Update version 1.20 :
- Choosing the weather forecast loading mode : world (standard scheme) or optimized : local coverage of a race.
- Button to force the refresh of the weather forecasts.
- Improved management of exclusion zones.
Author : Francis
From 2009 independent IT trainer and consultant for boating. Translator of several navigation apps on iOS and MacOS. Professional in boating for over 30 years old, I dispense from training to applications as well as advice and assistance for the integration of mobile devices (tablets, smartphones) on board pleasure boats.
Internet par satellites : Riffifi in the firmament
In space, in an area called LEO (Low Earth Orbit) located at a distance of approximately 200 to 1.000 km above our heads, several hundred, even thousands, satellites are already flying. They are mainly dedicated to communications and observations of all kinds, civil and military.
But for a short decade a fratricidal war has been declared, a frantic race between several private and semi-public companies to offer high-speed internet to all humans, wherever they live on the globe. The thing is important, because this market, beyond the altruism and generosity displayed by these ambitious programs, promises several billion dollars in earnings in the coming years. Read more …
ECMWF, major forecasts update in 2023
Florence Rabier, Director General of ECMWF, has developed February the 13 th European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast for 2023 (¹). She announced a major update to the forecasting model. IFS (²) scheduled for June 2023. Read more …
UKHO delays removal of Admiralty paper charts
British backpedaling : UKHO postpones phasing out of Admiralty paper charts until at least 2030 ! Six months after setting the goal of 2026 for the complete withdrawal from production of all paper navigation charts (¹), UKHO (United Kingdom Hydrographic Office) said the 2 February only in response to user feedback, It now plans to continue to provide a paper map service until 2030 at least (²).
XB-8000 new WiFi AIS transponder for mobile devices [Update]
Vesper Marine, company established in 2007 in Auckland (New Zealand), specializes in the design of devices for AIS data broadcasting. Their latest product, XB-8000, is a Class B AIS transponder certified NMEA2000® compact, low consumption, responding to the yachting market and small professional units. It was essentially designed with WiFi transmission in mind to navigation applications developed on tablets and smartphones.
[Update] After the acquisition of Vesper Marine by Garmin, this device is discontinued since February 2023. The brand name is also removed.
eSail4VR V.1.14 Update
A new version of eSail4VR just released in Windows Store online stores, Google Play, App Store (macOS), AppStore (iOS/iPadOS). It brings the following improvements since the major version 1.11 (¹) :
- Setting of the “VMG max tolerance” option increased from 0° to 20° (5° previously).
- Improved routing algorithms.
- Improved stability.
- Correction of the passage of the antimeridian.
- Correction de divers bugs
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(¹) eSail4VR 1.11 available on platforms [Update]
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eSail4VR 1.11 available on platforms [Update]
In gestation and intensive testing for several months, the news version 1.11 is available on all platforms (¹). A large number of new items on the menu, dont le « Mode Expert », a new routing engine, support for the “boost” effect well known to specialists. The improvements mainly concern the user interface to respond to the numerous requests and feedback from users. Let's see the details below…
[Update 29/01/2022] Fixes have been made to resolve crashes on certain platforms. See the latest versions on eSail4VR page.
Update ENCs Spain charts at Geogarage
Update of "rasterized" ENC charts Spain (IHM) at Geogarage for Weather4D Routage & Navigation and SailGrib WR.
- 101 updated charts (out of a total of 316 rasterized ENC charts).
The catalog includes the coasts of Spain and the Canary Islands.
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Updated IMRAY and Croatia maps at Geogarage
Updating card catalogs Imray for Europe and the Mediterranean, and catalog HHI for Croatia.
- Imray : 68 updated charts out of a total of 1358 cards in 9 catalogues.
- HHI : 29 rasterized ENC cards out of a total of 301 cards in catalog.
Available for Weather4D Routage & Navigation and SailGrib WR by Geogarage.
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The European Union is moving towards Open Data
Europe is moving forward slowly, but she moves forward… towards free access to data from public services ! March, the 21 December 2022 was published in the Official Journal of the European Union, under the reference C/2022/9562, The " Regulations of the European Commission establishing a list of specific high-value datasets and the modalities of their publication and re-use". Read more …