I haven't seen much on the idea of computers and nav charting software on Ariels/Commanders. Probably because most of us either 1. sail in well known waters, 2. Need new sails before we need to figure out exactly where we are 3. are technically challenged 4. took the power squadron nav course and like dead reckoning. However, since many of you are probably snowed in and bored this time of year thinking about new rudders, rudder shoes and such (ha ha) I figured I'd give some of you the chance to explore the emerging world of FREE vector navagation charts which are now available from our goverment through NOAA. I'm sure you've all seen nav charting software and expensive chart plotters from Garmin and others. And I'm sure you've seen the prices of the charts you have to buy in each manufacturers proprietary formats. Well guess what? NOAA, (yes, the weather guys, and also the keeper of the keys to US harbors and inland waters charts) has over the past few years completed digitizing most coastal waters and inland waterways into the new international ENC Vector chart format. A vector chart means there is a digital address for each chart object, whereas a "Raster" chart is simply a scanned image of a paper chart. Vector charts are more useful than raster because you can "layer on the data you are interested in, which can't be done with raster charts. NOAA is now going to use its vector chart database as the source for all of its paper charts. But the really cool thing is that these same source vector charts can be had for free. But you need a way to display them (chart software that can display the new worldwide ENC format, which stands for Electronic Nautical Charts, or sometimes called S-57 charts). You need a PC to run the software, and you need a display.