Mark and Diana Doyle, bless ’em, are a couple of sailors who re-invented the cruising guide when they put together the book they’d like to see while cruising the Intracoastal Waterway. Another guide followed, with more in the works. (Once started, it seems they can’t help themselves.)
As it stands right now, they’ll take you from Hampton Roads, Virginia, to the Dry Tortugas beyond Key West. Their company, called semi-local publications, with the tagline “books for the wandering soul,” has become something of a phenomenon among those transiting the ICW.
But this cruising couple really created a winner when they compiled an inexpensive DVD set that includes the latest version of each chart you’ll need to cruise all the waters in the U.S. and possessions, including the inland trails, such as the Mississippi River and the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway. “Sure,” you say, “all the NOAA charts are available for free download.” Indeed they are. Where do you think Mark and Diana get them?
The magic in what these two do for you for $39.95 is this: they do all the downloading of those large raster and vector files and organize them in nine geographic cruising regions so you can find what you’re looking for. What’s your time worth, after all? You could go rooting around on the NOAA website and do the endless downloads yourself. Or for just under $40 you can buy a two-disc set, which will give you the latest versions, compact and organized.
Called Managing the Waterway: Electronic Charts, the set includes more than 3,000 charts. This includes the harbor charts and other incidental charts that you might not bother with if you had to buy each chart or download it individually. It will cover you if you choose to go somewhere unplanned at the last minute. It will provide charts for dreaming. With apologies to Dr. Seuss: “Oh, the places you’ll go!”
The chart set includes Raster Navigational Charts (RNCs), vector Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs), and vector Inland Electronic Navigation Charts (IENCs). Mark and Diana tell us these charts are compatible with all leading manufacturers of charting and navigation software. I believe them because they work even with my Macintosh, which runs our boat’s electronic software using GPSNavX. Other compatible applications include Fugawi, Nobeltec, The Capn, Coastal Explorer, Maptech, MacENC, Raymarine, Furuno, SeaClear, Global Navigation, and others.
In fact, the DVD set includes a growing list of free and trial software for PC and Mac so you can try out charting and navigation applications if you’re new to electronic charting, or considering changing programs. And last, but certainly not least, Managing the Waterways: Electronic Charts includes searchable government publications such as Coast Pilots, Light Lists, and Chart No. 1. Now you can quickly look up an obscure chart symbol or read recommendations for entering an inlet or unfamiliar harbor. There’s no excuse for sailing around without the backup of paper charts, even if you prefer electronic navigation. But since Mark and Diana will annually catalog and update their latest offering, Managing the Waterway: Electronic Charts, you won’t need to replace your paper charts as frequently (paper chart purchases continue to be an expensive and daunting endeavor). Now that someone has made all the U.S. charts and government publications this accessible, the electronic software and hardware folks should be thrilled. With the help of the U.S. government, Mark and Diana Doyle have made electronic charting convenient, affordable, and available for “the rest of us.”
Managing the Waterway: Electronic Charts by Mark and Diana Doyle (semi-local publications LLC, 2006; 2 DVDs)
