TECHNOLOGY
COVERAGE AREA
Real-time AIS data for Puget Sound
Real-time data for Puget Sound, Los Angeles to San
Diego, Chesapeake Bay, and Long Island Sound
Real-time data for Jacksonville, Mississippi River,
Port Fourchon, Calcasieu River, Port Arthur,
Houston-Galveston, Matagorda Bay, Mobile Bay,
Savannah, Charleston, Portland, Los Angeles/Long
Beach
Worldwide
Worldwide
Puget Sound and Northwest Pacific Coast
FINDING VGT SOFTWARE ON THE WEB
• Google Earth:
http://earth.google.com
• Bing Maps:
http://maps.live.com
• World Wind:
http://worldwind.arc.nasa.gov
connection. You can still use stunningly detailed three-dimensional satellite imagery as an aid to navigation.
The only difference is that you have to plan ahead.
Google Earth maintains a cache of the tiles it has
downloaded to create a mosaic, three-dimensional view
of the world (a tile is a small square of satellite imagery).
While you still have an Internet connection, “visit” all the
places you’ll be cruising to. This forces Google Earth
to download the tiles you need and store them in the
cache on your computer. Then, when you’re no longer
connected to the Internet, Google Earth will still be able
to find those tiles in its cache. Your Google Earth cache
resides on your hard disk; by setting the size of the
cache to the maximum amount possible, you’ll ensure
that more of the area you’ll be cruising in will be stored
in the cache. Just remember to zoom in on all of the
locations you’ll be visiting so that the detailed tiles will
be stored.
GETTING STARTED
A lot can be done with VGT, and more functionality
and more imagery are being added regularly to this
URL/ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
http://live.aisparser.com/
http://www.shinemicro.com/Live-boatapp.asp; this service is
free, but you have to register with Shine Micro
http://vts3.concentriamaritime.com/index.php?option=com_wra
pper&Itemid= 34; this free site is maintained by the New Orleans
Board of Trade; data are updated every five minutes
http://www.vesseltracker.com/en/Googleearth.html; the free
version is on a delay of 24 hours, with limited information from
vessels; the paid version is real-time, with complete vessel
information
http://www.siitech.com/prod_wvl.htm; no free version; entry-level worldwide coverage costs $49, with some restrictions
www.pdxmex.com; extensive vessel coverage
ADVENTURES IN VIRTUAL CRUISING
To get some more practice applying virtual globe
technology to navigation—albeit for relaxation—visit
the website for OnScene ( http://www.clydeford.com/
onscene.aspx), software I created for Google Earth and
Bing Maps. Once you’ve installed the Google Earth and
Bing Maps plug-ins on your computer, OnScene will let
you virtually navigate to the places I’ve written about
in my Charlie Noble nautical suspense novels, which are
set along the Inside Passage. You can also take virtual
cruises along some of my favorite routes.
—Clyde Ford
technology. (In fact, the technology in this arena is
changing so rapidly that, by the time you read this
article, there will likely be more VGT resources available
to online users.) The best way to get started using
virtual globe technology as an aid to navigation is to
download VGT software that is offered for free through
the Internet. I suggest that you start with the no-cost
versions of Google Earth desktop and Virtual Earth.
Once you’ve got these programs installed, start
playing around with them—particularly the desktop
version of Google Earth. Lay in some courses, “visit”
places where you’ve enjoyed cruising on your boat, and
then navigate to some of the sites mentioned in this
article and check out more of the features. After a few
virtual cruises, you’ll be on your way to using the power
of satellite imagery to make your real passages safer and
more rewarding.
