside travel, you get the idea. Another "voyage file" is for the Bahamas, Another for Canadian travel, New England, Chesapeake, etc. I find that it helps keep the file size smaller and more manageable, and also helps to better organize content- tracks, routes, marks, etc.
If you're only using a portion of CE's capabilities, push yourself a bit to explore some of its untapped potential. It's not difficult to learn, worth the effort!
