Mad Mariner's Hard Facts on Software series, the definitive word on navigation software and electronic charting, has come to a close.
Six months of exhaustive research and product testing yielded reviews of 15 e-charting programs for the PC and Mac, from free downloadable software to applications costing thousands of dollars. All told, the series produced 21 stories and 8 sidebars – more than 80,000 words on this very important subject.
Mad Mariner is extremely proud of writers Mark and Diana Doyle, whose careful reporting and thoughtful presentation attracted thousands of readers to the series. Mark and Diana are the authors of the Managing the Waterway cruising guides, and they are no strangers to tough assignments. But their work on the software series yielded an unprecendented resource for captains who want to learn about electronic charting and make informed decisions about the products they purchase.
Moreover, they are not done! Mark and Diana have already begun work on a book, "Get Onboard with E-Charting," which will be published this fall.
Their summary of the book describes more definitive work ahead: "The book will update the Mad Mariner software reviews and contain sections on the history and perspective of electronic position finding, e-charting basics, chartplotters, viewers and planners, full-featured software applications, electronic cartography, external sensors and instrument data, software data exchange, the interoperability of hardware, the future of e-charting, tips and troubleshooting, and lots of other information and links to relevant e-charting issues."
The editors at Mad Mariner will support Mark and Diana's efforts in every way we can, and Mad Mariner will sell "Get Onboard with E-Charting" on the site as soon as it is available. You can also help them, by offering comments, clarifications and corrections as you read the series. They can be reached at authors@managingthewaterway.com.
We too do not plan to stop. Mad Mariner will continue covering navigation software and electronic charting, giving you new insights on the subject and evaluating new products. Meanwhile, our Software Page will continue to be updated and the Doyles' series, including their five software recommendations, will continue to inform readers long into the future.
