Basic Voyaging Electronics wish list?

[Rosie1963]

I have a wooden yacht, so most of my money goes on varnish and fixing corroded fastenings and rotting bits.

Recently a change in work circumstances has meant that A) I can think about how to get back at my bully boss or B) go sailing.... and by that I mean an Atlantic Circuit with a start from Lisbon, The Canaries - Transat Martinique possibly a bit of Central America - some of the islands, Miami- ICWW - NYC - Horta (I have a task I need to do there) and back here (or not).

I am on a tight budget and at present my electronics extend to a non working depth sounder a walker's log and a 1950's Brookes & Gatehouse Harriers Log (fine). Ohh, and a VHF and Compass (oh and Garmin HH GPS and a Transat USB GPS (external permanent mount aerial).

To date this sparse equipment list has actually managed to get her across the Atlantic a few times. I suspect this is due to more able navigators before me rather than the kit. I know I need a new DS, and have ordered one. What else? I put aside £500 for this..... that it is it. I have not got megabucks to get this sorted. What would get and I am hap
py with second hand .

Ohh, and I will be single handing for some, (much of the time). SO AIS is high on my list - but stand alone or laptop?

PS. Is navtex useful?

 

[GHA]

Ohh, and I will be single handing for some, (much of the time). SO AIS is high on my list - but stand alone or laptop?

PS. Is navtex useful?

I've done it with a NASA AIS radar standalone, loud alarm, draws little power. I would forget navtex, but add something like a degen 1103 ssb receiver for weatherfax, assuming you have a laptop already.
What about autopilot? I wouldn't venture offshore solo without a windvane.

Solo radar is really nice, as a backup for ships and also for squalls. But more quire a bit cash and power.

Good luck

 

[Rosie1963]

I have two laptops onboard. I have to admit I am a bit out of practice with e- plotting as I usually sail East Coast rivers and know my way; so the laps are not often used.

I have tiller pilot and Rutland but not guaranteed reliable on generation of power, so a friend is donating a Haslar vane gear, which will suit the yacht. She an Aries before, in previous ownership. Sorry for double post.... will delete later. Some internet issue; probably my lousy a/c

 

[Downsman]

Tomorrow when the forum whizzos are awake, they'll verbally fill your boat with enough electronics to enable you to crash out in your bunk off Ipswich and the boat will sail you to Florida by itself.
I've got an old fixed Garmin 152 GPS, a handheld back-up, a bog standard VHF, a working B&G depth sounder and an American made radar alert device ( reacts/alarms to other vessels radar pulses) a really good Sestral magnetic compass and a big wad of charts. I've been sculling about single handed for a few years without too much grief, although I've never been further West than San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Invest in a 406 Mhz Epirb, other electronics like AIS I'm sure are nice to have, probably, but the list of 'essentials' is actually quite short. Sort your depth sounder out though,as the ICWW is a bit lacking in depth in places...
Happy voyaging..:encouragement:

 

[Rosie1963]

Thanks for that. I have an EPIRB already. I think maybe AIS is the one then but do I get one of those engines and use it on the laptop or go for more expensive and standalone unit?

 

[Rosie1963]

I've done it with a NASA AIS radar standalone, loud alarm, draws little power. I would forget navtex, but add something like a degen 1103 ssb receiver for weatherfax, assuming you have a laptop already.
What about autopilot? I wouldn't venture offshore solo without a windvane.

Solo radar is really nice, as a backup for ships and also for squalls. But more quire a bit cash and power.

Good luck

Had a quick look at these. I need a heads up on how I can link through to my laptop as the 1103 does not seem to have USB output.

 

[Downsman]

'Fraid I'll have to pass on that, only ever seen them in a box at a boat show..

...

 

[BobnLesley]

...they'll verbally fill your boat with enough electronics to enable you to crash...

Ignore them all and listen to Downsman's advice!

Having sailed from the UK to Turkey with a GPS, echo-sounder, Navtex and a tiller-pilot - we did have a towed log but as it never got deployed, I sold it - we bought a boat with more electronic thingies than you can shake a stick at; whilst Lesley likes to look at them, I for the most part just find them irritating - the electronic wind instrument's the worst! What use is an averaged indication of what the wind was doing several seconds ago? I'd rather listen to what my face/back-of-my neck tells me! - for the most part, especially offshore, I just turn them all off.

We have a set of electronic charts on one of the laptops, which has a GPS dongle - it was brilliant in the Bahamas, but otherwise little used. The echo-sounder's vital and the GPS, with handheld/dongle back-ups too; we have an electronic autohelm, which again is little used, but we do have a wind-vane self-steering (Monitor) which for shorthanded ocean passages we rank up there with the GPS in terms of importance. All the rest of it is just bells and whistles! First rule of cruising: If you don't fit it, it can't break. Second rule: If it's already fitted and working, then don't use it, or it will break.

 

[GHA]

Thanks for that. I have an EPIRB already. I think maybe AIS is the one then but do I get one of those engines and use it on the laptop or go for more expensive and standalone unit?

I did it with one of these and would fit the same again, an essential bit of kit offshore solo IMHO
http://www.seateach.com/Nasa-AIS-SART-Radar-Receiver.htm

Has quite a loud alarm built in and consumes next to no power. Otherwise you need to have the power hungry laptop on all the time.

Had a quick look at these. I need a heads up on how I can link through to my laptop as the 1103 does not seem to have USB output.

It just connects with a jack to jack lead from the radio into the laptop mic/line input. Jvcom is my favorite free software, the you can receive weatherfax synoptic charts all round the Atlantic for free just with a piece of wire as an antenna.
There are some good threads on this forum if you do a search.

