Our partner website EarthNC.com has been scouring the web for user-generated Google My Maps of interest to boaters. They’ve started posting their finds in their ‘Featured Maps‘ section. Even better, with EarthNC’s new TakItWithMe My Maps Embedding Tool you can paste any My Map on your own website with easy links to Google Earth, a large map, and even download to GPS in some cases (see our example below). (more…)

We’re looking forward to tomorrow’s AWBA Billy Bowlegs Poker run and have just about got our Regal 2760’s tanks topped off so that we have plenty of gas to make all the stops. To help navigate around, we’ll be using the EarthNC Plus Marine Charts for Google Earth and GooPs Pro GPS software to turn Google Earth into a nice moving map.

One of the features we like about GooPs is the ability to ‘transmit’ your position to a remote server. We’ve set up a Google Earth network link so that you can follow our position while we’re driving around for the poker run. When you load the file, look for a blue track and a green teardrop pointer showing our most recent position. The link is set to update every 2 minutes. The network link will also load the EarthNC Online marine chart for our area, the poker run stops (the big playing cards), and any geotagged photos we manage to post while driving (we’ll do the best we can).

Download the Google Earth Map link or try it out in the EarthNC Online Combined Map Viewer:
DestinSharks.com / EarthNC.com Billy Bowlegs Network Link

If you need Google Earth, you can download it free: Google Earth

The American Business Women’s Association Emerald Coast Chapter is hosting this year’s Billy Bowlegs Poker Run this Saturday, May 19th. We’ve made a special DestinSharks.com / EarthNC.com marine chart for Google Earth which you can load via the image at left or by direct link HERE - this link will include our real-time position while we’re out on Saturday. Poker run card pickup locations are marked by the Ace of Hearts icons. You’ll need Google Earth installed to load the chart.

Poker Run Information

Participants can register via a form at the ABWA Website or in person at Shalimar Yacht Basin on Friday the 18th from 11am-6pm or Saturday from 9-11am. Cost is $40 per hand or a Boat Package 4-hand special for $140. Stops include local waterfront businesses in the Fort Walton, Destin, Eglin area.

We’re planning to participate ourselves in our Regal 2760 Southern Comfort and will be ‘live casting’ our position via Google Earth (details to come later this week) so look for our DestinSharks.com transom banner and smile for our cameras.

DestinSharks is pleased to announce the availability of ‘EarthNC Plus‘ - a compilation of 677 US marine charts on a single CD for use with Google Earth. Charts are derived from NOAA ENC and Army Corps IENC digital vector charts with significant enhancements for use with Google Earth’s powerful 3D mapping engine. EarthNC Plus is being offered at an introductory price of $49.95 which includes a 12 month chart update subscription.

Following direct sales at the Emerald Coast Boat Show this weekend, we will begin shipping EarthNC Plus orders via our new website at EarthNC.com.

John Astad, webmaster for Vesseltrax.com pointed us towards his Automatic Identification System (AIS) feeds for the Houston / Galveston area. AIS is a transponder technology by which ships broadcast their basic navigational information and identity over VHF to other vessels - similar in idea to the ADS-B system for aircraft. (more…)

Things are a bit slow at DestinSharks this week while we attend the MIT Sponsored ‘Mashup Camp’. Mashup camp brings together a diverse set of today’s best ‘Web 2.0′ developers to share ideas on how to build better websites and services. It also includes a onsite mashup competition in which we’re frantically completing prior to Thursday’s deadline.

While we’re a bit occupied, we thought we’d point out some of the great reviews others have written recently about their experiences with the EarthNC Marine Charts for Google Earth. If you haven’t tried these yourself yet, please read our latest update announcement and register for the free beta.

EarthNC Reviews (more…)

Start off your New Year right with free EarthNC marine charts for Google Earth! This morning, we uploaded the complete set of ‘Approach’ charts for the lower 48 states, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico / Virgin Islands. This brings the EarthNC Beta chart total to 468 out of an eventual 650 to 700 NOAA and Army Corps charts.

Try out the Maps!

To try out the maps, please visit our new website at EarthNC.com. You’ll need Google Earth 4, an internet connection, and a willingness to provide feedback. If you’ve already downloaded the EarthNC index file, it should update coverage automatically next time you load it in Google Earth.

If you’re not sure if you want to register, you can try out the West Bay to Santa Rosa Sound Chart without registration - if you like what you see, join the forum for access to the rest. You’ll need Google Earth 4 to view it. Depending on your web browser, make sure that the file either opens in Google Earth or is saved as a .KMZ file and not a .ZIP file.

Coming Soon!

Next up is finishing the ‘Coastal’ detail charts for the lower 48 and then we will finish out with the remaining Alaska charts and the Inland ENC river charts. Once the full set is released in beta, we anticipate about a 2 week ‘refinement’ period based on user feedback and then the Version 1 release and chart DVD option.

The FreeNav - Electronic Navigation Blog has posted a video tutorial showing the basics of downloading the beta EarthNC Marine Charts for Google Earth. It’s a well-made screen video and we look forward to the next installment. (more…)

In conjunction with our EarthNC Marine Charts for Google Earth we are pleased to announce our 1st Nautical Points-of-Interest layer - West Marine and Boat US store locations.

Find your nearest local store, or those convenient to your next boating trip. Simply download the KMZ file and open it in Google Earth. Hover over a store icon to see the name, click for address, phone number, and even have Google Earth generate driving directions for you.

Complete Harbor Charts for the Lower 48!

Since announcing the public beta of our ‘EarthNC’ marine charts for Google Earth last week, we’ve been releasing additional charts as they exit our conversion process. Our largest release to date occurred yesterday with over 100 new charts posted. With this release, all NOAA ‘Harbor’ (level 5) charts are now available for the lower 48 states, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. We are working the level 5 charts for Alaska at present and then will shift work to convert the remaining Approach and Coastal Charts. Following this, we’ll finish the map set with the Army Corps Inland ENC (IENC) charts.

(more…)