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We've been racing down the Bay for a few years and we
wanted to improve our odds. So we decided to try an
electronic navigation package. We researched several
packages and settled on "The Captain".
There are bigger packages, programs that do more
and cost more, programs better suited to yacht
racing. So why did we pick The Captain?
Well...That's a hard question to answer. I'll
start with a little background on our crew. We
have a wonderfully talented and experienced crew.
Some of us are past or present United States
Power Squadron members and have completed a
number of Power Squadron courses. One member
of our crew is a civilian instructor for the
Annapolis Naval Academy, taking midshipmen
offshore for prolonged periods. Navigation has
never been a problem on Mad Max. We don't
depend on electronics to navigate.
In fact we don't believe anyone should
depend on electronics. They will fail! They will
let you down just when you need them the most.
So we were looking for a package that provided
basic navigation information in a simple,
easy to use and quick to read interface.
The Captain, although expensive, provided
a solution for us. The cost is prohibitive!
You need a computer and small, wet boats don't
like computers. You also need a GPS that will
interface with your computer. Then you need
an inverter to supply AC to the computer. After all
of that you can buy the navigation software and electronic
maps for your area. We also purchased a plastic
bag to put over the computer which saved it more
than once. You can expect to lay out $2500 plus
to put together a system that will display a chart
with a dot in the middle showing you where you are.
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Now that is only accurate to about 300 feet. It
won't take you through the cut in fog, in the dark.
If you want that kind of accuracy you will need
differential GPS. Add another thousand or so.
I already had the computer and GPS. And there
was an extra thousand burning a hole in my pocket,
so we went for it.
We put the system together and headed down the
bay. I must say it's pretty neat having a chart and
plot right in front of you. For sailors the best
part is the tide and current information. We've
entered routes for the Bay from Havre de Grace to
St. Mary's and used The Captain for buoy racing.
The Captain is a fine, feature packed program.
It will display you current position and track
where you have been. Sailing with The Captain is
like playing Nintendo. You just follow the red
line. You can display the current, in real time,
as vectors. This gives you a quick reference,
helping you pick the best tack. You can easily zoom
in and out and the program shifts from chart to chart
as you sail along. Everything is controlled with
the mouse and the function is easily changed through
a dynamic menu that appears when you click the
right mouse button. All in all The Captain is an
excellent choice for cruising and fishing although
it may be missing some of the more esoteric functions
racers are demanding these days.
Update: As of May 1, 2000 the U.S. government has
turned off selective availability. GPS navigation is
now 10 times more accurate than before.
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