View the Release Notes for SOBv11 (PDF Document).

WEB Tracker & Blog

Upload your Position and other navigation data - at times that you preset - to our WEB Server for viewing by anyone in a Web Browser.

Optionally include text for display as a blog and attachments for pictures, documents, videos etc.

Blog uploads are compatible with the Mail-A-Sail blog site (http://blog.mailasail.com)

Email Alerts

NMEA 2000 Compatible

Use SOB to convert NMEA 2000 data to NMEA 0183 data and output from your PC's serial (or USB) port to interface with other devices and serial networks.

List of processed NMEA 2000 PGNs

Routing Enhancements

Auto Centre Enhancements

Past Track Display

Range and Bearing Lines

New Licensing System

• SOBv10 is now licensed to the disk it is installed on (rather than the computer, as for previous versions). SOB can be installed on a removable drive and transferred and run on any other computer while retaining the license details
• It may be necessary for you to re-unlock SOBv10 after installation, although any valid licensed SOB installation should migrate License Details automatically
• SOBv10 installs into the C:\SOBv360 folder which leaves your previous installation of an earlier version of SOB intact. Charts and user objects (routes, waypoints etc) may need to be copied manually to the new folder. Refer to the SOB User Manual.
• If your SOB computer is connected to the Internet, then Licensing can be performed automatically from within SOB by just entering your Password

Track Editing and Detail

• New Tracks toolbar includes a large collection of Track editing and Information tools. Including "Split a Track", "Trim a Track", "Export a track, or track segment" and many more...
• Comprehensive "Track Export" choices added

New Route Tools

• Split a route into two smaller routes, or join two routes to one route
• Comprehensive "Route Export" choices added

Waypoint Form Layout

• New layout and tools for Waypoint form, including dynamic updating of the waypoint icon appearance

Waypoint Attachments

• Attach any file (notes, pictures, videos, pdf etc) to a waypoint. It is quick and easy (single mouse click) to view the attachment list and view any attached files.

Ship's Data Panel

• Redesigned Data Panel which can now include the SPD (from paddlewheel device) and HDG (from electronic compass) on a fully configurable and re-sizeable display window

Tidal Stream Display

• The much requested Line Graph display for tidal streams (currents) is now included on the Object Info form

GRIBs

• New selections for choosing how long and how frequent to retrieve GRIB data
• "Future Ship Position" icon drawn ahead of your ship's symbol to predict where you may be for the chosen GRIB forecast time
• "+/- hours from NOW" added to the text display at the bottom of the GRIB screen to make it easier to track which forecast time you are viewing

AutoRoutes

• Completely re-designed AutoRoutes feature with new route pattens added and comprehensive tools to assist with finding MPP, LKP etc

Depth / Speed / Distance Calculator

• Included on Ship's Form >> Calculator page, this useful calculator helps with your ETA's etc

... plus much more ...

• Real-time tracking of ship's position and velocity directly on the chart

• Easy chart panning, zooming and level changing

• Designed for Touch-Screen use (additional functionality for mouse users)
• Compatible with all NMEA navigation instruments (directly with 0183 instruments, via Actisense converter for NMEA2000 instruments)
• Most number of NMEA sentences, AIS message types and DSC messages and GRIB Data-types decoded of any Navigation Software
• Print the displayed chart to any Windows™ printing device
• User selectable Data Folders location
• Simple "Drag-and-Drop" support for most of SOB's file types
• Super-size mode for clear viewing from a distance (ship's symbol, PastTracks, targets etc)
• Grey/Red/Black Night mode settings + 10 settings for chart shading
• Keep Ship's Target auto-centred on display (don't allow Ship's Target to "sail" off the display)
• Two-clicks to manually re-position the Ship's Target
• Dozens of Keyboard Shortcuts
• Zoom to a Window (create a sizeable "zoom-window" with a middle-mouse button drag)
• Look-ahead lines for either, both or none of, ship's heading* and course-over-ground
• Drawn to-scale ship's symbol
• Flexible Lat/Lng input (use DD.ddd, or DD°MM.mm or DD°MM'SS">
• GPS Satellite acquisition display
• Synchronise internal PC clock to GPS time
• Alarms for many conditions

Dynamic Ship Display configuration

• A new tool to quickly and simply set up your OwnShip display exactly as you like it.

