Products

At Navicom Dynamics we combine our world leading portable pilot technology with the leading pilot Electronic Charting Systems. Qastor and SEAiq Pilot software has been tried, tested and proven by pilots around the globe, and offer numerous customisable features and easy updates.

Wartsila Pilot Pro, Rose Point ECS and Orca Pilot G2 are also well reputed and have been specifically tailored to work with Navicom Portable Pilot Units (PPUs). To follow, are some of the most significant features of Qastor, SEAiq Pilot and Wartsila Pilot Pro software.

Qastor

Qastor, by QPS (Quality Positioning Services BV), is a powerful electronic charting system that gives pilots easy-to-use and easy-to-understand information.  QPS has been developing portable electronic charting and navigation systems for the marine pilot since 2000.

Qastor is offered as a yearly software subscription with several add-on modules to suit the individual needs of ports and pilots. 

In particular, Qastor 3 is a multi-platform piloting solution, with support for all major operating platforms and PPU devices.

Integrated voice recording is available in Qastor 2.50 & 3.0 versions. This can be very practical for analysis of the voyage or training, for users that do not have an integrated microphone. It is necessary to either plug in a microphone or to use a Bluetooth microphone. 

Qastor 3 also provides integral support for HarbourPilot, ChannelPilot and GyroPilot. 

The standard Qastor licence is for Navigation Mode, which contains features such as:

• Danger detection and avoidance
• Enhanced route planning and verification
• Dynamic under keel clearance
• Accurate navigation in confined waters
• Real-time tide reduction
• Swept path vessel prediction
• AIS integration and target viewer with advanced CPA functions
• Recording and replay 
• DXF overlay
• S-57 ENCs, ARCS or 'C-Map Professional' charts
• Interactive Height of Tide
• Route creation
• Curved path prediction for monitoring turns
• Manual distance-off
• Full display of all AIS data, either from integrated AIS or from Pilot Plug
• AIS Database for speedy recognition of vessel data
• Predict CPAs and calculate meeting points of AIS target, both Line-Of-Sight or Along Route
• Full recording and replay

Other Qastor licences available include:

Docking Mode

• Vectors showing instantaneous direction of movement of bow and stern
• Athwartships component of velocity at bow and stern
• Fore/aft component of velocity at mid-point
• Angle of approach to wharf
• Distances off wharf at shoulder and quarter
• Clearing distance ahead and astern when swinging through wharf or edge of shallow area 

Lock Approach Mode 

• Distance to both sides of the lock - at both bow and stern
• Distance to end of lock
• Cross-track error in relation to the centreline of the lock

FPSO Modes

Tandem Mooring Mode 

•     •  Heading, ROT, COG and SOG of primary vessel (tanker being piloted)
•     •  Heading, ROT, COG and SOG of secondary vessel (FPSO/FSO etc) 
•     •  True bearing from bow of primary vessel to stern of secondary vessel
•     •  Relative bearing from bow of primary vessel to stern of secondary vessel
•     •  Distance from bow of primary vessel to stern of secondary vessel 
•     •  Relative speed between the two vessels 
•     •  Vectors showing direction and speed of bow and stern for primary vessel
•     •  Alarm when distance opens or closes to user-defined limit
•     •  Alarm for impending jack-knife scenario

Buoy Approach Mode

All of the above, except:

•     •  True bearing from bow of primary vessel to centre of buoy
•     •  Relative bearing from bow of primary vessel to centre of buoy
•     •  Distance from bow of primary vessel to centre of buoy

Side-By-Side Docking Mode 

•     •  Heading, ROT, COG and SOG of primary vessel (approaching tanker)
•     •  Heading, ROT, of primary vessel (FPSO/FSO etc)
•     •  Closing speed and distance at the shoulder (1/6th LOA)
•     •  Closing speed and distance at the quarter (1/6th LOA

Qastor Standards

Qastor is designed in compliance with IHO S52 standards for display of all icons.

Qastor uses fully specified ECS engines for digital chart presentation. Various formats can be read and displayed, such as IHO S-57 Version 3, ARCS and C-Map CM93 version 3. 

Qastor also supports the IHO S-63 security mechanism as used by Primar and IC-ENC.

Like all great piloting software, Qastor incorporates the Scamin decluttering algorithm.  This extremely useful addition allows charts to be zoomed in and out without overlayed objects crowding the screen.  Most digital charts worldwide are designed to enable Scamin decluttering. 

Qastor is developed with Windows ® GUI (Graphic user interface) guidelines, making it user-friendly and easy to use.

Qastor Updates

Although Qastor is built on a compliant engine, the software itself is deliberately not type-approved. Type approval is not relevant for PPUs. In fact, there are great disadvantages with type approval of software as any updates will take a lot longer and be very expensive.   

Qastor is regularly updated with each update always adding new features. 

SEAiq Pilot

Similar to Qastor 3, SEAiq Pilot is a multi-platform piloting solution, with support for all major operating platforms and PPU devices. It combines a complete set of piloting features with unparalleled ease-of-use. Data from any PPU providing NMEA messages over WiFi or Bluetooth can be used, with SEAiq offering a dedicated section for settings unique to Navicom PPUs.

