MacENC's standard zooming feature is a bit cumbersome. Most charting packages pan with the mouse and zoom with the scroll wheel. In MacENC, the scroll wheel moves the chart vertically or side-to-side. This relegates zooming to the main menu or an awkward keyboard shortcut. A frequently-used tool like zooming is better served by the scroll wheel.
A nice feature in MacENC is its ability to measure distance and bearing even in planning mode. Some of the applications we tested didn't have a simple measuring tool, only providing range and bearing information when navigating to a waypoint. In MacENC, by simply selecting the line tool in the toolbar, and clicking-and-dragging the mouse, you can see the distance and bearing to the dinghy dock from your foggy Maine mooring.
One tradeoff that comes with the ability to keep both raster and vector charts "in standby mode" is the program's refresh speed. Although it is not painfully slow, it is less responsive than many of the other applications we tested. A refresh on a laptop can take a few seconds and you can expect to see the Mac's "spinning beach ball" as you pan across chart files. We ran MacENC through its paces on several Macs and there is no question that more memory - two gigabytes or more - would be a welcome addition to your laptop.
WAYPOINTS AND ROUTES
Using dedicated windows, creating waypoints and routes is very straightforward in MacENC. For example, in the Routes window, you can easily draw from your waypoint collection to create a new route, copy a route, expand an existing route, or add a waypoint within legs of an existing route.
MARK AND DIANA DOYLEMacENC follows a route to the Golden Gate Bridge.
The company has also has put quite a bit of effort into data exchange. Waypoints and routes can be transferred to some GPS units, including selected Garmin and Magellan models. Waypoints, routes, and tracks may all be imported or exported to CSV (comma-separated-value) files. MacENC can currently import GPX (GPS Exchange Format) waypoints and work is underway for total GPX integration. However, note that any waypoint icons you choose (such as fuel dock, anchor, etc.) are not captured when exporting to another computer running MacENC.
One of our favorite simple features is the keyword search field. This standard Macintosh tool adds powerful search capabilities to locate your waypoints and routes, and to quickly locate a chart. For example, typing "Miami" brings up all your waypoints that contain this word. Select a waypoint near where you want to view and click Scroll To. Your waypoint appears centered on the largest scale chart available.
However, if you have hundreds of waypoints, MacENC's management system may be too simplistic. Its waypoint file is a collection of all your waypoints. So, unless you only travel in a limited geography or seldom enter waypoints, this file quickly blossoms into a long, difficult-to-manage list. Many other applications allow for multiple waypoint files or folders, which is a much more organized way to manage a coastal cruiser's large waypoint database.
On the other hand, MacENC's ability to integrate with your vessel's electronic devices is advanced. GPS, depth sounder, fluxgate compass, autopilot, wind and speed indicators, radar, and an AIS receiver can all be connected. MacENC can display a live overlay from AIS or radar and its capabilities in terms of proximity alarms are full-featured.
