From a laptop and a folder of charts, to a helm that just works.
OpenCPN will get you a capable chartplotter, as long as you are willing to find, download and manage every chart yourself — and work it out yourself when something isn't working. Scout gives you charts and high-resolution satellite imagery from multiple providers, downloaded straight to a screen that lives at the helm. You can also bring your MBtile files to Scout.
Before you switch
The three questions you are about to ask
- Where does the charting actually come from?
- ENC charts covering the world, downloaded to the device on demand rather than hunted down a file at a time, plus high-resolution satellite imagery from multiple providers layered over the top. No folder of chart files to maintain.
- Will it talk to my instruments?
- Scout reads your NMEA 2000 data from an available Wi-Fi network onboard, so wind, depth, heading and AIS are all available on a single portable navigation device.
- How is it maintained and supported?
- Scout ships regular updates, shaped by what owners ask for — there is a feedback button on the device, and customer requests have already influenced the roadmap and become features. Behind it sits a support team you can email and a warranty. OpenCPN moves at the pace its volunteers can give it, and support is the community.
The switch
Same way of navigating, less of the upkeep
What you keep
Nothing about the way you navigate has to change. The parts of OpenCPN you actually rely on are the parts Scout is built around.
- Real vector charts — ENC coverage worldwide, not a substitute for them
- Full offline use — download the coverage you need before you leave signal
- Your own routes and waypoints, your own way of running a passage
What Scout handles for you
Scout takes on the upkeep that used to be yours to manage.
- Worldwide ENC coverage, downloaded on demand rather than hunted down
- One device to keep updated, not a computer and a plugin stack
- Charting that stays current, without you tracking whether it has
Takes the rocket science out of using satellite images.
Scout compared to an OpenCPN setup
Compared against a typical self-built OpenCPN install on a laptop or consumer tablet — the setup most people actually run, not the best case.
You’re not starting from zero
Import your MBTile charts from OpenCPN
You can import your MBTile files from your existing OpenCPN setup straight into Scout. Simply add them via SD card, and you can run them side by side with Scout’s live satellite imagery and up-to-date digital charts. If you’d like a hand at any point, our team is happy to help.
It’s only going to get better
What’s new
- Aug 2026Guided setup on the device
Power Scout on and it walks you through every step of getting set up.
- Aug 2026Blend charts and satellite
A slider transitions between the ENC chart and the satellite image — full chart, full satellite, or any blend in between.
What’s coming
- Route export to more chartplotters
Sending a route straight to your plotter over Wi-Fi already works with B&G and Simrad. Raymarine and Garmin are in progress.
Ready to stop managing chart files?