FAQ

About the Charts

What are ENC charts? Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC) are official digital nautical charts produced by national Hydrographic Offices, used for marine navigation in place of paper charts.

What is S-63? S-63 is the IHO standard for encrypting and licensing ENC data, ensuring charts come from an authorized source and are used under a valid license.

What is OpenCPN? OpenCPN is a free, open-source chartplotter and navigation application. MarineENC charts are sold specifically for use with OpenCPN via the Siitech plugin.

Buying

What payment methods are accepted? Payments are processed securely through our payment provider at checkout.

Can I buy charts for multiple countries? Yes — each country/region chart set is purchased and licensed separately.

Activation

What is a UserPermit? A UserPermit is a file generated by the Siitech OpenCPN plugin from your device's Hardware ID. It's required to activate a chart license on that device.

How many devices can I activate? Each license allows activation on up to 2 devices.

What if I get a new computer? Contact support — device transfers/reactivations are handled on a case-by-case basis.

Subscriptions

When does my subscription renew? Chart licenses are sold as annual subscriptions and renew automatically each year unless cancelled.

What happens when my subscription expires? Charts stop receiving updates and may become unusable in OpenCPN until renewed.

Free Charts

Why do free USA charts require an account? Free charts use the same licensing and activation system as paid charts, so an account and device activation are still required even though there's no charge.

Troubleshooting

My charts aren't loading in OpenCPN. Confirm the Siitech plugin is installed and up to date, and that the chart has been activated on this device from "My Charts."

The plugin isn't working. See the Plugin Download page for installation help, or contact us.