Target audience for this documentation

This documentation is aimed at all users – from beginners wanting to set up their first tablet for navigation on board, to sophisticated owners who want to set up a complex ship network. It describes the most important settings and procedures. A visual overview of the basic processes is provided by the videos and there is an opportunity for personal trials on the demo platform.

What is AvNav

AvNav - initiated and developed by Andreas Vogel (Wellenvogel) - is a mature navigation software for use on pleasure craft. It offers everything skippers need for safe cruise planning, sailing, and orientation on the water: from displaying nautical charts and integrating and displaying boat instruments to anchor alarm functions and collision warning via AIS.

AvNav was designed from the beginning specifically for the harsh conditions on board. The focus is always on the maxim that navigation in the cockpit must remain reliable and intuitively operable via touch displays – even in wind, wet conditions, and ship movements. AvNav thus closes the gap between expensive, fixed-installed plotters from major marine outfitters and often too simple mobile apps by making professional and, above all, highly customizable navigation accessible to everyone.

A crucial feature that distinguishes AvNav from commercial products is its nature as an open-source project (free software). This means, first and foremost, that the use of the program - apart from some nautical charts - is completely free. There are no hidden subscriptions or locked premium features. But open source means much more: the entire program code is publicly viewable and is managed transparently on the developer platform GitHub. Thanks to this open approach, there is no vendor lock-in. Any programmer worldwide can review the code, report or fix bugs, write powerful extensions (plugins), or contribute new features.

Community

This open concept is supported by a dedicated and helpful community. The heart of the exchange, troubleshooting, and further development is the German Segeln-Forum. Here, beginners, experienced users, and the developers themselves meet on an equal footing. If specific questions arise regarding installation or help is needed with a complex setup, this forum is the best point of contact. Many of today's AvNav features are based directly on the practical experience, wishes, and feedback of the sailors in this community. AvNav is therefore software from practice for practice, which constantly grows with its users.