PilotMate^® Features

PilotMate software offers powerful graphic and text display capabilities.

Overlays and Routes

Handlers can easily augment standard-issue National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) charts with a variety of vector overlays, showing piers, soundings, anchorages, and other areas where extra precision and detail might be necessary.

PilotMate also displays a selected route on a vector overlay. A PilotMate route—such as the channel centerline or other intended path down a channel—may be defined by the pilot. Display boxes show the distance, bearing, time-to-go (TTG), and cross-channel deviation, with respect to the selected route.

Routes are generally stored as preprogrammed data files. However, handlers can create new routes or modify existing ones on-the-fly.

Display Controls

All vital information can be accessed via control-bar "hot buttons" and standard Windows pull-down menus. Using the hot buttons, handlers can:

• Automatically follow a vessel
• Manually center at any point on a chart
• Zoom in and out of a vector chart
• Enter vessel characteristics
• Select charts and chart overlays
• Select routes and waypoints
• Measure distance and bearing (bow to point, stern to point, any area on vessel to point)
• View traffic ships (those with PilotMate units installed)
  

Using the pull-down menus, handlers can:

• Select a number of display boxes
• Select a number of special features
• Select a vessel
• Change the characteristics of a vessel
• Select a chart
• Select or modify a route
• Access help functions

The display software remembers the selections/configuration of the system from one use to the next. This information may be saved for each handler and retrieved when that handler uses the system again.

Display Boxes

Display boxes present the alphanumeric data in large, easy-to-read type, including speed-over-ground; course-over-ground; heading; heading rate of turn; distance, bearing, and TTG to a waypoint; channel cross-track deviation or error; vessel dynamics; system status and software status; and position. The handler can specify the bow, stern, midship, or bridge as the reference point for this data.

Other Displays

PilotMate also displays:

• Navigation bow and stern velocity vectors
• Dynamic pivot point (varies depending on the vessel's movement)
• Range ring in the shape of a vessel's icon (size can be varied)
• Ship's history or trail
• Projection of ship's position based on present course and speed
• Closing distance from a pier or other vessel

The handler can separately open and close any of the data windows and displays described above.

Depth Soundings

Regularly updated Army Corps of Engineers sounding data, available for a number of harbor and waterway areas, are incorporated into PilotMate's electronic chart function. Depths can be shown with color coding. For example, red would indicate areas under a specified minimum, green deeper areas, and yellow in-between areas.

Recording and Playback

All ship-movement data are recorded locally on the display device hard drive. The handler can retrieve this data at any time and replay the full scenario using forward, reverse, fast forward, and fast reverse controls.