digital charts

[hotdog]

All u sailers out there!
After a bit of advice, I'am after a couple of digital charts for my kayak fishing, and a couple for norway, for next year.
Couple of questions....
Do u need special software to use the charts on the P.C.
Can individual charts be bought, as apose to whole areas.
Do the co ordinates appear when the cursor is moved, for use in my handheld GPS.
Where can I purchase these charts, (tyne/wear area)
Do the charts come on a disk, or download.
Any info appreciated, and excuse my ignorance, shore fished for years, fished from the kayak for 1 year!

 

[mark]

All u sailers out there!
After a bit of advice, I'am after a couple of digital charts for my kayak fishing, and a couple for norway, for next year.
Couple of questions....
Do u need special software to use the charts on the P.C.
Can individual charts be bought, as apose to whole areas.
Do the co ordinates appear when the cursor is moved, for use in my handheld GPS.
Where can I purchase these charts, (tyne/wear area)
Do the charts come on a disk, or download.
Any info appreciated, and excuse my ignorance, shore fished for years, fished from the kayak for 1 year!

first question really is what is your hand held gps, that'll pretty much dictate what charts you can get.

loads of PC based apps around, and loads of chart variations as well, commercial vector charts (s57 & s63) at upto £100 per chart through to raster charts where you can get the whole of the uk/ireland for 80 quid

I've got a magellan handheld, you can but the Mapsend Bluenav chartkit on cd for that one, every chart in europe for £120. load it on your pc, plug handheld into pc, copy chart to hand held and off you go. In use on the hand held its just the same as a fixed plotter, gotos, waypoints moving cursor, course, bearing, speed etc

Garmin handhelds use the bluechart software much the same deal, load on pc, copy charts from pc to handheld (think storrars on the coast road stock bluechart cd's) again 120 quid ish

lowrance handhelds, much the same but use navionics charts which can be a bit pricier (although if you've got an iPhone you can get full navionics charts for the uk for £14.99)

 

[hotdog]

Thanks for the info mate, I use a Garmin and have just downloaded BlueChart Atlantic V9.5, excellent bit of software