In contrast with the dearth of Mac navigation applications, there is a rich selection of products for the PC, some of them extraordinarily full-featured. The downside of the feature contest, however, is often cluttered and confusing user-interfaces. It can be frustrating, if not downright dangerous to have an important navigation tool adding confusion and cognitive overload. So, I’m delighted to find a navigation program that sets the bar for good user-interface design: Coastal Explorer from Rose Point Navigation. The interface is elegantly simple, focusing on what’s important, i.e. great charts and easy routing. The new NOAA vector charts (all of which can be downloaded for free) are beautifully rendered with just the right colors and familiar symbols. A mouse click on a symbol brings up a description of the nav aid or hazard in an information panel to the side. Even the Coast Pilot is integrated into this handy side panel. The routing tool is intuitive and nicely designed, with each click placing a waypoint and drawing a range and bearing line (the range and bearing values are drawn alongside the line) that tracks the mouse position until the next click places another waypoint. You can also easily add individual waypoints, bearing lines, and vessel exclusion zones to the charts. And reversing a route to make your way home is just a menu selection away.

Another favorite feature is an on-the-water mode, where pressing a single key changes to a full-screen display with big, easy-to-click buttons for the functions that are most important for actual navigation. A side panel displays a beautiful navigation compass, as well as repeated instrument data (if connected), and crucial route information. With a waterproof touch screen at the helm, this would be superior to any chartplotter on the market.

There is a free trial version of Rose Point Coastal Explorer that can be downloaded and works for 10 days after installation. Well worth a look as a first navigation program, or a welcome change from some of the ponderously complex products out there.