Free NOAA RNC-ENC Charts and PC viewers- Web Links and Steps to install

[Amazon Bill]

Read on for info to download electronic maps and free viewers. Back a few years NOAA began making their well known charts available free online. Enjoy this tax payer benefit and let me know what you learn.  

The planning for an adventure is a sure way to keep your excitement and motivation levels up while preparing for wilderness adventures. With all the new GPS and electronic mapping gadgets available and costly, it can be a duaunting task to start planning. I downloaded the NOAA RNC charts and OPENCPN viewer. Installed and ran it in 10 minutes. Plotted a course to Hells Bay and started looking for the first cold front!

 ---cut and paste the links into your browser---

 

1. Start here to read an overview for RNC type maps http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/Raster/index.htm

 

2. This is the place for RNC type maps    http://www.charts.noaa.gov/RNCs/RNCs.shtml

Go to the section RNC by STATE, download the entire state of Florida in one download, by clicking on the FL and accepting the agreement. Down at the bottom of the agreement page is the file link to download. download the zip file, then place the RNC_BOOT directory of folders that are found in the .zip file into your computer folder. You will later go into tools on the OpenCPN viewer to point the view to your map directory. Note it must be a directory of maps and not just one map file that you point the viewer.

 

3. This is the place for RNC type viewers  at the bottom of the site http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/Raster/index.htm#software

 I downloaded this free viewer software  http://opencpn.org/

 

4. Using the OpenCPN viewer

Its easy, and gives you tides from points right on the map and reads the date on your computer to give the current day tides. You can plot routes then download to GPS files. The ? tab in the tool bar for questions, and the cresent wrench is the Tool Box for settings.  The little oval circles at the bottom of the viewer are switches to turn on different charts that overlap. Glide your mouse over it and the chart title and information is shown. Pretty Slick and easy.

 

 If you want ENC charts these are the links to use in the above steps. Note I could not get ENC to work correct.

ENC Charts did not work as easily or have as much detail for the Whitewater Bay region, but here is the links:

This is the place for ENC type maps http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/index.htm

This is the place for free ENC viewers to download http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/resource.htm

 

 

[Dave Briggs]

Hey Amazon Bill,

I tried to follow your instructions. The charts are in a .zip file when they are downloaded. I do not have a way to unzip them,what program are you using for that ?? and   " then place the RNC_BOOT directory of folders that are found in the .zip file into your computer folder." Is the " computer folder" a new folder in "Documents"..

 

Thanks Dave

[Amazon Bill]

Dave: You can get the free Winzip which is the "unzipper" program at www.winzip.com try this direct link  http://www.winzip.com/trialpay.htm?tid=A7DNNDn  It is an industry standard program.  The folder to copy is BSB_Root which contains 351 mb of RNC charts contained in separate subfolders listed by NOAA chart number.  keep the BSB_Root folder and subfolder together.