What online canal map systems are there?

[cuthound]

3 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

The actual final version became unavailable as it needed a web generated password if yiu changed computer, and sfter the original programmer died, hus son emigrated and dumped the website without making the prog usable, which was annoying for those of us who had paid for it. The previous version didn't need that and still worked on W10. I've not bothered very hard to try to get it working sgain, but it's advantage was that you could save your own photos to the localities, which was rather a nice touch.

 

I've still got the original Canal Planner CD from the late 80's somewhere, but couldn't get it to work in the later versions of Windows.

[Tony Brooks]

1 hour ago, cuthound said:

 

I've still got the original Canal Planner CD from the late 80's somewhere, but couldn't get it to work in the later versions of Windows.

 

It may work under WINE on Linux because you can tell WINE what Windows version to "run". 

[StephenA]

3 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

It may work under WINE on Linux because you can tell WINE what Windows version to "run". 

 

I think the problems are going to be down to it being 32 bit and not being able to find the appropriate 32 bit .NET libraries 

[Rob-M]

3 minutes ago, StephenA said:

 

I think the problems are going to be down to it being 32 bit and not being able to find the appropriate 32 bit .NET libraries 

Should be able to install the 32 bit .NET alongside any other .NET framework.

[StephenA]

19 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

Should be able to install the 32 bit .NET alongside any other .NET framework.

 

If you can still get a compatible 32 bit framework. Something changed at some point and I do know that some 32 bit apps don't work on XP as the right .NET framework isn't available 

[Arthur Marshall]

Went to OpenCanalMap this morning to find that it's now being charged for. I think this is new? I seem to remember it's been free up to now, but now you have the choice of it being ad supported (which I loathe) or a one time fee. Which, as it's pretty good, I didn't mind paying, but thought I'd mention it so it doesn't surprise anyone else.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

On 25/07/2026 at 17:17, cuthound said:

 

I've still got the original Canal Planner CD from the late 80's somewhere, but couldn't get it to work in the later versions of Windows.

There are a lot of restored canals that won't be on it. The K&A, the Rochdale, the Huddersfield Narrow, the Droitwich canals, plus other I can't remember. 

 

[sigsegv]

On 25/07/2026 at 17:17, cuthound said:

 

I've still got the original Canal Planner CD from the late 80's somewhere, but couldn't get it to work in the later versions of Windows.

I’d absolutely *love* to get an ISO of that CD

[Arthur Marshall]

1 hour ago, sigsegv said:

I’d absolutely *love* to get an ISO of that CD

I've got something on my drive called "Canal Planner 6.nrg" if that means anything to you. I think it's probably a Nero scan of the original disk.  pm me your email address and I'll WeTransfer the file to you - it's 500 meg so a bit big to email. There was an update diskbut I can't find it. I think 6 worked on W10; version 7, which was much better, won;t wiork at all now because it needs a nonexistent web link,

Edited July 29 by Arthur Marshall

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I've got something on my drive called "Canal Planner 6.nrg" if that means anything to you. I think it's probably a Nero scan of the original disk.  pm me your email address and I'll WeTransfer the file to you - it's 500 meg so a bit big to email. There was an update diskbut I can't find it. I think 6 worked on W10; version 7, which was much better, won;t wiork at all now because it needs a nonexistent web link,

I may have one laying at home, I tend not to throw anything away, it may be useful one day 

[jet_]

I work in tech and use various sources to plan all the time, so decided I wanted to make an app which resolved some of my issues I have with open canal map, while building in more rich data and some 'nice to haves'. I built my own rough navigation system (no data from canalplan was used) as well as a bunch of other features I really think are useful (like "what is the closest shop to me", or "show me all pubs" vs "show me all canalside pubs"). It's only available as an apk at the moment (also compatible with iOS but requires you to build it yourself) but if anyone is feeling like trying something new please let me know if you have any feedback. There are some known issues/missing features, and the data needs a little bit more scrubbing, but I'm very happy with it so far.

https://github.com/lovelaced/moorhen

Edited August 1 by jet_

[Mike Todd]

On 01/08/2026 at 11:32, jet_ said:

