App for marking multiple locations?

Kelpie

Kelpie

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I'm wanting to scope out a possible mooring spot, probably just using my dinghy and a lead-line.
The perfect app to help with this would allow me to easily/instantly drop multiple location pins, preferably using voice control, whilst simultaneously recording the depth at each one, and the time as well, so that I could check against rise of tide.
I'm sure that such a thing is entirely possible, but perhaps it's a bit of a niche application. I can drop pins using Google Maps but it seems a bit of a faff to add extra information to each one (time and depth).
I suppose I could just keep notes on a separate bit of paper, but bits of paper and dinghies aren't a great combo...
 
I haven't used it for several years, but doesn't Navionics have those capabilities?
 
I doubt it. You'll probably have to point out where the waypoints need to be, in an ideal world.
 
Why do you need multiple positions.? You only have one boat ( i assume) so you do not need to record the ones that do not suit. Note the tide, Note the heights etc as you would when mooring a boat to anchor. You must know what depth you want to moor in to start with.
Then nip round dropping the lead in various spots sighting by eye to the shore in an area that you fancy. As soon as you get one that seems right drop a weight with a 5 litre can ona 6mm line on it. Then do some checks on times etc. if you are satisfied get the waypoint with a GPS. Salvage the marker & go home. All done easier than it is to say & best done at low tide with minimal current.
If you want you could take a couple of marker cans If you want to experiment.
 
dunedin said:
Persuade Bob Bradfield to drop by ?
Click to expand...

Haha that would be the ideal way! I suppose what I'm wanting to do is a very basic version of what he does, plotting a series of spot heights to get a crude picture of the seabed.
I'm wondering if something involving the phone's camera would work... if I can add gps co-ordinates to the exif data... then it's simply a matter of taking a photo of the lead line reading, and hey presto every photo will show depth, position, and time. Hmmm.
 
Daydream believer said:
Why do you need multiple positions.? You only have one boat ( i assume) so you do not need to record the ones that do not suit. Note the tide, Note the heights etc as you would when mooring a boat to anchor. You must know what depth you want to moor in to start with.
Then nip round dropping the lead in various spots sighting by eye to the shore in an area that you fancy. As soon as you get one that seems right drop a weight with a 5 litre can ona 6mm line on it. Then do some checks on times etc. if you are satisfied get the waypoint with a GPS. Salvage the marker & go home. All done easier than it is to say & best done at low tide with minimal current.
If you want you could take a couple of marker cans If you want to experiment.
Click to expand...

The multiple points thing is about getting an idea of what's going on under the sea. I want to sneak the mooring fairly close in to the shore but not *too* close. So yes obviously I only need one position for the final mooring spot, but I want to be confident that there are no shallow patches or lumps under there that might catch me out. I don't want to drop the mooring in a localised deep spot and find the boat catches its rudder at low springs in a certain wind direction.
 
Kelpie said:
Haha that would be the ideal way! I suppose what I'm wanting to do is a very basic version of what he does, plotting a series of spot heights to get a crude picture of the seabed.
I'm wondering if something involving the phone's camera would work... if I can add gps co-ordinates to the exif data... then it's simply a matter of taking a photo of the lead line reading, and hey presto every photo will show depth, position, and time. Hmmm.
Click to expand...

Some phones, and many cameras, can add GPS location tag to photos.
 
Kelpie said:
The multiple points thing is about getting an idea of what's going on under the sea. I want to sneak the mooring fairly close in to the shore but not *too* close. So yes obviously I only need one position for the final mooring spot, but I want to be confident that there are no shallow patches or lumps under there that might catch me out. I don't want to drop the mooring in a localised deep spot and find the boat catches its rudder at low springs in a certain wind direction.
Click to expand...
That is why I suggested dropping the lead in various spots first, then a marker.
Then you can row round it checking a few more depths & you can actually SEE where you are
 
If your depth spounder has NMEA output, you can feed this into openCPN to create a log I believe. Set the log record interval to something like 5s and the gps location and depth reading will be recorded*.

* I think this is how it works, I have never tried this myself.
 
I can appreciate the OP's wish to not choose a spot with snags ... but what a palaver !

If you have a paper chart of the area ... then do it as 'laylines' ..... basically on top of the tide when you have slack water for a period .... with your boat and Echo Sounder on ... find a point on land ahead and astern .... that cuts through your intended position .... now slowly motor along that line watching the E/S ... as you proceed - note markers on land or buoys etc to give a rough idea of position long that line ... you could then jot E/S readings on your chart.

Another way is to have a chartplotter screen next to E/S .... motor along the line ... take a photo at intervals of both plotter ad E/S ...

Reason you pick a point ahead and astern is so that you avoid drifting of that bearing line and stay on a straight line.
 
Wanting to do it from the dinghy since the big boat isn't in commission yet, and I need to sort the mooring before then...

I've found that I can extract gps data from pictures on my phone, so I can just take photos that show the sounding, and then plot them out on Google earth. It's not going to be hundreds of points anyway.

Daydream Believer's suggestion of a temporary marker is a good one, will likely make things a bit easier at the time.
 
Record the track on a handheld gps if not a tablet.
Note only the time at each sample point.
Unload the track into Easy GPS (free and v.useful) .Save it as a .gpx file.
Right click on and OPEN the .gpx file WITH notepad.
Find the time noted. See the relevant position.
Sounds lengthy but each stage is instant.
 
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