Are Nav Stations a waste of space?

chartplotter

  • I usually buy a paper chart as well

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • I do not buy paper charts as well

    Votes: 0 0.0%
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oceanfroggie

oceanfroggie

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Are chart tables a waste of space?

Have chartplotters made nav stations and chart tables a redundant feature on modern leisure cruisers?

Having viewed so many yachts at sibs one wondered how much valuable space was wasted by nav stations, or do folks now use them as desks for their laptops? They are not a common feature on cruising mobos and one can always roll out backup paper charts on the saloon table. I'd guess forward V berts could be a larger on some layouts if the nav station was sacrificed. Interested in folks thoughts.
 
Having had two boats with no chart table it is glorious luxury, even if it is the main resting place for my tools at the moment. To be able to do my chartwork whilst Mrs MAxi does the tea without getting in each others way, is almost as much of a luxury as the en-suite aft cabim.
 
The only chart tables that are a complete waste of space are those daft sloping "school desk" sort. With the thing at a jaunty angle it can't be pressed into service as a workbench for clean/fiddly jobs, temporary extra galley work top, cocktail bar, etc, etc. Also, it makes it hard to use whilst standing up too.
 
I haven't voted because you missed out the option that the nav station makes an excellent bar!

You can assume that I think that they are now largely a waste of space.
 
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Are chart tables a waste of space?

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Very dangerous thoughts! Obviously you have never suffered total electrical loss whilst at sea, possibly in fog, possibly in a storm.

If ever you rely 'totally' on electronic navigation without a backup facility . . . . will allow the Darwinian Theory to deplete the gene pool of stupid people. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Yes they are a waste of space. Never used in port and not big enough when at sea. We use the saloon table for both, Saloon table is not used as a table when at sea so it is the nav table, Nav table not used in port so it is the saloon table, geddit?

Simes
 
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Very dangerous thoughts! Obviously you have never suffered total electrical loss whilst at sea, possibly in fog, possibly in a storm.

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No I don't think that is an argument any more. Modern electronics are pretty good. Some of us, me included, prefer the big picture of a chart on the chart table, I do use a chartplotter at the wheel, more for pilotage. Its all a matter of choice, a choice that does not exist if the designer has decided that more boats will sell if he ditches the chart table in favour of a plusher saloon, larger cabins and a microwave. All great in the growing breed of boat 'potterers', using the boat as a weekend retreat, rather than longer sailing cruises. I'm not saying ChrisE fits this criteria, far from it I understand, its choice, as I already said.
 
Never used in harbour, so you don't plan your passages? I do so yes I do do chart work in harbour. Mine is also big enough and as mentioned above flat so it also doubles as a work bench and if needed a bar.

Yes I find it more comforatble to work at than the saloon table, and bbets the hell out of working on a plywood board on my knew as I did on my first boat which didn't even have a saloon table.

I would agree though that one too small for sensible work is a waste of space.
 
I have had a total electrical failure at sea. Nothing worked except the compass.

Personally I would never give up my chart table. It is bigger than a full-size Admiralty chart and has a slope to back up the rule that it is NEVER to be used for coffee, food or domestic junk.

But then I have the space.
 
I use paper charts a lot, my chart plotter for all its cost cannot work out a course to steer or show the potential ground track, particularly in a cross tide, eg cross channel

so until I move to pc software I need paper and when I change I will need a pc table
 
Saloon table is just fine and nav tables are normally just too small.Thing that most anoys me on most new boats is having instruments,vhf etc down below.
 
Not dangerous, my backups to electronics failure are:

a) 2nd portable battery powered plotter with it's own antenna
b) paper charts

But my passage planning is now done on my laptop rather than paper charts. I can see it's use as a good desk though, a hideaway study for the skipper! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Oh dear lensman, how do you think that aircraft get across the globe, driven by cavemen perhaps /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Yes, I have had total power loss, by which I assume you mean 12v electrics down the swanny, and got by more than adequately with one of the two spare battery operated chartplotters. With those and pilot books. you can rule the waves /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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Are chart tables a waste of space?


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Very dangerous thoughts! Obviously you have never suffered total electrical loss whilst at sea, possibly in fog, possibly in a storm.


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I don't have much space, and no chart table. If I did have one, it would be a waste of my valuable and limited space. However, that doesn't mean that I don't have paper charts, or a space to spread them out - the saloon table is plenty big enough.

Does that mean I'm very dangerous then?
 
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Saloon table is just fine and nav tables are normally just too small.Thing that most anoys me on most new boats is having instruments,vhf etc down below.

[/ QUOTE ]That's a good point, surely with everything being waterproof nowadays all this stuff needs to be accessed from the helm (ie dual station VHF, plotter).
 
Using my nav table as a galley appendage! You need to see the TV ad of the guy putting his feet on the dash of the girls car. Not a good idea on my boat, thank you very much.

I can accept that it depends upon your preferred sailing activities but personally, wouldn't do without it for a moment.

David
 
Not done much sailing but have done a lot of travelling...

I think that GPS is the devil's own spawn! I think that it has taken away a lot of the caution that people used to have. What I've seen elsewhere is that people will blindly follow the line on the screen of the GPS without looking at where they're going.

Before GPS, no one knew where they were so they took a lot of care to make sure that where they were wasn't dangerous! Also, it seems disengenious to have "metre" accuracy on charts that are based on 200 year old lead soundings!

So, for me, chart table very important, especially as on a yacht, it keeps the "technical" papers free from coffee/wine/beer etc!

I love my GPS for "after the facts" analysis... where did I have trouble, how could I do it better next time!

/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
It is interesting that of all the mass producers in the 30-40ft range, the most cost and space conscious builder, Bavaria has arguably the largest and best chart tables (even if the surrounding instrument space is a bit crass). Wonder what that is telling us!
 
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I think that GPS is the devil's own spawn! I think that it has taken away a lot of the caution that people used to have.

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Only if used by the "Devils own spawn" surely? GPS used by folk with the "right" attitude is fine, but I know what you mean about the "jump in and go" types, who just "switch on and go", caution to the wind - false sense of security, etc.

It's irrational and illogical to argue against electronic navigation in a marine environment when ALL of us have depended exclusively on it for our lives every time we board an aircraft for the past 30 years. There is after all no form of paper navigation availabe on a 737 doing 320kt IAS, where navigation accurancy is somewhat more critical than a yacht virtually stationary at 6kt.

Anyway the thread was more about space than electronics v paper. I assume folk can use the paper on the saloon table. I was interested if folks would give up the chart table space for more cabin space or extra head, etc, and so far the answers have been very useful.
 
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