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.

GRIB files in GPSNavX and MacENC

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The menu Weather in these two applications allows you to request a GRIB weather forecast file and then view it on the open map. The function Request GRIB send a request to the server Saildocs.com returning to the mailbox file requested. You can then get the file in attachment and store it to the location of your choice (²).

The function Show GRIB will then allow you to view the file on the map and scroll through the forecasts. You can usefully refer to MacENC Video Tutorial No. 3 on the website.

Here is a short technical summary of the weather module integrated in these two apps. Read more …

Reading : "The castaways on Tromelin Island" by Irene Frain

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At the end of summer, I let the sea novel thriller to tell you about a novel, Published in 2009 published by Michel LAFON, Based on recently updated historical facts (*).

This book recounts the tragic journey of the French ship "L'Utile", a 800 barrels carrying a clandestine cargo of Malagasy slaves bound for the Ile de France, today Mauritius. The boat ran aground in 1761 on a tiny block of coral lost in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Devastated by storms : the island of Tromelin. Some 160 Slaves abandoned on this desert island by the white crew, 8 survivors were only discovered, 15 years after the shipwreck, by the corvette "La Dauphine" commanded by Ensign De Tromelin (whose name was given to the island). Read more …

Marine weather on iPhone

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Météo FranceIn a previous post about my favorites apps for iPhone, I cited two weather apps : La Chaine Météo, very good general weather application from Meteo Consult, and iSailing Weather that offers maps of sea-based weather GRIB files from British origin.

Weather France has finally added its own free app, offering its full range of forecasts, including marine weather reports in text format. Read more …

AyeTides – World tides with iPad

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AyeTides XL, tides prediction application of Hahn Software LLC, is available since 2 nd August on AppStore. Issue of the software AyeTides for Mac and AyeTides for iPhone, the iPad version offers a completely new user interface to take advantage of the size and definition of the screen.

With more than 12.500 tides and currents stations around the world, dont 160 stations in France, the app presents times and heights of tide level based on the US public software XTide (*) using harmonic data and tidal predictions from the National Ocean Service (NOAA). Numerous corrections have been made in order to obtain predictions with an average of less than 3% deviation from the predictions of official bodies, like the SHOM for France, and database updates are frequent and always free.

Read more …

Bad news from Apple !

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In an October post 2009, I headlined “Good news from Apple” mentioning the price drop of the Mac Mini which had just been renewed. This time it’s quite the opposite. !

In the media frenzy surrounding the arrival of the iPad, iPhone 4 and iOS4, the presentation of the Mac Mini unibody 2010 seems to be (nearly) unnoticed… except for the purse. Read more …

iNavX and iOS4

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ios4You are probably aware that the release of the new iOS4 operating system for iPhone and iPod Touch will be available today during the day, via synchronization of your (s) devices with iTunes. For the iPad, We will have to wait until the autumn.

About iNavX, Richard Ray has just written :

iOS 4 should be available tomorrow (21/06/2010). Only apps that are specifically built for iOS 4 will be able to take advantage of multitasking or toggle switching. iNavX 3.1.0 and later will support this feature.

Patience, therefore…

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[Update September 01/07/2010] iNavX 3.1.0 is available on the AppStore.

iPad , a Chartplotter Killer ?

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ipad-inavxWith iPad 3G finally in hands, featured iNavX and the (beta) version AyeTides XL in testing, I'm going to give you my first impression, previously to perform an extended test at sea.

Regardless of the fact that the iPad can be used for many other things than shipping, I am now totally convinced of its utility on board, Here are the reasons. Read more …