MacBook navigation now available in the UK with NavLink UK chart app

NavLink UK for MAC is an Apple MAC based electronic charting and navigation package which turns an Apple MacBook into a full function chart plotter.  It’s priced at just £29.95 including charts and is available to download from the MAC app store

The application comes complete with highly detailed UK Hydrographic Office vector charts for the whole of the UK & Eire and allows real time positioning, tracking and routing.  Simply create a route with a click of the mouse to quickly and easily get bearing, distance and ETA information to your destination. AIS targets can also be overlaid onto the electronic charting.  Charts can be zoomed and panned using intuitive finger gestures on the MAC track pad.

The MAC will require a GPS connection for location and optional connection to AIS if an AIS overlay of targets is required.  Digital Yacht’s range of GPS sensors or their low cost USB-NMEA adaptor can be utilised to connect the MAC to the boat’s GPS/AIS system.  Alternatively, for a wire free solution, NavLink supports a connection via wifi to any of Digital Yacht’s NMEA to wireless devices such as iAIS and the WLN10.

The seamless charts feature incredible detail as they are the official digitised versions of the UKHO data and show buoys, navaids, depth contours, wrecks, spot depths, restrictions etc.  It also supports “drill down” information so an object such as a buoy can be queried for its characteristics.  Weather buoys are also supported for local weather conditions (an internet connection is required for this live data) and a tidal atlas is included.  NavLink MAC users can also share routes with the NavLink iPad app.

NavLink has been designed from the ground up to take advantage of the MACs simplicity of operation and clarity of the high resolution displays on Apple’s latest products.

The program represents an opportunity for dealers and installers to add a Digital yacht NMEA to wireless adaptor to any system and integrate MacBooks into the boat’s navigation system

Priced at £29.95, it’s available for download from the MAC app store.  A US version is also available and a European version with French, Dutch and German charts will be available shortly