Charts of the Dominican Republic

[Standbly]

I'm currently using transas iSailor charts of the DR but they're not exactly detailed. Rio San Juan is not (usable) on there for example.

So here my question. Does anybody know if the charts of Navionics or others are any better? Opencpn would be another great option but does anybody know where I can purchase DR charts?

[Pitchondesign]

I checked my Navionics and C Map charts and they are no better than the above. Might try satellite imagery. For Android Tablets, an App called Off Line Maps allows you to download satellite imagery, and if your tablet has built in GPS, will show your position on the image.

[GordMay]

The (Free) Cruising Guide to the Dominican Republic ➥ Dominican Republic | Free Cruising Guides


➥ http://freecruisingguides.com/sites/...puplic_7.0.pdf

[Standbly]

Thanks guys, especially Pitchondesign, those were exactly the answers I was looking for.

I'm using Bruce Van Sant's guide to follow the Thornless Path but the free cruising guides might add some useful info as well. Thanks GordMay.

[TheOffice]

My Navionics charts on my iPhone are excellent.

[LeaseOnLife]

Originally Posted by TheOffice

My Navionics charts on my iPhone are excellent.

Please show a screenshot of above mentioned location. My Navionics charts on my iPhone shows no detail for Rio San Juan in the DR. Neither does the Navionics Webapp:

[Emouchet]

You could also use GE2KAP OpenCPN plugin to grab Google Earth images. GE2KAP will automatically georeference them.

It requires a bit of learning curve to setup GE2KAP, but nothing really impossible.

Then, OpenCPN allows you use those saved georeferenced KAP files as an extra layer of usable "charts" in OpenCPN.

And once the images have been captured, this works off line.

Only trouble is when Google Earth Images of the ground are hidden by clouds. So check what you got before considering using them for a final approach...

[TheOffice]

Here you go

[LeaseOnLife]

Originally Posted by TheOffice

Here you go

Ah, Sonar Charts. Please be super careful following these. To me, above looks very generic, an algorithm has placed many lines between too few known depths. I doubt the bottom looks anything like the depiction.

Sonar charts work well if there is a lot of input. See Luperon DR for example, which shows quite a bit of detail, so it becomes more believable:

[Standbly]

I've worked with GE2KAP before and it's running on my opencpn pc so that's the next step.

A decent detailed marine chart would have been great but caution and a satellite image will have to do.

In a way I'm happy that iSailor is not performing anything less than Navionics. No good reason to switch yet. (Oops different topic :-) )

Thanks for the reply's!

[hpeer]

NV Raster Charts of Río San Juan.

If this is the Anchorage I’m thinking of I had a hard time interpreting Van Sadts instructions and came too close too far North. I bumped pretty hard and felt I was being swept onto the reef. But I got off and a boat came out to Guide is to the “fishing fleet” (I thought it was a derilict wreck). Scary ****.

[Standbly]

Originally Posted by hpeer

NV Raster Charts of Río San Juan.

If this is the Anchorage I’m thinking of I had a hard time interpreting Van Sadts instructions and came too close too far North. I bumped pretty hard and felt I was being swept onto the reef. But I got off and a boat came out to Guide is to the “fishing fleet” (I thought it was a derilict wreck). Scary ****.

Van Sant's "chart" drawing looks like this...

[hpeer]

Yup, that’s the one. I went in too far befor turning south. I had a hard time identifying the landmarks. Anyway, I was lucky to get out OK. When we struck the bottom was hard rock. I was closely watching the depth finder running in 12’ and it seemed as though we just rode up on an extensive shelf. I turned hard to port, which was probably the wrong thing to do, who knows. It got worse for a bit befor it got better.

[huramentzefix]

Rio San Juan can not be accessed by anything that has a keel. the height of the mast might stop you as well, you have to go through the mangroves.
open sport fishers (walkaround) have to go at high tide but still raise their engines.
when you come in through there you have to take some very sharp turns in the mangroves and stay in the channel.

there is not much on the north coast after you leave sosua bay.