Dave Steckler and Jay Phillips, two former Microsoft engineers, founded a company in 1993 to pursue their dream: Creating a PC-based software program that could display a vessel's position on electronic navigation charts.
That company was Nobeltec and the two software products it developed remain at the forefront of today's market, despite increasing competition from more than a dozen companies.
In the late 1990s Nobeltec made two important strategic moves, positioning the company as a leader in both navigation software and vector cartography. On the software front, it released a major new revision called Visual Navigation Suite. On the cartographic front, it inked a deal with the Russian company Transas, giving Nobeltec an exclusive license to the firm's coveted trove of world vector data. This deal made Nobeltec the first company to offer worldwide vector cartography in a mainstream recreational software product.
In 1999, Nobeltec was purchased by Jeppesen Marine, a subsidiary of Boeing and a major producer of paper and digital aviation charts. However, the marine products retain the recognized Nobeltec name. Continuing the strong connection between software and cartography, Jeppesen recently purchased C-Map, a leading provider of digital maritime data.
Two products comprise the Nobeltec software line: Nobeltec Visual Navigation Suite ($490) and Nobeltec Admiral ($1,200). We'll focus here on Visual Navigation Suite, often called VNS, and offer a detailed review of Nobeltec Admiral later in the series.
Probably no other charting and navigation software has the market presence of Nobeltec. Most marine retailers carry Nobeltec software and cartography. You can also order all Nobeltec products-- including software, hardware and charts -- directly from Jeppesen through its extensive online store (see link below).
What you get is a one-stop shopping system of software and cartography that grows with the needs of a long-distance cruiser. But the decision to use VNS represents a commitment. Nobeltec software is designed to work with Nobeltec charts and hardware, and is not always compatible with other charting systems. Furthermore, VNS software starts on the higher end of the price spectrum and the cost of a complete system-with additional chart coverage, subscriptions, and add-ons, will likely climb into the thousands of dollars.
GETTING STARTED
VNS is professionally packaged in a sturdy boxed set matching its Passport Deluxe and Passport World Charts. The software package contains four discs, a four-page Quick Start Guide, a registration page, and in our case, a rebate offer that expired six months earlier. This slip was an unfortunate snub to the consumer, who eagerly opens the box only to discover that while others paid $100 less, they just paid full price. Because our copy shipped directly from Jeppesen, there was no store shelf-life issue to blame for this faux-pas.
These four discs contain an incredible amount of data, accessed when you purchase permits that unlock regional charts and data or additional capabilities such as weather or sail optimization "Plus Packs." The first disc contains the VNS application and planning charts. These planning charts are small-scale (large region) charts of the world and are not suitable for navigation. Disc two contains Passport vector charts of the world, called Nobeltec's "World Folio"-a collection of over 14,000 global digital vector nautical charts divided into regions. This disc can be thought of as a "master disc" of encrypted charts. When ordering charts, the Setup Wizard asks if you have the latest version (currently WF 34) of the World Folio disc. If not, a new DVD is mailed free of charge and the unlock key works for both older and new World Folio discs. The third and fourth discs contain supplemental data, such as International Tidal Data and Street and Road Data for the U.S.
Unlike many charting and navigation packages, VNS does not include charts. Or more precisely, it does include charts (on the World Folio disc) but you can only display them after you purchase an unlock key (either as a code or by using a hardware dongle). Therefore, any purchase of VNS will typically also include the purchase of Passport Deluxe Charts-for the U.S., Canada, Bermuda, or the Bahamas-or Passport World Charts for more extensive international cruising.
Note that in order to use Passport charts you must own a Passport boxed set. Obtaining charts, although it is an online registration process, is not an online download. You must have the physical media first.
