Monday, September 10, 2018

PYC (Still!) - My tracks and routes will be available for downloading in fall of 2018



Here you see my track north in May of 2018 from Coinjock to Hampton
You can download it by clicking on the download icon
If I ever get going south, there will be a new feature available for members of this blog page. Aqua Map has written a new interface where I will post my day's track and route and the site has a download button for loading them into your app or PC.

If you have Aqua Map and an iPad, you can open the webpage with Safari and it will place the track or route (your choice) directly into Aqua Map, ready for navigation.

I will load my daily track and route each evening into the webpage. You can then follow along the exact path I took for the depths I report on this Facebook page each day. The track will be a dotted red line overlayed on the Aqua Map chart, suitable for navigation. The route is what I had planned to do the previous day - the track is what I actually did. With the route, you can use the ETA to each waypoint function in Aqua Map to time bridge openings.

With all the disruptions to be expected from Florence, I can be the guinea pig for those following behind me. It ought to be fun.

Now for the details. The webpage URL is:
http://bobicw.blogspot.com/

If you used the Facebook link, you will have to tap on the upper, right corner with the three dots
and choose "Open in Safari". Other browsers may not work.

Chose your app
If you clicked on the link in Facebook, you have to "Open in Safari" next. Look at the upper, right corner. There are three dots there. Click on the dots and an option will appear to "Open in Safari". Click (or tap) on that option and then proceed.

You will see my most recent tracks and route at the left. Select one or the other and it will appear on the chart above. At the bottom of the display, you will see a download button. Be sure you're in Safari, other browsers may have a problem. On a PC, Chrome works fine. Click on the download button and select the app you want to use. If you chose Aqua Map, then the route or track will appear in Aqua Map, ready for navigation.

Aqua Map will ask if you want to upload the file
If you're using a PC, just save the download (usually that's automatic by default to "Downloads") and then load it into your PC navigation program. I've tested it with the Chrome browser.

I've loaded two files for testing:
BTHamptoCoin.kmz  which is a track from Coinjock to Hampton, VA, that I took in May of 2018

BAtlHi-PYC.kmz is the route I took from Atlantic Highlands to PYC in May of 2018.

If you have any problems, let me know. There are further improvements coming to the download site but this is a start.

Here's the track as displayed in Aqua Map

7 comments:

Mary Minard said...

Florence must have you cringing. Very sad to think of what might happen to the places along the coast that we all enjoy. I remember the extended time you spent at St James waiting for the Socaste Bridge to be passable....At least if we are all able to go South, we will be in your tracks! Are you in touch with Hank P.?
I am working hard to digest your latest effort! Thanks for all you put onto it.

Bob423 said...

Mary, I called Hank but he hasn't responded, he may be very busy. All we can do is wait until Florence passes and hope for the best. We will leave when the coast is clear, probably towards the middle to end of next week.

TimC said...

Hi Bob,

Tim Connolly here who posted updates on our way down the coast in August.

Really nice job on this piece - will be very valuable to those that take the time to pull in your routes. It looks complex but, as you say, is very easy.

Just curious, have you ever considered coming up the west coast of Florida instead of staying in Key West? Reason I ask, St Petersburg has really done a great job reviving the waterfront and the entire city for that matter. It has also grown a large artistic community which may be of interst to Pat given her talents. There are over 300 murals on buildings and other city structures (even dumptsers!) with more being created as the city encourages folks to enhance their properties with local artist works. We took a mural tour last year and were blown away by all the treasure hiding in plain sight.

The city marina downtown is an excellent marina in the center of all the city's doing and there are plenty of marine service businesses nearby. Other cultural events are available just over the bridge in Tampa.

Wishing you safe passage when you get rolling.

Bob423 said...

Tim, first of all, let me thank you for your excellent reporting on your trip south - it was a great help! We've never considered the west coast of Florida. We've fallen into the habit of Key West. We fell in love with the place and now everybody knows us and we know them. We look forward to it every year. We stay at dock E14 in the Key West Bight Marina for February and March. We've thought about the Bahamas but when you already have paradise, it's hard to change.

Tampa sounds interesting and we have friends there too but we do like Key West so we'll probably not change.

With the changes that are bound to happen with Florence, I hope my tracks will be helpful. It's going to be a different trip south this fall. We hope to get started sometime next week but it's still all up in the air.

TimC said...

Sounds like you have a great setup in the Keys Bob. You may be plowing new paths on the way down. I shall be following your posts closely.

I did reach out to a couple marinas we hit in the way down suggesting they provide a post-storm update on your facebook page. I'll post anything I receive. Hopefully, others will post updates - would be nice if they consolidated on your site, activecaptain and waterway guide.

Captain Bob said...

Bob, I've read a number of your comments on Active Captain and appreciate your incites. Terri Howard forwarded your blog site,since we plan to leave Hampton, VA and follow the path south to Marathon. We're not leaving until October, so we will appreciate your blog.
Bob & Sandra
Carpe Diem

Bob423 said...

Captain Bob, welcome!! There are several sites you may be interested in:

FCebook group just for the ICW
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2221490218081478/

My original blog site
http://fleetwing.blogspot.com/

Have fun first!