Netpas Estimator

Seafuture's Netpas Estimator is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for estimating and calculating just about everything needed in the ocean shipping business. It estimates voyage distance, distance between individual ports, charter base, cargo, operating and labor expenses, bunker (fuel) costs, and other information essential to ship owners, sea captains, charterers, and brokers. It greatly simplifies both planning and record keeping, and it even makes it easy to keep charter customers informed. Its analytical features can help trim costs and grow your business.

The program's primary interface resembles a page full of various spreadsheets, which seems complex at first but in fact is clearly laid out with well-labeled controls and options. Tabs let you enter and keep track of up to three voyages at once. The Ports Distance Table lists some 11,000 ports, and it charts distances in 60-mile increments. Clicking Weather on the Menu bar calls up a Web-based oceanic weather forecasting service. Some of the functions, such as a global map display, are disabled in the trial version. The analytical tools are extensive, and you can save results in a workbook. Password protection secures your essential data from prying eyes. The bottom line is prominently displayed in a Profit/Loss box in the lower right corner.

Netpas Estimator is free to try for 30 days, but, at $176 for the full, registered version, it's not for the merely curious. If you're in the shipping business or just need some accurate estimates of costs, distances, cargo, and other essential information, Netpas Estimator won't steer you wrong.