I work in tech and use various sources to plan all the time, so decided I wanted to make an app which resolved some of my issues I have with open canal map, while building in more rich data and some 'nice to haves'. I built my own rough navigation system (no data from canalplan was used) as well as a bunch of other features I really think are useful (like "what is the closest shop to me", or "show me all pubs" vs "show me all canalside pubs"). It's only available as an apk at the moment (also compatible with iOS but requires you to build it yourself) but if anyone is feeling like trying something new please let me know if you have any feedback. There are some known issues/missing features, and the data needs a little bit more scrubbing, but I'm very happy with it so far.

https://github.com/lovelaced/moorhen

If you have built your database with such as OS or Google, be careful not to run into issues over copyright. I don't think either are worried about personal use but if you make it available to others the take care. (A while back I made good use of one app that upset OS with the result that the app I had built had to be redone substantially. At least that winter I was not bored!)

 

In fact, if you build the data from anything other than actual surveys you have carried out (not Google Aerial) you will need to investigate carefully. You may be OK with OpenStreet - as Paul Balmer I think does, but I suspect that still involves a formal agreement. 

[StephenA]

2 hours ago, Mike Todd said:

If you have built your database with such as OS or Google, be careful not to run into issues over copyright. I don't think either are worried about personal use but if you make it available to others the take care. (A while back I made good use of one app that upset OS with the result that the app I had built had to be redone substantially. At least that winter I was not bored!)

 

In fact, if you build the data from anything other than actual surveys you have carried out (not Google Aerial) you will need to investigate carefully. You may be OK with OpenStreet - as Paul Balmer I think does, but I suspect that still involves a formal agreement. 

 

If you build a derivative dataset from OSM then you have to make your dataset downloadable as part of the Open Data Commons Open Database License (ODbL)

[Allan(nb Albert)]

On 25/07/2026 at 22:04, StephenA said:

 

If you can still get a compatible 32 bit framework. Something changed at some point and I do know that some 32 bit apps don't work on XP as the right .NET framework isn't available 

Long time ago but in those days most programs were 32 bit with a surprising number of simple ones (e.g. installers) being 16 bit. XP came in 32 bit and 64 bit flavours. The 64 bit version was little used as most software was 32 bit. Worse still 16 bit was not supported. 

Canal Planner for Windows has always been 32 bit I think. Win 11 does not support 32 bit apps "out of the box" but may do so using the WOW64 subsystem.

Another option would be to run it in a virtual machine under Win XP or WIN 7.

 

It might also run under Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) on Win 11 using WINE. (this is an extension of Tony's suggestion).

A final alternative is to run Win XP or 7 on some old hardware or as part of a multiboot system just to support canal planner.

There tend to be gotcha's with all four methods above. 

Happy to have a crack at it if someone has a CD or can give a URL to an ISO.
 

Edited August 3 by Allan(nb Albert)

[sigsegv]

18 hours ago, Mike Todd said:

You may be OK with OpenStreet - as Paul Balmer I think does, but I suspect that still involves a formal agreement. 

As far as i know, no formal written agreement is required for using OSM days. You’re just required to give them credit. I believe it’s also the case for CRT’s data, though the only specific i remember there is you’re not allowed to use their data commercially (i.e, you can’t have a paid aspect of your app that uses their data). 

[dubi]

Worth explaining why the wording is what it is, since it's come up.

Every navigation app works this way — ours, theirs, all of them. The
data comes from somewhere else and is only as good as its source at
the moment it was published. The difference is that we say so out loud
rather than leaving it in the small print.

Take a concrete case. A boater reports a winding hole. We show it,
attributed, with the date. You get there and there's a 40-footer moored
across it. The report was true when it was made. It isn't now. No app
can know that, and any app that implies otherwise is telling you
something it can't stand behind.

Community reporting is in and working — over a hundred entries so far.
Some have expired, which is exactly how it should behave. It's useful
precisely because boaters see things no authority publishes. But it's
information, not a guarantee, and it's presented as such.

The parallel that fits: an aircraft on autopilot still has a captain,
and the captain carries the responsibility. Not the autopilot, and not
the people who wrote it. You have eyes and a boat under you. What we
can do is make sure you know what was reported, by whom, and when it
was last checked — so you're deciding with better information rather
than deciding blind.

That isn't passing the buck. It's the only honest position, and it's
the same one the navigation authorities take with their own notices. — Dubi, Lockmaster AI

Edited August 30 by dubi