Passport Deluxe Charts come in three boxed sets: U.S. regions for $250 each; Canadian regions for $300 each; and the Bahamas/Bermuda regions for $350 each. Each region includes Passport World Charts (vector charts), navigation photos, bathymetric maps, a database of ports and services database and BSB raster charts, if they are available for the region you purchase. A boxed set includes an unlock voucher for one region. You can later purchase Chart Permits for additional regions. For long-distance cruisers, be aware that each $250 region covers a relatively small area. For example, Region 2 only covers Maine to Block Island, Rhode Island.
While Passport Deluxe Charts include raster format charts, vector format charts are Nobeltec's strength and emphasis. If you frequently use raster charts, which many boaters like for their traditional look, be aware that those included with the Passport set may be dated. Our copy, which shipped directly from Jeppesen only a couple of weeks prior, contained BSB chart versions dating back to 1997. If you rely on raster charts, we suggest installing the latest BSB chart files, which are available as a free download from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or as an entire 1,000-plus chart catalog for under $50 from any NOAA-certified chart distributor.
LOOK AND FEEL
Although Nobeltec's multi-step process of voucher codes and chart permits may seem complicated at first, it becomes logical as you proceed through their straightforward directions. The installation includes a Setup Wizard for both the software and for a GPS. The entire process-installing the application, entering a site key, registering, redeeming a voucher, installing World Folio 34, installing the supplemental data, and connecting a GPS and autopilot-took less than an hour.
After installing the Passport vector charts for the regions you purchased, you then have the option of installing the supplemental data, which includes 3D displays and navigational photos, as well as raster and bathymetric charts. This data requires a lot of space on your hard drive, but you can customize your choices to load only those files you want. Expand a category by clicking on the "+" symbol next to the category heading, then select specific files or geographic areas to install.
Like most charting and navigation programs, VNS uses a combination of toolbars, menus, and floating windows. It scores very high marks for its customizable Toolbar and Console, which includes 89 Toolbar button and 41 Console panel choices. Once your Toolbar and Console are customized, a Save User Interface command lets you maintain different user interfaces for different vessels, helmsmen or boating conditions such as fishing or long voyages.
VNS includes many icons to label your information. But as we have recommended for other software packages, we'd love to see an "icon palette" so users could define a subset of frequently used icons.
In Tools>Options>Depth you can customize the color and font size for depth soundings. Customizing sounding text with color adds an extra visual warning, especially when panning over a zoomed-out chart.
However, the customizability of the Toolbar and Console does not extend to the layout of the screen. "Screen real estate" has been one of our important benchmarks throughout this series, as screen clutter makes navigation more difficult. VNS loses about a third of the screen to the combined areas of the Toolbar, NavBar, and Console. Of course, you can choose to turn the NavBar or Console off, but then you forfeit valuable visual information-not a good compromise. In addition, these data windows cannot be resized or repositioned, a standard option in Windows displays.
As expected from a program now on a ninth version, VNS includes quite a few shortcuts or "Hot Keys." However, it does not include a standard Windows "Undo" or Multiple-Undo command. Jeppesen Marine provides a nice two-page list of all VNS and Admiral Hot Keys, downloadable as a PDF (see link below).
WORKING WITH CHARTS
Nobeltec software is designed to be used in conjunction with its proprietary cartography. In fact, it's unclear why one would use VNS or Admiral without Nobeltec's Passport vector charts.
VNS is compatible with all Passport charts, including Passport World Charts, Passport Deluxe data, Passport Bathy Maps and Nobeltec Navigation Photos. VNS also works with some other chart vendors and formats, including SoftChart (GEO/NOS format), Maptech BSB, and NDI DigitalOcean charts.
However, the handling of S-57 vector charts is a bit more complicated. We did successfully install United States S-57s, however, VNS converts them to its proprietary vector format during the loading process. It took more than 30 minutes to convert 619 NOAA vector files. Unfortunately, if you already own international S-57 or S-63 vector charts, or international raster charts such as ARCS or Seafarer, VNS does not support or allow permits for these formats. For international cruising, you would need to purchase and use Nobeltec's Passport World Charts exclusively.
