A nice safety feature is the Check Route for Obstacles function. When you create a route, Coastal Explorer reads the data from its navigation object database and alerts you if your proposed route encounters obstacles such as navigation aids or wrecks. Even more impressive, this feature works even if you are viewing a raster chart. Remember, a raster chart is simply a picture of a paper chart and does not contain any nav aid, depth or obstruction linked data. Coastal Explorer allows you to view a raster chart but have access to the navigational object database at the same time.

After creating a route, an option called Fork Route lets you re-use this information to build additional routes. This is a perfect example of an option designed by boaters who have clearly put in time on the water. For example, you probably have two or three common routes that split or "fork" after you exit your home marina or mooring field. Or, when you enter an anchorage, you may enter from the south and depart to the north. Fork Route lets you create a route, then use that route to build a new route that splits off from any waypoint in a new direction.

Lastly, if you have trouble seeing your route on a cluttered chart area, choose Highlight Objects in the toolbar. The chart image will dim, highlighting or emphasizing your route.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

Coastal Explorer is designed to work with nearly any NMEA 0183 device with an appropriate PC interface. For example, you can connect a GPS, autopilot, depth sounder, water temperature sensor, knot/log, wind speed and direction sensor, rudder angle sensor, AIS receiver, and radar (including ARPA and MARPA equipped models).

Coastal Explorer does not include the extensive chart and data libraries of the Maptech-branded Chart Navigator Pro version. However, it does include the most commonly used databases, including tides and currents, weather, and guide book information.

Rather than including a plug-in or separate companion application, tides and currents are fully integrated into Coastal Explorer. A horizontal window shows the tidal current prediction displayed as a graph and marking slack water times and maximum ebbs and floods. We liked this display because it was visual and included specifics for flood or ebb in knots, date, time, degrees true of current flow, time of slack, and maximum ebb and maximum flood (see photo).

Obtaining weather data is also exceptionally easy with Coastal Explorer. Rose Point maintains a server with GRIB weather files, allowing you to download weather data directly through an email attachment. Simply select your choices of location and data from the Weather Browser window and click Download. You can choose to download all the weather data for your location (GRIB files are not very large), then toggle to display specific information such as sea temperature, wind or air temperature. The weather data is stored on your hard drive so you can view it underway without an internet connection.

Coastal Explorer currently includes a free "one year" subscription to its weather server, although the free access has currently been in place for two years. In other words, weather downloads are currently free but in the future there may be a cost associated with renewing the weather subscription.

Rose Point Navigation SystemsCurrent, historic and predictive tide level information is available and richly displayed in Coastal Explorer. The visual presentation (bottom) is easy to read at a glance.

Coastal Explorer is the only program that integrates NOAA Coast Pilots, geo-referencing this important navigational information so it can be accessed directly from the charts. Some applications include this data, but in the less useful form of PDF documents viewable with Adobe's Acrobat Reader. Integrating this data with the charts is what fuels Coastal Explorer's powerful and extremely valuable search engine.

Rose Point's connection with Microsoft comes through in Coastal Explorer's concept of a "documents file." All waypoints, routes, tracks and event marks–called "Navigation"–are stored in a special user documents file. This file is not simply an ASCII waypoint text file–a common feature of many charting and navigation programs–but a file that packages and saves all your navigation data for export.

With the documents file, you can send your navigation information to other users of Coastal Explorer or Chart Navigator Pro simply by selecting Send To. This navigation document is a great way to transfer information to other boaters. For example, a flotilla captain could develop a rich float plan with waypoints, routes, marinas and attractions, then distribute all this information as a package by email or CD to other flotilla boats using Coastal Explorer or Chart Navigator Pro.

ASSESSMENT

The foundation of Coastal Explorer's customer support strategy is an application that is extremely easy to use and seemingly impossible to crash. We intentionally pushed its features and never experienced even a lock-up. We suspect their technical support team may feel a bit like the lonely Maytag repairmen. However, if you do need to call, they can be reached by phone or email.

Coastal Explorer does not include an extensive printed or PDF manual. However, there are hot-linked topics through the Help menu. Although it is a bit tedious and time-consuming, we recommend opening and printing each of the seven topics. Rose Point's website is a bit thin and outdated, particularly compared to Maptech's website on the branded Chart Navigator Pro product.

Note, however, that this year Rose Point launched its Coastal Explorer User Network (see link below). This site includes tips and tricks, descriptions of Coastal Explorer installations on real boats, and links to technical articles. We would expect it to grow in volume and in function.

Overall, Coastal Explorer is a robust, well-designed, and incredibly stable program that can serve many boaters well, and it continues to improve. If you must have the fancy data extras, such as the 3D bathymetrics, aerial and satellite photos, or shoreline topographic maps, then you'll want to upgrade to the slightly more expensive Maptech-branded version. But don't assume that Chart Navigator Pro is exactly like Coastal Explorer. In addition to different chart and data libraries, the differences in technical support, product range and corporate infrastructure make these two very different product offerings.

Look for our detailed review of Chart Navigator Pro later in the series.