Non profit company, charts for OpenCPN??

[amadeus]

I was in contact recently with the Norwegian kartverket which makes all charts and maps in Norway. Unfortunally they charges a sum per year to make their charts available to a company for resale.

I think OpenCPN is one of the greatest thing that have happened to nautic navigation. But there is one problem and that is chart availability. You have to download old cm93 or copy undetailed paper charts and make BSB's etc.

I know that they give s57 enc chart to companys of Norwegian charts. I guess most other countries have similar policies. I'm playing with the idea of making a non profit company who can put these charts toghether. The problem is to make them easily available to OpenCPN and possibly others and at the same time not going bankerupt.

I'm sick and tired of companys, putting charts toghether and push bad solutions on people. Anyone have any suggestions on how to solve the obvious problem, how to charge just enough money to stay afloat? Any good technical solutions anyone?

[Hakan]

Amadeus..
Good thoughts for us not having access to free national charts as I understand is the situation in the US.
The poll is answered although the alternatives are somewhat contradictory. Of course I, and probably most of us, asks for free, or tax financed charts, but as long that's not available your idea is not bad. From that to a functional trade may be a challenge but this forum can solve a lot so why not also this.
Let's find a way from open source to open charts.
Håkan

[bcn]

Amadeus,

perhaps you followed the S-63 thread in this forum. This project is underway in order to give OpenCPN users access to official vector charts - the S-57 charts in the encrypted S-63 distribution format like those prduced by kartverket and distributed by PRIMAR.

We made progress and the technical skeleton is in place.
OpenCPN in this moment is an OEM manufacturer of the IHO and has the right of using S-63 charts legally.
We are working now on the user interface and the organisational parts.

One part will be a Webshop, where the UserPermits will be issued and where the user shall access to charts.
So the webshop will be in place in not a too far time. We just have to fill it.

Don't expect gratis charts. This is a political decision of the Hydrographic offices (and the governments they belong to) have taken and the actual policy of "austerity" does not help to change this posture.

Nethertheless there is a clear consciousness at the distributors and the Hydrographic offices that theie business model is not satifsying the leisure seafarer. They are focussed on comercial shipping and infrastructures, including military usage of course.

We would be happy to discuss with kartverket if they see a possibilty to deliver differentiated chart packs to OpenCPN users. OpenCPN we be able to handle this.

Hubert