Panning and scrolling over charts worked very well, with smooth chart quilting. VNS provides two different modes to move over charts: hand panning and cursor mode. The hand panning Toolbar button is a traditional interface, letting you pan a chart by dragging a hand icon. Information about an object is displayed by hovering, which opens a small pop-up window of information. Cursor mode also pans over a chart, but it accesses a wide range of additional features and tools, including lassoing to zoom, interrogating objects, displaying object data in the NavBar, and pan-scrolling in eight compass directions by pointing to the edge of the chart.
Autoscroll Mode is a particularly handy feature when underway. VNS uses the position of your vessel to automatically keep the boat in the chart window. You can choose from one of three Autoscroll Modes, depending on your viewing preferences. Look-Ahead keeps the vessel image at the edge of the chart window, opposite the side where you are traveling. Following the Predictor keeps the predictor centered in the chart window, allowing a user-defined forward projection to be your navigational emphasis. Follow the Boat keeps the vessel centered in the chart window.
We found that VNS did get bogged down with certain chart display tasks. Most noticeably, charts lagged and were sluggish when the Tides and Currents option was turned on. Similarly, the search engine is a bit slow, particularly during a new search. An alternate approach is to use the "Locate This" feature within the Chart Table, which lets you shortcut directly to a particular known location or object.
If you need to return to a particular chart, scale, or chart location, the Bookmark feature is handy. Typing the function key "F10" flips the display back to your "bookmarked" chart location. We liked this feature so much we wondered why VNS only included a single bookmark capability.
The SplitScreen option lets you display a 3D Navigator window and a vector chart window simultaneously. VNS allows you to navigate in full 3D mode using its 3D Navigator feature. Charts can be rotated and displayed course up.
For viewing raster charts, Nobeltec integrates a software feature called CrystalView (see photos). Unlike Macintosh OS X computers, which have built-in Quartz technology to sharpen screen images, PCs must have these enhanced rendering capabilities added into each software application. VNS includes this technology, with a right-click option or a Toolbar button turning CrystalView on or off for all charts.
JEPPESEN MARINEUnlike the built-in Macintosh OS X Quartz technology, PC programs must improve screen rendering in software. Nobeltec's solution is called CrystalView: on (top) and off (bottom).
Two of VNS's features, Chart Coloring and Shaded Relief, make charts more visually interesting and help with readability. Chart Coloring lets you select the chart color scheme you prefer, such as S-57 or Explorer chart colors. Shaded Relief displays lightly shaded land or sea features, which helps convey a visual sense of the topography. Nobeltec's 3D bathymetric displays were also very impressive and can even be printed at high resolution (see photo).
JEPPESEN MARINEA 3D Bathy screenshot showing the Key West Main Ship Channel approach from the south.
VNS engineers were thinking ahead when they integrated a warning screen if you begin to open too many chart windows. We admit we were guilty, opening new chart windows and not closing others. The window alert is a great feature, preventing poor performance-or worse-before a problem arises. In fact, the only time we were able to crash VNS was when we had seven windows, the PlanBook, and the linked Tides & Currents Pro program open while manipulating a 3D Bathy chart. Quite impressive!
WAYPOINTS AND ROUTES
Any application as established as Nobeltec VNS includes extensive waypoint and route features, including unlimited route and waypoint placement, distance and bearing displays, an integrated ETA calculator, and extremely flexible boundaries and alarms. Some of these advanced features we'll cover in more detail in the upcoming review of Nobeltec Admiral.
We had no trouble creating and working with waypoints and routes in VNS. The interface was exceptionally clean. Like Coastal Explorer or Chart Navigator Pro, VNS displays the range and bearing line along the route, just as you would write it in pencil on a paper chart. Furthermore, you can customize this display in VNS to show range and bearing data selectively or on all routes. Routes also can be customized to include arrows for direction of travel. The Instant Waypoint feature creates a quick simple route from the boat's current position to a destination mark, keeping you vigilant on your cross track error.
However, importing and exporting waypoints and routes was not as impressive. Nobeltec applications do not support the three main standard formats for exchanging data: tab-delimited, CSV or GPX. Instead, Jeppesen has chosen a "standalone" approach, only supporting its own system, ironically called Open Navigation Format, or ONF. In other words, users can exchange information between Nobeltec devices but cannot easily import or export their waypoints.
This is a real problem for boaters with existing waypoint data who consider switching to Nobeltec. Likewise, a flotilla or club cruise captain is unable to share waypoint files with other non-Nobeltec participants. When we spoke with Jeppesen about this limitation, they acknowledged that using a chartplotter as an envoy was the only way to import existing waypoints (for us, that's more than 3,000 waypoints!)-a tricky and cumbersome work-around.
The flip side of that equation is that a Nobeltec system is designed to work well with external sensors and gear-and to be extensible. You may begin by connecting a GPS or autopilot, and eventually grow to integrate advanced features such as radar overlays, multiple monitors, or video cameras. Both VNS and Admiral support nearly all NMEA-compatible external devices, including a depth sounder, fluxgate compass, wind and speed indicators, radar, DSC-equipped radio, bathymetric recorder, and AIS target tracking.
C-MAP TO THE RESCUE
Nobeltec includes all the major supplemental data expected from a high-end charting and navigation package, including tide and current prediction, weather downloads, satellite images, Coast Pilot documents, points-of-interest, and street data. Although there is a Toolbar button for topographic data, it is a legacy feature for users who have their own topographic maps. According to Jeppesen, it will likely be dropped in future versions.
We have to confess that we were shocked at the poor quality of much of this supplemental data. The satellite view of Tampa Bay was so pixelized it was unrecognizable. We then tried Ports and Services, pitching it a softball: services in the busy sailing port of Coconut Grove, Florida. Of the seven known marine facilities, the Nobeltec Port and Services database only showed Dinner Key Marina. Similarly, the Streets and Roads data was thin and incorrectly correlated to chart data, sometimes placing streets on the water (see photo).
JEPPESEN MARINEYou'll need an amphibious vehicle to use Nobeltec Streets and Roads Data. Even in major metropolitan areas, roads such as the Venetian and MacArthur Causeways did not align with charted land objects.
At this point we called Jeppesen, wondering what was wrong. Yes, the data is poor-and Jeppesen is well aware of the problem. During the recent 19-month C-Map acquisition process, Jeppesen halted all work on supplemental data. Understandably, all this data-including satellite images, aerial photos, and ports and services information-is anticipated as part of the newly-acquired C-Map treasure trove. Weather data, tides and current prediction, and Coast Pilot information are independent of the C-Map deal.
Nobeltec VNS includes the capability to read GRIB weather files, but you must manually retrieve the .GRB file yourself, typically through an email query. The GRIB overlay worked smoothly and displayed the weather information on the chart, but VNS doesn't use this data to its fullest. Not all data options available in a GRIB download are viewable through VNS. More robust weather reporting and display require additional purchases, such as the XM Weather Plus Pack or OCENS WeatherNet Service, both requiring additional hardware and a subscription.
VNS has several options to display tide and current data, including an overlay on a Passport vector chart or a separate tidal data window. As we noted above, the overlay option hampered performance. In addition, tides are only displayed for that day and cannot be advanced (or viewed in previous days), an odd restriction as one typically checks tides for future transit days, such as a next-day departure. We preferred the more information-rich and flexible window display of the standalone linked application, Tides & Currents Pro (see photo).
JEPPESEN MARINEVNS's tidal information can be overlaid directly on a chart, summarized through a tabbed window, or viewed graphically using the separate Tides & Currents Pro program.