For shore-side use, SEAiq can display vessel information from an AIS base station and even allows virtual boarding of vessels. SEAiq supports a wide range of vector and raster chart formats. It also integrates with others services including VoyageBank which offers additional advanced features for pilots. SEAiq’s essential functions include:

Charts

• Supports S-63 (UKHO), S-57, iENC and BSB/KAP chart formats
• PRIMAR Charts with automatic download/update
• Bathymetric ENC, Port ENC, BSB/KAP and CM93v2
• Close adherence for IHO S-52 format
• Supports NOAA Charts with automatic downloads/updates for raster and vector charts
• Supports US Army Corps of Engineers with automatic downloads/updates for iENC vector charts
• Supports vendors such as Admiralty (UKHO), PRIMAR, LINZ, AHO, and ChartWorld with automatic downloads/updates
• Support for NOAA Bathymetric ENCs (coming soon)

Pilot Log Book

• Maintain record of passage
• Automatically record time, position, course, vessel and nearby AIS targets
• Add images from screenshots or camera

VoyageBank (Pilot Data Server)

• Integrate with booking, billing, and scheduling
• Share documents, routes, mariner’s tools, vessel information
• Share comments including images from cameras or screenshots
• Flag issues as safety related
• Automatically back-up logbook

Routes and Waypoints

• Unlimited waypoints and routes
• Optional turning radius
• Wheel-over marks
• Set maximum speeds and receive alarms
• Set goal time to reach waypoints
• Indicate segments where large vessels are restricted from passing
• Import/export formats: GPX, KML, RTU, RT3

AIS AND NMEA

• Integral support for HarbourPilot, ChannelPilot and GyroPilot
• Support other Wi-Fi AIS pilot plug repeaters
• Record and playback function
• Connect to shore-based AIS feeds over 3G
• Connect to worldwide AIS feeds over 3G/LAN
• Virtual boarding using AIS target as own-ship
• AIS Environmental Messages

Collision Avoidance

• Closest Point of Approach
• Bow Crossing Distance
• AIS target alarm
• Meeting Point Alarm
• Restricted Passing Alarm
• Numerous other configurable alarms
• Optional spoken alarms
• Trial ROT and SOG Selectors

Docking Aids

• Graphical and textual display
• Berthing speed and distance to fender line
• Berthing angle to fender line
• Automatic fender and wharf selection
• Single Point Mooring support

Mariner Tools

• Variable Range Markers (VRM)
• Electronic Bearing Lines (EBL)
• Mariners notes
• Optionally attach tools to own-ship, AIS, targets and waypoints
• Mark lines, polygons with user selected color and line style

Compatibility

• SEAiq Pilot is a cross-platform software for pilots. Available for Apple iPad and iPhone, MacOS, Android and Windows devices.
• All Navicom PPUs (integrated support)
• Other WiFi PPUs (manual configuration)
• External GPS devices (position only)
• Import/export using Email, DropBox, Airdrop, iTunes File Transfer and VoyageBank
• Import/export formats: GPX, KML, RTU, RT3, XML, HTML

Wartsila Pilot PRO

Pilot PRO, by Wartsila, is an iPad application designed to meet the needs of professional deep sea, channel and river pilots and other marine professionals and navigators. With a carefully considered range of specific pilot features, the system is designed to assist pilots in their daily routine, helping to maintain efficient pilotage and other onboard operations.

Main benefits

• Easy system setup and use
• Pilot-requested specific functions
• Pilot wireless freedom and mobility on the bridge
• Light weight and small size
• Long battery lifecycle for tablets

Functions

• Navigational data transfer via AIS Wi-Fi pilot plug router
• Connection to all Navicom Dynamics sensors via Wi-Fi
• Maneuvering predictor
• Docking and mooring operation modes
• AIS target presentation, including Class A, AtoNs and AIS Class B
• AIS Meeting and Rendezvous Points
• AIS Virtual Boarding functionality
• Presentation of Fore’n’Aft and Resulting COG vectors, ROT information (from sensor or calculated)
• Display of extended information on AIS targets: Class A and Class B, AtoNs, Base stations
• Audiovisual navigational alarms
• ERBL: Point-to-Point and Own ship ERBL

Docking mode

• Operates in portrait or landscape mode
• Conning Display
• Togglable predictors, distance lines and speed vectors
• Customized Fender lines, which can be shared between Pilot PRO users
• Unique Vessel Parking System (VPS)

Route monitoring

• Scalable ship vectors for the own ship and AIS targets
• Own ship sensor data displayed: LAT, LON, COG, SOG, HDG, and ROT
• Route Monitoring data displayed: Route Name, WP Name, Bearing to WP, Distance to WP, XTD bar and value, Time-To-Go and ETA
• Simplified Schedule Information data to selected WP

Planning tools

• Route planning: Create New Route, Select any route for monitoring or Edit existing route
• Advanced cursor functionality for adding of user objects
• Schedule calculation
• WP editing: XTD, turn radius and speed on leg
• Route, Tracks, User Objects and Fender Lines: export and import using *.GPX, *.KML or *.KMZ formats

Environmental data

• Weather forecast data (wind, wave, air pressure, precipitation)
• Tidal currents
• Tidal reference points (High / Low water, graphical diagram)
• AIS Meteo Data
• Internet AIS Service

Additional features

• Day and Night modes
• Multi-unit Support
• Multi-language Support

Other Software

Navicom Dynamics PPUs can run with any software that receives NMEA messges and we will happily integrate your current or favoured software with our systems.  We can also integrate our products with software designed for functions such as dynamic under keel clearance.