 

[nimbusgb]

Depth sounder, a backup HH GPS and spare vacuum packed batteries, AIS with Alarm, Personal EPIRB

Forget anything on a laptop, too much power drain.

( And this from someone with a boat bristling with electo toys )

 

[GHA]

, Personal EPIRB

Any point single handed offshore?

Laptop is pretty much essential these days on any kind of budget for OpenCpn and weatherfax.

 

[Rosie1963]

Many thanks for all the suggestions. I wonder whether it is worth going for a new VHF with AIS included? That way I get DSC and AIS in one hit. Or should I go for stand-alone units which will be more expense and effort installing.

 

[GHA]

Many thanks for all the suggestions. I wonder whether it is worth going for a new VHF with AIS included? That way I get DSC and AIS in one hit. Or should I go for stand-alone units which will be more expense and effort installing.

I would still go for the nasa if fitting out again, the likes of a standard horizon I've just fitted is lovely and you get a feed to plug into OpenCpn which the nasa doesn't have, but with about 5 times the power draw. When you're mid ocean with low batteries the nasa will still work down below 12v drawing very little so you still have an alarm and can sleep a little easier. Not sure if there's any real benefit from dsc where you're going.

 

[Roberto]

Many thanks for all the suggestions. I wonder whether it is worth going for a new VHF with AIS included? That way I get DSC and AIS in one hit. Or should I go for stand-alone units which will be more expense and effort installing.

The combined VHF/AIS has two main advantages: 1. it shares the antenna with the VHF, so you do not need to add a second antenna or a splitter, though OTOH you may want to fit a second VHF emergency antenna anyway (?); and 2. you will have the MMSI of the targets "ready to use" for a DSC individual call, without having to input them first into the radio, which can be handy in doubtful CPA situations.

 

[Gerry]

I have a wooden yacht, so most of my money goes on varnish and fixing corroded fastenings and rotting bits.

Recently a change in work circumstances has meant that A) I can think about how to get back at my bully boss or B) go sailing.... and by that I mean an Atlantic Circuit with a start from Lisbon, The Canaries - Transat Martinique possibly a bit of Central America - some of the islands, Miami- ICWW - NYC - Horta (I have a task I need to do there) and back here (or not).


I am on a tight budget and at present my electronics extend to a non working depth sounder a walker's log and a 1950's Brookes & Gatehouse Harriers Log (fine). Ohh, and a VHF and Compass (oh and Garmin HH GPS and a Transat USB GPS (external permanent mount aerial).

To date this sparse equipment list has actually managed to get her across the Atlantic a few times. I suspect this is due to more able navigators before me rather than the kit. I know I need a new DS, and have ordered one. What else? I put aside £500 for this..... that it is it. I have not got megabucks to get this sorted. What would get and I am hap
py with second hand .

Ohh, and I will be single handing for some, (much of the time). SO AIS is high on my list - but stand alone or laptop?

PS. Is navtex useful?

No Navtex is not necesary.
10 Atlantic crossings and 10 years in Carib/central america using hand held GPs- 2 back ups plus sextant if all goes tits up
Cheap fishfinder for depth, like the display of the bottom
Monitor wind vane- vital
Fixed and handheld VHF
SSB radio and pactor for weather-nice but not vital
2 laptops


Thats it!

Next voyage will include stand alone AIS

 

[FullCircle]

Would go for a netbook - they use far less power than a laptop and have solid state drive. We use a Samsung NC140, get them used for £100. 12v adaptor available.

Go for AIS/VHF, something like Standard Horizon 2100 all in one - only one source of power required, not leaving a laptop running all the time.

Globalsat BU353 or similar GPS to plug in the laptop.

OpenCPN is great, lots of chart options especially not in UKHO defined charting waters.

Navtex of limited use.

Degens 1103 perfect bit of cheap kit off ebay new - 12v and battery power. JVcom and Polar Navy for laptop display. Use Xport free software to bring in an NMEA feed from VHF and/or instruments to display it all down below.

Depth is cheap stuff nowadays.NMEA0183 is adequate.

I have just treated myself to an Aquair 100 which is a towed generator, and also a wind powered kit to hang on the backstay - replacing the 913.


Having said all that, my boat has every imaginable electronic gewgaw, but I have a ringfenced set of essentials, as mentioned above. The rest is just toys for me to be amused with.

 

[Rosie1963]

Many thanks for these posts. I am on the case and have started collating items. I will let you know how I get on.
I cant afford the aqua towed thingy even though it looks like a great but of kit. I suppose I'd better take some new bearings for the rutland.

 

[Rosie1963]

Starting to get the ball rolling. I have been kindly "loaned" a chart plotter - SH CP180 - so I suspect the best thing to do is get the engine so that this feeds AIS into the CP? Also, I suspect I will need anther VHF antenna, but there is already one up there. Can I put two side by side or shall I just go for a splitter? I suppose I could mount the AIS one off a spreader?

 

[westernman]

You already have compass, GPS, VHF.

For an offshore passage I would add an EPIRB (with GPS) and plan on never using it.

 

[Tranona]

Starting to get the ball rolling. I have been kindly "loaned" a chart plotter - SH CP180 - so I suspect the best thing to do is get the engine so that this feeds AIS into the CP? Also, I suspect I will need anther VHF antenna, but there is already one up there. Can I put two side by side or shall I just go for a splitter? I suppose I could mount the AIS one off a spreader?

Not sure that CP will be much use for ocean sailing. Charts cost a fortune and the screen is very small. If you want AIS to warn you then a free standing unit is perhaps better. A netbook set up as suggested by Full Circle is worth looking at. If you have separate VHF and AIS then consider mounting the AIS antenna on the pushpit which gives adequate range and can then be used as an emergency for the VHF.