If you use VNS with Passport Deluxe charts, the supplemental Data Pack contains Coast Pilot data for your unlocked region. However, this information is not accessed directly from the charts, as in Coastal Explorer or Chart Navigator Pro. In VNS, you select Coast Pilot from the menu, which opens a large PDF document in Adobe Acrobat. You can then use Acrobat's search engine to locate your topic.
ADDITIONAL UPGRADES
In addition to Passport charts, Jeppesen Marine offers several options for their basic Nobeltec VNS package. These include subscription services, software add-ons, and hardware devices.
If you prefer a higher level of technical support, you can become a VIP member. Different tiers of service, ranging from $300 to $500 per year, give you escalated support, including priority phone queuing and premier support technicians.
You can also unlock three additional software applications, called Plus Packs. These include Sailing, XM Weather and a Bathy Recorder. The Sailing Plus Pack ($300) integrates laylines, wind arrows and polar diagrams. The XM Weather Plus Pack ($300), which requires XM satellite hardware and an annual subscription, provides a continuous data stream from XM satellite weather. The Bathy Recorder Plus Pack ($800) enables you to record sea floor topographic information using your sounder/depth finder device and incorporate that data into your VNS 3D display.
Jeppesen Marine also sells a wide variety of supplemental hardware accessories in the Nobeltec line. For example, private labeled radars are available as well as the Insight Radar 2 Black Box ($3,000), integrating an existing radar system with Nobeltec software. Each allows the overlay of radar images on your electronic chart display. Also available is the sunlight-readable touchscreen Wireless Nobeltec Display ($2,500), which lets you view VNS on an 8.4" Panasonic portable device.
Unfortunately, almost everything seems to come at additional high cost. For example, Nobeltec separately sells a very professional, yet expensive ($30), 222-page, spiral-bound User's Guide. To be fair, many software packages no longer include a traditional user's manual, and Nobeltec's User's Guide is available in four other languages, but this price seems high to us. Alternatively, the application's Help menu allows you to print out your own PDF of this guide.
Jeppesen Marine also provides toll-free phone and email customer support, separate from its VIP service. Additional technical support is available through the website, which includes a searchable Knowledge Base and FAQ page. The Knowledge Base is a great concept, but may be in its infancy in terms of the topics it covers. For example, we entered "AIS," a device supported by VNS, but the search came up empty. Other search strings did bring up documents on installation questions and related topics. The FAQs are nicely grouped into categories including Installation, Chart Usage, Integrated Devices, and Usage/Miscellaneous. Jeppesen also offers an electronic newsletter, which includes information on updates and technical tips.
ASSESSMENT
Overall, Nobeltec VNS is a solid and very extensible package, integrating an established software application, proprietary vector cartography, and supplemental software applications and hardware devices. It's a package designed to grow with a serious long-distance boater while staying within the Nobeltec family. In fact, an initial choice of Nobeltec marks a long-term decision to stay within Nobeltec. VNS and Admiral are not "welcome the outsiders" packages, as evidenced by their inability to read many common chart formats or to easily import and export data.
In our opinion, it doesn't make sense to use Nobeltec software without their Passport charts. The power of Nobeltec is the synthesis of their software, cartography, and probably even hardware. But this is a charting and navigation package that comes with a price.
In addition to the supplemental software packages, subscription services, and optional hardware devices, Nobeltec is one of the last hold-outs selling charts at prices not seen since NOAA opened its chart library for free in 2005. Other companies, including Maptech (which held the exclusive contract to distribute NOAA charts), have adjusted their prices to reflect the changing world of free or inexpensive chart cartography.
At $250 per region, Passport charts for the U.S. are the most expensive charts per nautical mile. And although the vector charts are good, the quality of the supplemental data was a disappointment. But once again, Jeppesen's changing company landscape-namely the recent acquisition of C-Map, with its top-notch marine data-may help balance this value-to-cost equation.
Capt. Mark Doyle and Capt. Diana Doyle are authors of the Managing the Waterway cruising guide series, and their work has appeared in numerous publications. They also produce CDs and DVDs of NOAA and USACE charts.