Expedition is commercial Windows software for marine navigation, yacht racing and sailing performance analysis. It combines charts, forecasts and instrument readings to plot routes and calculate racing information. Tasman Bay Navigation Systems offers a full-function trial and a perpetual licence. The licence covers onboard use alongside a separate computer for planning ashore.
Charts beneath the course
Expedition selects, joins and rotates nautical charts, then draws the boat, marks, tracks and laylines over them. It reads S-57 and S-63 electronic navigational charts and BSB raster navigational charts. The charting variants also support different commercial chart families:
| Variant | Additional chart family |
|---|---|
| Expedition | Navionics |
| Expedition X | C-MAP X |
| Expedition 4D | C-MAP 4D |
C-MAP X uses X-Chart Manager for chart management and does not accept X-Charts on SD cards. Navionics uses its Chart Installer for chart cartridges. Expedition 4D uses C-MAP Maps Manager.
For ENC files, Expedition scans a folder into its chart catalogue and opens the chart you select. Routes connect a sequence of marks. The active route and destination mark drive navigation calculations, while GPX import and export exchange marks and routes with other software.
Forecasts over the water
Expedition reads GRIB weather and current files, merges multiple datasets and supports NetCDF data. Its integrated server supplies global and regional models, including ECMWF, GFS, ICON and UM. You select a chart area, model and forecast times to request data, then step through forecast times on the chart.
Other inputs include Saildocs forecasts, SailFlow observations, satellite images and tidal data from NOAA, SHOM and Tidetech. Some server datasets require product registration, and external providers can require their own subscriptions.
The Expedition WRF service adds local thermal and land effects to GFS forecasts for particular sailing areas. Its data includes wind, gusts, pressure, rain, temperature and cloud cover. These regional simulations supplement global and national models.
Calculating a weather route
A yacht’s polar describes its boat speed at different true wind speeds and angles. Expedition loads and edits these performance tables. With a polar, an active route and forecast data, the navigator chooses a departure time and runs Optimise.
Expedition offers isochronal and grid routing, incorporates currents and applies wave corrections or avoidance limits. Ensemble routing calculates alternatives across weather models or ensemble members. The chart can show several solutions, route sensitivity and reverse isochrones, which represent equal travel times from the finish.
The Results view presents route details and forecast conditions. Expedition can export the resulting route as GPX or CSV.
Approaching the starting line
The navigator records the port and starboard ends of the start line and sets a countdown. Expedition combines the line, boat position and racing calculations to show arrival times at the line and its ends. Time to burn compares the arrival that Expedition predicts with the starting gun.
The start display also shows line bias. Windward-leeward course tools calculate times to marks, laylines and information for the next leg. The navigator can hold wind or current values for these calculations.
Instrument readings on board
Expedition connects to marine instruments through serial or network connections. You choose the port or connection and the instrument type. Expedition supports B&G, NKE, A+T and Sailmon, alongside NMEA interfaces. Number boxes display system values, while compatible instruments can receive route or performance data from the computer.
Radar overlays add Navico or Koden echoes to the chart. Navico radar access requires a separate licence for each radar. The additional Doppler option applies to compatible models.
A tablet can display the navigation computer through remote desktop software. This arrangement keeps instrument connections on the main computer while the tablet shows its screen.
Following other boats
Expedition plots AIS targets and lists their movement and closest-point information. Time and distance filters control closest-point warnings. For race tracking, the navigator enters a YB Tracking race identifier. Expedition downloads position reports, imports them into its database and updates the display. Competitor tracks then support race analysis alongside the boat’s own track.
Reviewing the sailing data
Expedition logs instrument channels for later replay, calibration work and polar analysis. You choose the channels and logging frequency. Stripchart graphs the data from a log file and follows changing values over time. Selecting an interval with its vertical markers produces averages for that period. Tests and event notes keep particular sailing observations alongside the measurements.