Waypoints

• Easy creation of waypoint by mouse-clicking or direct entry of lat/lng values
• Fully configurable waypoint appearance (size, icon, colour, label etc)
• Enhanced Waypoint file management
• Reposition a waypoint with the mouse 
• Unlimited Waypoints (limited only by RAM and hard disk size)
• Anchor Zone and Arrival Zone Alarms
• Load/Unload and Manage SOB Waypoint files. (".wpt")
• Import ".TXT" or ".CSV" or ".XML" or ".GPX" files
• Export Wpts files to text and XML files
• Capture Wpts sent from the GPS to a .WPT file
• Send SOB Wpts (individual, multiple, or entire SOB ".wpt" file to GPS memory)
• Upload/Download Waypoints to the C-MAP User Card via the USB Card Reader
• Nominate individual or groups of Waypoints to be automatically loaded when SOB starts
• Convert waypoint list to route

PastTrack and Logfiles

• Selectively display or hide the Ship’s past track
• Clear track, reload any past track, auto-reload last track
• Colour past track by depth, boat speed, or wind speed
• Optionally display True-Wind vectors for each track point
• Convert PastTracks to Routes
• Automatic Logfile of PastTrack for importing into Excel etc
• Select logfile size (daily, or by hours)
• Advanced PastTrack reload filtering options

Routing tools

• Route Creation/Editing Tool Bar and the helpful route creation tips m

• ake routing much easier and more powerful.

MOB Device Support

SOB seamlessly integrates with these MOB devices:

Mobilarm V100	AMEC Dolphin	SafeLink R10 and SmartFind S10 Survivor Recovery	Raymarine Lifetag

Alarms Interface

Fine control over all alarms in SOB with configurable alarms for many conditions via a simple interface

• Interfaces with the SOB Alarm Module for interfacing with external alarms, buzzers or alarm lights.
• Outputs through the PC speaker, or plays a sound file via the sound system, or uses TTS to speak the alarm, or use the SOB Alarm Module to activate an external siren.
• Two standard “time of day” alarms are included.

Fuel Consumption and Burn Rate and Range calculator

• Interfaces with Cruzpro Tank Monitoring and Instrument sensors, or control manually. Provides range-remain predictions- and more - for motoring.

SOB includes very advanced target acquisition, display and calculation features - all designed to make transiting busy seaways safe and easy.

These features are ideal for use by base stations (for Vessel Monitoring); fleet managers; commercial vessels or leisure boaters.

Target Acquisition methods

• Tracking of AIS* targets
• Tracking of DSC* targets
• Tracking of ARPA (or MARPA) Radar* targets
• Tracking via Internet with direct interface to GpsGate Online
• Manually enter a target and use DR to track it

Target features

• Supports NT, NT+, MAX charts from C-MAP
• Supports both cartridge and disk file charts
• Compatible with C-MAP FP & NT+ & MAX Chart Cartridges & C-MAP Card Readers
• North-Up, Magnetic North-Up, Course-Up and Destination-Up chart orientations
• Show chart boundaries to quickly identify licensed charts and/or areas with greater chart coverage
• Selectable depth area shading and highlighting
• Read/write C-MAP User Cards (transfer routes, marks, events, tracks between SOB and a C-MAP Plotter)
• Declutter mode
• Perspective view, with adjustable viewing height and direction
• Animated nav-lights display
• Search for Chart Objects
• Extensive detail on all chart objects (depths, lights, ports, facilities etc)
• Location specific tide predictions with daily Sinusoidal graphs and text display and easy date picker
• Tidal Stream predictions. Polar graphs and on-screen arrows and text lists

Race Start feature

• "Race Start" is a dedicated feature to help get the best start in a yacht race.
• Set the time-to-go-to-start and select whether to start (1) perpendicular to the line; (2) on your current heading; or (3) on optimum port/starboard tack angle.
• Now, at a glance, you will see if you are fast or slow to the line, and much other data to help you achieve the perfect start

Wind Display on chart

• Powerful optimum upwind sailing guides are drawn around your ship's symbol and the upwind mark. Use these for fastest upwind sailing and know precisely where to tack for the layline to the mark.

Wind Data Panel

• Analogue-style wind display dials links to Polar data to show optimum angles and target speeds

Wind Polars

• Valuable analysis of your sailing performance based on real-time data compared against your yacht's polar data (which is your measured optimum sailing ability)
• Auto-create wind polar data from PastTracks; or import Maxsea format (.POL) polar files; or manually create polar data from simple table-formatted data from the yacht's published characteristics
• SOB uniquely uses separate data for port & starboard tacks. Other polar programs use a single set of data for either tack - thereby presuming that yachts perform identically on both tacks!

SOB is compatible with the worldwide GRIB weather data. This data is supplied freely by numerous weather agencies around the world by using a simple exchange of emails. SOB will seamlessly interface with most Email programs making the GRIB data requests simple and painless.

When received, the emailed data is decoded and overlayed onto the chart in a simple manner to enhance your voyages - providing predictions and current-state information right on the chart - where you need it.

The following data types can be decoded and displayed by SOB: