Best chartplotter for small sports boat

[julians]

I dont have a chartplotter on my boat, I suspect i dont really need one, as I've managed reasonably well with a waterproof android tablet and the navionics app for ages, but every now and again I think I should get a proper chartplotter.

So I'm now thinking about this again, and I wonder what is considered to be the best chartplotter for use in a small sports boat (windy 25).

I think I'd like it to be mounted on a bracket rather than flush mounted into the dash, purely to make installation easier as there isnt really any space on the dashboard for it to go without fabricating panels and other things.

It will need to be waterproof (I guess they all are?) as the cockpit does get wet in a rough sea.

I dont especially like touchscreens on boats, so if it had real buttons/knobs that would be better, but I think I may be out of luck here. And if it could be hooked to the depth sounder and engine in the future that'd be nice to have.

The raymarine dragonfly range look ok, but I havent used them.

I'll dig out a picture of the existing dash , if anyone has any good idea's where to mount it.

 

[gjgm]

The cheaper end are designed for fishing..that is they have very limited connection options. That might be fine but it also might be too limiting so I woukd have a think about quite what you want to see on the plotter .I would also gave a look at the charts and their costs for your area. Having Garmin and Navionics I do prefer Navionics but it is minor.
Screen size really matters. If you zoom out too far then you lose the detail..if you zoom in too much you can see about 25 metres ahead�� I find 12 inch is too small to use split screen if you also need close up chart detail.
I wouldnt go smaller than 7 inch. If you want to see various extra data a small screen is going to get very cluttered.
Garmin used to be miles ahead in terms of usability...I think most of them now are fairly intuitive. Some have plan at home options and can copy waypoints between devices etc.
OTOH paying for a full MFD when you can't use 50 pct of its functions is a bit expensive.
I quite like the smaller Simrad.

 

[[2068]]

I'd be tempted by a Garmin Echomap Plus 65cv or 75cv, if it would fit.
Other sizes are also available, although I think the smaller one (45cv) is a bit mini.

https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/p/592847/pn/010-01891-10#

 

[Mr Googler]

Simrad Go series is excellent.

Go9 can take radar too

 

[julians]

I do like the look of the garmin echomap range, they look a nicer shape than the dragonfly range.

I guess huge MFD type functionality isnt essential, my use will only be basic, If I can have it show the chart itself, plus a few other bits of data like speed, heading, distance to waypoint, eta etc thats all I would need.

On the link below is a photo of the dash area on a windy 25, this isnt my boat and you can see that the owner of this one has fitted a chartplotter into the chart table area, which sort of works, but is a bit clumsy looking.

https://www.atlanticyachtandship.ru/en/catalog/boat/windy_boats/windy_25_mirage/25_246/2008/212664/

The problem is have is that I dont really see anywhere else suitable to fit one, so doing that might be the only option.

 

[BruceK]

If you zoom out too far then you lose the detail..if you zoom in too much you can see about 25 metres ahead�� I find 12 inch is too small to use split screen if you also need close up chart detail.
I wouldnt go smaller than 7 inch. If you want to see various extra data a small screen is going to get very cluttered.

:encouragement: Yes! However I too have a small area in which place a chartplotter. But being quite wide I can put in 2 small plotters and overcame this problem by having one zoomed out with course and depth detail while the other was zoomed in and nothing else to give immediate detail. It works quite well and as the two units are not side by side but either end of the helm does not look cluttered.

 

[Dick Atcherley]

I installed one of these in my boat and think that it's the canines clackers

https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/p/138026

 

[Portofino]

I prefer them mounted on the dash so,s not to obscure the fwd view .
These bracket mounted things allways look a bit afterthought ish imho

Lorenz
It’s a little known Italian make ,so you won,t see them at LIBS n SIBs or OEM on fairprinseeker .
But you can see them ( the screen ) in the sun - unlike say an I pad .

On interesting function is “ time to destination “ so if you ‘now your L/ h you can work out how much diesel the trip will use .
On the forum there does seem to be a rich culture of screens ,the more the merrier it feels .
For me I just have this simple thing ,it’s got a full Med wise chip Gib to Istanbul .
Also I di like put a large paper chart on the big chart holder on top of the saloon door .
More so cos it’s easy just to point at a map to show those not helmimg .
How ever each to there own on techie nav gear .
https://imgur.com/a/1TvcW

 

[mlines]

We have a SIMRAD GO7 XSE on top of the dash along with an old Northstar that has been retained to read the SmartCraft NMEA 0183 data coming from the engine.

Yes we could have fitted a Smartcraft NMEA2000 gateway but they are eye-wateringly expensive and we had the Northstar already fitted, it then serves the purpose of a backup plotter anyway.

 

[petem]

On the link below is a photo of the dash area on a windy 25, this isnt my boat and you can see that the owner of this one has fitted a chartplotter into the chart table area, which sort of works, but is a bit clumsy looking.

https://www.atlanticyachtandship.ru/en/catalog/boat/windy_boats/windy_25_mirage/25_246/2008/212664/

I agree, space is limited.

I would really like a Windy 25. A definite retirement / villa boat - only 8.5 years to wait!

 

[julians]

The garmin echomaps are appealing to me as I know how garmins work (or at least used to work), they're usually pretty solid.

Not a fan of the simrads - I dont like touchscreens, I prefer physical buttons when you're being bounced around in a small boat.

My main problem is where/how to mount it, I dont think there is anywhere it can go other than flush mounted in the middle of the chart table, like in the photos I linked to. That will mean fabricating a new chart table top and cutting a hole out of it for the plotter to sit in . I guess its not that big a deal to do....

 

[Hurricane]

A little bit off topic
But you might be interested in what Iv'e done which works on the Android Tablet.
I've scanned and geo-referenced all the chartlets from the Tula pilots.
There are about 150 charts in each book.
One book for each island (Menorca, Mallorca and Ibiza)
Each of the chartlets that I scanned have been converted into KAP/BSB format so work under OpenCPN
OpenCPN has been available for the Android for a couple of years so it is a relatively easy job to copy these files into the Android and install OpenCPN from the Play Store.
If you have seen the Tula Pilot books, you will know how different they are to the Navionics charts - showing beach bars and supermarkets etc
All as charts inside the OpenCPN marine plotter software.
Let me know if you would like further information.

This is an example - Cala d'Or

 

[gjgm]

Just to add..you do need to ensure the screen is at a decent angle depending on your driving position or you don't get to see alot on the screen as the viewing angle deteriorates. With a bracket at least you can angle it, otherwise I think you would need to change the angle on the dash for a flush mount which would mean a fair amount of grp work and moulding. Might just be ok if you always stand.

 

[Plum]

I dont have a chartplotter on my boat, I suspect i dont really need one, as I've managed reasonably well with a waterproof android tablet and the navionics app for ages, but every now and again I think I should get a proper chartplotter.

So I'm now thinking about this again, and I wonder what is considered to be the best chartplotter for use in a small sports boat (windy 25).

I think I'd like it to be mounted on a bracket rather than flush mounted into the dash, purely to make installation easier as there isnt really any space on the dashboard for it to go without fabricating panels and other things.

It will need to be waterproof (I guess they all are?) as the cockpit does get wet in a rough sea.

I dont especially like touchscreens on boats, so if it had real buttons/knobs that would be better, but I think I may be out of luck here. And if it could be hooked to the depth sounder and engine in the future that'd be nice to have.

The raymarine dragonfly range look ok, but I havent used them.

I'll dig out a picture of the existing dash , if anyone has any good idea's where to mount it.

I am a big fan of using an android tablet but if you are in an open boat my preference is to have a totally waterproof chartplotter (difficult to do with a tablet) and not a touch screen which often does not respond to wet fingers. If you can live with a small screen i recommend you consider this https://www.force4.co.uk/garmin-gpsmap-276cx-marine-bundle.html I have sailed with the previous model of this for over 10 years and covered several thousand miles. Takes up very little space, copes with all weather conditions, has buttons and is very robust indeed. It even has a built in battery so you can use it anywhere, even on another boat, without needing any connections.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[mlines]

The garmin echomaps are appealing to me as I know how garmins work (or at least used to work), they're usually pretty solid.

Not a fan of the simrads - I dont like touchscreens, I prefer physical buttons when you're being bounced around in a small boat.

My main problem is where/how to mount it, I dont think there is anywhere it can go other than flush mounted in the middle of the chart table, like in the photos I linked to. That will mean fabricating a new chart table top and cutting a hole out of it for the plotter to sit in . I guess its not that big a deal to do....

We thought that, particularly coming from the Standard Horizon CP180. However it has not proved an issue, in fact the pinch/stretch zoom facility is good. When we looked around we found it hard to find any reasonable plotters that are push button.

 

[julians]

Plum - that 276cx looks great, especially the fact that its battery powered - shame its so pricey though - I wonder if there are other options like this one?

Hurricane thanks for the info on opencpn, I had tried that on the tablet, but I prefer the navionics app for tablet use.

The only downsides to the tablet I use today is that in bright sunlight you cant easily see the screen, and when it gets hot (which happens quite a lot in majorca), it overheats and the CPU gets throttled which slows it to a crawl.

With any of these options Ive still got the mounting issue though..... with the tablet (sony experia z3 tablet), I just use a bit of sticky back velcro to fix it to the chart table, it works exceptionally well except for the two issues above.

That garmin 276cx might be able to be mounted in the same way as I mount the tablet given that it'll run off its own battery power so no cables to get in the way. hence the appeal