How can I help?
Are you a seaman, sailor, motorboat pilot or kayaker? You can contribute a great deal using your GPS-device: When you are on a cruise or if you live near a port, please walk along the border of each mole/pier. Then upload the track if you have time and create a port map. Of course you are free to add any information you find interesting, which will then be available to seamen world-wide. You can also begin at home and trace aerial photos of a port, which you can then refine on-site. Every bit of help is valuable for the project.
Help moving lights: we have 50'000 lights in the chart with all their data, but the position is about 100..200 m off. You can help to move the lights to the exact position using knowledge of the area or with the help of orthophotos.
Do you enjoy tracing aerial photography? In many parts of the world, highly detailed aerial photography, provided by Yahoo, is available. From this, exact port plans and detailed coast lines can be drawn and plotted. You can even use these to dream of places you might be when you are stuck at home....!
Are you a programmer? There is a lot of work to do - the seamap-editor and the renderer which draws the maps needs your help. The website, the internationalisation, the database, and many supporting programs need programmers. Currently, we offer two places for students writing their theses.
To find out more contact: markus@openseamap.org
Do you speak languages? We would like to provide OpenSeaMap in as many languages as possible. If you can translate the wiki or the website into your language, please give us a shout.
If you would like to help, contact: markus@openseamap.org
Are you a graphic designer? A picture tells more than a thousand words. You could illustrate our wiki pages, create icons for the map, optimize graphics or layout and organize pictures.
We are happy to tell you more: markus@openseamap.org
Are you a port captain, marina owner, shipowner, charter operator? Maybe you have access to data that OpenSeaMap would be allowed to use? Aerial photos, maps and port plans, lists, tables, indices? We can probably use it somewhere!
Contact us for more info: markus@openseamap.org
Are you an oceanographer, cartographer, bathymetrist, meteorologist? If so, you probably have many ideas on how OpenSeaMap can be improved. We are currently looking for solutions to display water depth, show a seabed profile.
Ask for more information: markus@openseamap.org