Autumn release of CSIG charts

The autumn release of the CSIG charts is now available for download. Once again, Brian has completed an outstanding release with almost a million new soundings and included any corrections, which have been identified since the last release in spring 2017. There have been other changes as well which I have detailed below. I want to thank Anton Wigley and Beth O’Loughlin for the excellent survey work completed during the IWAI Kildare and HBA trips on the Barrow and the Three Sisters. Not only do we now have real detail for this area, but we also have nice track logs available for anyone wishing to use them. We are hoping to improve the Royal Canal data to the same standard come the spring when the HBA will travel the canal on route to the Shannon.

Access to CSIG charts

If you wish to retrieve the latest charts, please do so through the CSIG website http://chartssig.iwai.ie/membership-login/beta-charts/  If you are having trouble logging in please contact Colman by email: colmansbyrne@gmail.com

Some things to note on the new release

The issue with the use of the charts on low-resolution devices has been solved. The size of the spot depths, navigation marks and other icons has been reduced. Users of high-resolution devices may need to over zoom their display to compensate if the app you choose supports it. Cartograph contains the ability to both under zoom and over zoom the map if you are partial to a particular scale.

The overview zoom levels now show the navigation marks to aid with navigating the broad loughs whilst zoomed a long way out. Previously these were omitted from view.

There are high-resolution photographic images of a selection of interesting Islands on the two most detailed zoom levels of the charts. (See Holy Island on Lough Derg as an example).

The Grand Canal and the Barrow have had extensive makeovers as stated above.

A lot more data has been included in the Erne and SEW systems, many thanks again to our lead surveyor Robert Navan and his team in that area.

All this work and new data has increased the size of the charts so Brian has created some options to help those who do not need the whole set of data.

Download instructions

For those of you wanting to download the latest version please be sure to read to the end of this article for instructions on the correct file(s) to download as you may not need all of them.

Locus, Galileo and Cartograpgh users…

For those who want the whole lot in one file you can simply download the single file “CSIG Inland Waterways 8Sep2017.sqlitedb” (1.7GB).

For those who are not interested in the Canals or Loughs Neagh, Shark and the Newry Ship Canal you can download the smaller, single file “CSIG ShannonErne 8Sep2017.sqlitedb” (1.2GB).  This file will still show the whole of Ireland when zoomed out, but there will be no detail of the canals etc. as you zoom in.

There are four “overlay” charts that can be used in addition to the file “CSIG ShannonErne 8Sep2017.sqlitedb” chart and should only be downloaded as required.
“CSIG Canals Overlay 8Sep2017.sqlitedb”,
“CSIG Neagh Overlay 8Sep2017.sqlitedb”,
“CSIG NSC Overlay 8Sep2017.sqlitedb”,
“CSIG Shark Overlay 8Sep2017.sqlitedb”

Locus users can (for example) load the chart “CSIG ShannonErne 8Sep2017”, and then optionally load the “CSIG Canals Overlay 8Sep2017” chart as an overlay when navigating the canals.
Galileo does not currently support overlays so you would need to switch the chart, but be aware that the overlay charts only contain the four most detailed zoom levels.

Memory Map users….

The charts cover the Shannon Erne system and the canals like the last release.
There are no detailed images of the Islands due to the different processing methods.
The charts are zipped and provided in four zoom levels as before:
Basemap (2 metres per pixel),
1 Metre
50cm
Detail (30cm per pixel).

Summary

Once again, this is an excellent release and we strongly advise you to update to it to ensure errors are corrected and in particular to address the low resolution issue. Many thanks Brian and our team of surveyors. As always, we welcome your feedback and constructive criticism for improving the charts.

Meet Colman Byrne

I first met Colman in Dromineer when he came to talk to us about the CSIG and to see if there was anything he could do to help. Well, I think he bit off a bit more than he expected with his knowledge of Web practices and Computer technology in general. Colman now runs the CSIG web site (as well as the IWAI web site), with the help of Beth on content. He also provides technical assistance, particularly to iOS users, and manages the storage and distribution of the charts.

Colman tells me is a native of Limerick, and owns a Freeman 33 Sedan called Inshallah – based in Dromineer. He was brought up on the banks of the Shannon where he lived a Huckleberry Finn existence ranging along the banks of the Shannon in Limerick until puberty arrived bringing other interests. As a teenager he was taught sailing and boating skills by one of the legends of the Shannon, Syd Shine, LRYC Athlone and LDCY Dromineer and all along the river on the MV Fox. Colman graduated from University of Limerick with a BEng in Electronics.

He emigrated to the US and UK in the 80s and 90s returning to Ireland in 1999. He is married with three grown up children, each born in a different country, with 3 grandkids, that are already building their love of the Shannon.

Colman has worked in the automotive industry since the 1980s initially designing vehicle systems then designing electronics for cars with many of the big car manufacturers. Currently he is the Quality Manager for a German multinational with two manufacturing plants in Ireland making 26 million electronic control units annually for the European auto makers.

He tells me he has always been interested in maps, so when the opportunity came up to participate in creating a chart for the Shannon, he was fascinated and delighted to apply his technical knowledge in computing and electronics to the project.  This combined with his passion for the Shannon and a wish to provide safe use of some of the wonderful off beaten track areas that he roamed as a child in rowing boats and sailboats, pretending to be a Swallow or Amazon (book by Arthur Ransomed). I have to take his word for this since I have never heard of the book. (I grew up on the Grand Canal bank catching pinkeens, my mammy wouldn’t let me roam too far).

It is hard to believe that it is 5 years since Colman first joined the CSIG, and he has become indispensable to the group. Many thanks Colman and keep that infectious smile going.

Summary

The CSIG has proven to be a superb cross branch asset to the IWAI, with many new members coming on board just to get the charts, and then finding they have joined a really, good organisation of like minded people with so many different interests. If you would like to acquire a copy of the CSIG charts, or if you would like us to give a presentation to your Branch, please contact me Les Saunders at (barge41m@yahoo.co.uk) in the first instance.

© Les Saunders