Newsletter #2 - April 14, 2007
ActiveCaptain Goes Global
ActiveCaptain Expands Internationally
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The success of ActiveCaptain (www.activecaptain.com)
in the United States has caused interest around the world. This has led to numerous
requests for better support of international data. Version 1.3 of
ActiveCaptain allows you to select between feet and meters, gallons
and liters, and the currency type.
ActiveCaptain now has almost 500 marina markers in the United Kingdom!
We are looking for help in other international cruising locations so
spread the word and let us know your favorite places to cruise around
the world.
Your Anchorages
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Since adding the new anchorage marker last month you have entered
hundreds of your favorite spots to drop the hook. This information has
proven invaluable to your fellow Captains who tell us they are finding
some great new anchorages. Your additions have not only led to some
peaceful nights, they also offer added safety. We discovered this
ourselves a couple of weeks ago when we needed a safe spot to duck out
of bad weather (Thank you Captain Phil). So keep entering those
beautiful gems and safe havens.
Yahoo Maps Update
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Some of you have had a problem with zooming and then panning the map.
If you tried to pan the map before it was finished zooming, it would
sometimes hang or move you somewhere in Kansas. This was a known bug
which Yahoo Maps has fixed. Version 1.3 of ActiveCaptain now
incorporates this fix. If you notice any problems, please let us know.
ActiveCaptains
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Wow, 6 ActiveCaptains have accumulated 500 points or more!
Mega Captains
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T Smith - 1693 points
b393capt - 1111 points
Sterling - 1057 points
Elliott Bray - 768 points
charles - 561 points
KeithE - 520 points
Thanks to our nearly 2,000 Captains, we now have over 9,000 facilities
and almost 1,000 anchorages. You have made more than 35,000 updates to
the database and there are more than 1,000 reviews.
Three Things You May Not Know About ActiveCaptain
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1. Anchorage reviews
Every new anchorage will have a review by the Captain who added it. Did
you know you can also add your own review? Information from other
Captains who have used the spot can be invaluable. Those of us who love
being 'on the hook' know it is as much an art as a science. What worked
great for a shallow draft cruiser may not be good for a deep draft
schooner. So add your own experiences!
2. Turning markers on and off
By clicking on the marker selection box on the left side of the map you
can select the markers types displayed. This can help in a number of
ways. It allows you to see only the types of markers you are looking
for, anchorages, for example, which can be helpful especially in
high-density areas. In addition, if you are in a situation where you have a
slow internet connection, you can choose to turn off all markers while
searching for a location and then turn the markers back on. This will
speed up the map display.
3. Changing your email address
In our last newsletter we told you we were going to add account updating
to ActiveCaptain. Well, some unexpected events in our cruise have
delayed that feature. If you need to change your email address, simply
send us a comment with your user name, current email address, and new
email address and we will manually change it for you. The ability for
you to make your own changes to your account will be coming soon. Thank
you for your patience.
Coming Soon
===========
We continue working on the design for Local Knowledge markers. It has
proven to have some tricky issues. This marker will provide a way to
identify that unique brand of information we call 'local knowledge.'
Tell your fellow Captains about that fabulous restaurant, the place to
watch a magnificent sunset, or that unmarked shoal where others have
run aground. We'll document bridges, locks, and West Marina locations.
And lots more. This is the kind of information you just can't find in
publications. These new Local Knowledge markers will appear in blue.
Watch for them!
Finally, we will continue to expand into other countries. So let us
know where you are cruising.
Thank you for continuing to support this project. Come visit us in
Maine this summer. We have an extra mooring in Smith's Cove!
==================================
Karen and Jeffrey Siegel
aCappella
Castine, Maine
www.activecaptain.com
Content, Communications, Community
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