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
===============
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
=================
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
==============
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
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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
The Interactive Cruising Guidebook

2010-07-21	#35 - My Card, messaging, and more...
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2009-11-17	#24 - Quick Lists
2009-10-20	#23 - A fresh look at the iPhone
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2009-07-01	#18 - ActiveCaptain Gets a Facelift
2009-06-02	#17 - Another ActiveCaptain award!
2009-05-19	#16 - Hats off to you!
2009-05-06	#15 - Twitter, New PodCast, and more
2009-03-17	#14 - Using phones in the Bahamas
2009-03-03	#13 - The best fuel prices
2009-01-28	#12 - SAIL innovation award
2009-01-05	#11 - Power accessories article
2008-12-02	#10 - Bluetooth headsets article
2008-10-28	#9 - The next wave
2008-09-13	#8 - ActiveCaptain Mobile news
2008-06-15	#7 - Mad Mariner
2008-03-12	#6 - ActiveCaptain Mobile
2008-01-21	#5 - Inlets
2007-09-19	#4 - Boat ramps
2007-07-09	#3 - Local knowledge released
2007-04-14	#2 - Global support
2007-02-11	#1 - Anchorages released

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