Newsletter #4 - September 19, 2007

Boat Ramps


ActiveCaptain Adds Boat Ramps to Local Knowledge Markers
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ActiveCaptain version 1.5 (www.activecaptain.com) has added over 3,000 new Local Knowledge markers to its online database. These markers show the locations of boat ramps throughout the US. They include basic information: a name, location and sometimes a phone number. While we think this is a good start, we know there are thousands more new locations and endless details to be added.

Now we need your knowledge! Add your favorite spots to put in and let the other Captains know what to expect when they get there. Is there a fee? Is it well maintained? What about parking? Check the markers listed and add your corrections and additions.



Anchorages: Chesapeake Bay Challenge
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Earlier this summer we challenged Captains to add anchorages in the Long Island Sound. You entered some great places to spend the night and your fellow Captains thank you. Now it's time for our next challenge -- the Chesapeake Bay. Fall is the perfect time to cruise in and around the Chesapeake Bay. We spent a beautiful month last October exploring this wonderful cruising ground. What better way to enjoy the natural beauty of this area than to throw out the hook in a quiet spot.

So all Captains who enjoy the Chesapeake as your home port or who have been fortunate enough to spend time in these beautiful waters, let us know your favorite places drop the hook. We're challenging you to add just one new anchorage marker. By the way, our favorite spot from last year was Langford Creek:
http://www.activecaptain.com/OTW.php?lat=39.124&lon=-76.16254&type=1&zoom=5



Two Things You May Not Know About ActiveCaptain
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1. Linking to ActiveCaptain Locations
Have a marina you want to tell your cruising friends about? Or an anchorage for an impromptu rendezvous? You can easily create a URL reference that will display a specific location inside ActiveCaptain. Add clickable position links to your email, website, or newsletters.

The format for the URL is:
OTWURL?lat=LAT&lon=LON&type=T&zoom=Z

where:
OTWURL: http://www.activecaptain.com/OTW.php
LAT: decimal latitude (North is positive, South is negative)
LON: decimal longitude (East is positive, West is negative)
T: map type (1 is map, 2 is hybrid, 3 is satellite)
Z: zoom (1 to 8, 1 is maximum zoom)

Note that the "type" and "zoom" items are optional. If they are left out, the last displayed map type and zoom will be used.

Some examples
-------------
General Castine, ME area map:
http://www.activecaptain.com/OTW.php?lat=44.3868&lon=-68.795&type=1&zoom=5

Bucksport Plantation Marina, SC sat image (great sausage by the way!):
http://www.activecaptain.com/OTW.php?lat=33.6513&lon=-79.0947&type=3&zoom=1

Tips for creating URLs:
- Click on the lat/lon display in ActiveCaptain and select "Degrees only" to show positions in the form that URLs require.
- Remember that US/Canadian longitudes are West so they are negative.
- Get the Details/Position of a marina or anchorage for it's position.


2. Displaying Markers
As more information is added to ActiveCaptain you will notice that there will be times when the display can become quite crowded. There may even be times when one marker is hidden behind another. There are a few ways to alleviate this problem. Use the zoom feature once you have found the general area you are interested in. If you know the name of the marker you wish, check the alphabetical list on the left. Moving your pointer over the name will highlight that marker.

If there are still too many markers, make sure you are only displaying the type(s) you are interested in. ActiveCaptain provides a way to turn on and off the display of different types of markers. To do this, click on the Marker box displayed on the left side of the map. This will bring up a dialog of the Marker types. Click the check boxes to indicate which types you want displayed. When a marker type is turned on the colored marker will appear in the Marker box on the map. An "X" will appear when it is turned off. This "X" enhancement is an addition from your suggestions.



ActiveCaptain Statistics
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You continue to make ActiveCaptain a success. We're approaching 4,000 registered users, 10,000 marinas, and 3,000 reviews. So where has all this great data been coming from? ActiveCaptain has been visited by Captains in 134 countries. The top 10 countries in order have been:

1. United States
2. Canada
3. United Kingdom
4. Netherlands
5. Australia
6. Germany
7. Italy
8. France
9. Poland
10. Sweden



Coming Soon
===========
We've made the decision to take a short break from cruising. So the boat will come out of the water and we'll enjoy a long missed winter in Maine. This will give us more time to add some of the features we've been planning for ActiveCaptain. The Going Mobile components are well into development and we hope to have some portions up soon. More Local Knowledge markers will be coming as we continue to enhance the current ones. While we'll miss our cruising adventures this winter, we have many plans to keep us busy.

Oh, and we have a new puppy! Not to brag, but at only 10 weeks, he does "his business" on board like a cruising pro. We've even considered "patenting" our "fool-proof approach" -- of course, registered ActiveCaptains would automatically have life-time rights.

Thank you for continuing to support this project. And don't forget to add your favorite anchorages!


==================================
Karen and Jeffrey Siegel
aCappella
Castine, Maine

www.activecaptain.com
The Interactive Cruising Guidebook

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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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