Should I switch or not?

[Swes53]

Hi,

I am a very new user of OpenCPN and have used Navionics in the past.
As I am finding my way through the mountain of useful information in the manual and among other this forum, I have still to find a vital information that would convince me to totally step over to OpenCPN.
I have already invested in a Raspberry Pi4 and a GPS and this setup works beautiful.
The issue is automatic routing used in difficult waters as in the Swedish Baltic sea where there are hidden obstacle everywhere just below the surface of the water. A safe route therefore consists of sometimes hundreds of different waypoints and markers and sometimes navigating through very narrow passages. Constant alert and detailed navigation is essential en very cumbersome.

When I used Navionics I was able to get a detailed correct route between the different auto-generated waypoints automatically by just define the start and end of my trip and it saved me a lot of time and assured that I did not missed any obstacles.
Digging into a lot of information on Internet and forums have not resulted in any indication other than that with OpenCPN I have to define every single waypoint between markers and obstacles my zelf. If this is the case it would be very disappointing and almost a no go for me and my son, who is a beginner, to use OpenCPN .
I sincerely hope that I am wrong or have misunderstood the manuals, forums and the information on the subject and that there in fact is a method in OpenCPN that can achieve the same autorouting functionality as in Navionics.

I am really looking forward to your answers and suggestions.

[HybridSailor]

Hi Swes,


OpenCPN compares well, and is usually superior, to other charting software. It is very flexible and configurable with many plugins that let you tune it according to your needs. It is also very stable. You can be absolutely comfortable with it.


When it comes to autorouting in Swedish or Finnish archipelago: Don't use it! I have been playing with several autorouting plotter charts and the routes they create are utmost dangerous. In these waters, autorouting can be used for quick planning but never for navigation!

[wholybee]

OpenCPN doesn't do auto routing. Heed the warning, auto routing is dangerous.

It is more work, but you can export a route from Navionics, and then import it into OpenCPN. This would let you use the auto route feature from Navionics, and then use OpenCPN for navigating.

[Antipole]

I have been using OpenCPN for intricate passages through the Norwegian 'leads'. They are just as intricate as the Swedish archipelagos, if not more so.

I find it very easy to construct my route - just a click on each point. Then I can shift points if needed to optimise for the best end result.

In my option I this is far better than relying on auto-routing. I would not trust such without verifying to my own satisfaction.

[Swes53]

Originally Posted by HybridSailor

Hi Swes,


OpenCPN compares well, and is usually superior, to other charting software. It is very flexible and configurable with many plugins that let you tune it according to your needs. It is also very stable. You can be absolutely comfortable with it.


When it comes to autorouting in Swedish or Finnish archipelago: Don't use it! I have been playing with several autorouting plotter charts and the routes they create are utmost dangerous. In these waters, autorouting can be used for quick planning but never for navigation!

Thank you for your reply. However, I do not totally agree with you based on my experience from this years trips through some of the most difficult and tricky passages along the east coast of Sweden. I let Navionics calculate and plan all the routes on a iPad and it worked beautiful without any problem. Of course I followed the route on a physical chart as well but not one time was it necessary for me to adjust the routes. I doubt that I had been able to plot it manually as good as Navionics without spending hours each time.

[Swes53]

Originally Posted by wholybee

OpenCPN doesn't do auto routing. Heed the warning, auto routing is dangerous.

It is more work, but you can export a route from Navionics, and then import it into OpenCPN. This would let you use the auto route feature from Navionics, and then use OpenCPN for navigating.

Thank you for your feedback. It is a good idea but this means that I will have to purchase Navionics maps and plotter software which defeats the purpose with an OpenCPN solution.