Best place for a chart plotter?

[snooks]

For helming/pilotage/radar I'd like to see it from the helm, but for navigation, waypoint entering the chart table seems the sensible place.

If I had a wheel, it would be on my binnacle, but I have a tiller.

I also have 2 bulkhead compasses (which I don't want the plotter too near for magnetic reasons)

I'm not sure whether it should be at the chart table, or on deck. I could fit it at the chart table and still see it from the helm, but I couldn't adjust it from the helm, so now I'm thinking on the bridge deck above the companionway hatch.

I did have the cunning plan of fitting it to a washboard so it would fit in the companionway, and have a fitting for it at the chart table. With Garmin and NMEA 2000 it's possible to have two drop cables and only connect one.....but if I get a radar, I'd have to plug those cables in both positions, as well as having two sets of power cables.....then I thought about just having long cables.

So I think I've got it down to four possible places

1/ The chart cable, where it will fit on a bracket
2/ Above the companionway, though this will probably lead to modification of the bridge deck instrument pod (nothing has gone my way so far so I don't see why this should be different) although it's an 8in plotter it might be too high
3/ Go for the washboard idea, and get attacked by cables, and possibly kick the cables going in and out
4/ Loose one of the bulkhead compasses and replace it with the plotter, and sikaflex

 

[Elessar]

Have the ability to fit it in two places. At the chart table you only need the 12v cable you don't have to bother with the radar and NMEA cables just for route planning.

I had a 12V alarm battery and lead to power the lowrance on my last boat so I could passage plan anywhere I liked.

 

[Onyva]

Definitely under the sprayhood, although an extra bracket at the chart table is a good idea - that's what I have but I have only ever used it up top.

 

[snooks]

[ QUOTE ]
Have the ability to fit it in two places. At the chart table you only need the 12v cable you don't have to bother with the radar and NMEA cables just for route planning.


[/ QUOTE ]

Good point, with the NMEA 2000, it's just another T junction in the back bone to get the NMEA data to it

 

[Anonymous]

I have mine (Navman 5500i) wired into the NMEA bus aloft and below (I have two steering positions). I tend to have it aloft when we are in pilotage conditions and below for passages. Mine has an integral GPS which is a good backup for the main GPS -- you can select which GPS source to use.

 

[Athene V30]

I went down the replace 1 bulkhead compass route myself. You can see the other one just as well when helming although most of the time if sailing / motoring a course I will have either the vane or the autopilot in action.

 

[photodog]

The plotter needs to be up top... ours is at the chart table and I almost never use it..... I need Lat/Long and thats about it down below.... I find myself with the charts up top when piloting into a new spot... when I would really like the plotter. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif I figure best is plotter/radar up top and a basic nmea repeater down below with lat long, course/speed....

You could feed one of those Nasa jobs.. or the Raymarine one...

 

[wotayottie]

having had a go with the one on the new boat, I reckon the best place is the skip. give me paper every time.

 

[ChrisE]

A well paid photographer like your good self should buy two one for the helm and one for the chart table....

I'll get my coat.

 

[snooks]

[ QUOTE ]
having had a go with the one on the new boat, I reckon the best place is the skip. give me paper every time.

[/ QUOTE ]

Paper is all fair and well, until on your first trip out you find out the window above the chart table leaks and the charts for the trip are all a little soggy.

At least the chart plotter is waterproof! and I haven't found a paper chart that I can project radar onto yet /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[snooks]

[ QUOTE ]
A well paid photographer like your good self should buy two one for the helm and one for the chart table....

[/ QUOTE ]

I suspect you're mistaking me for someone else...well paid? Me?
/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Elessar]

[ QUOTE ]


Good point, with the NMEA 2000, it's just another T junction in the back bone to get the NMEA data to it

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, though you need to put a teminator on the end of the T when there is no device connected with NMEA 2000 I believe, you'll need to swap this too as far as I know.

 

[wotayottie]

a/ repair your window leaks
b/ whats radar? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[photodog]

[ QUOTE ]
At least the chart plotter is waterproof!

[/ QUOTE ]


Bahahahahahahaha /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif


Oh, Snooks, yer a funny guy, had to wipe away the tears there!

Thats what they said about my 1ds mk2... " oh its weatherproof!" hahahahahah and £3500 later....

 

[LittleSister]

Depends on your style of sailing and your eyesight, followed by the detailed dimensions of the spaces you've got available.

We got a 7" plotter last year and have found it great. It's mounted in the cockpit, but I've always done my navigation from the cockpit (except when swanning around, I mean navigating, in others' grander boats) as I've never had a boat big enough for a chart table and often sail single or short handed.

The plotter's really very useful for helming/pilotage (in addition to navigation as such), especially in confusing or unclear locations, but only if you can see it from the helming position.

I mounted ours 'temporarily' on the rear of the top of the cabin (with cable coming out of a vent), and this has been so successful it has never moved any further. It does restrict the (not quite so tall) first mate's vision over the top of that side of the cabin a bit, and is a bit vulnerable to being grabbed for support, though.

Big advantages, I find, are being able to tilt the screen from side to side and up and down, which wouldn't be possible flush mounted on a bulkhead, and to get my face close to the screen, which wouldn't be possible if mounted behind the main hatch

 

[MarkJohnson12345]

My chart plotter is at the nav table.

But I use a hand held wired in GPS to do the actual biz of navigating. This is on top of the companion way with echo sounder and log.

When helming in the open sea, the Hand held is fine.

When doing close navigating as between New Grimsby and St Mary's the hand help is fine as I put the waypoints in both. But you can see the chart plotter from the helm, but really not very well.

I guess my main use for the plotter is to plan routes etc, and I also use paper charts and computer charts (Sea-pro) as well.

I bought a radar! and had the opportunity to have a chart plotter in the same machine (Furuno 1722c), which i took.

Long and tall of it is that I find the plotter more usefull as a back up and planning aid rather than something to watch whilst sailing.

I did allow enough free cable to fit the screen unit into a washboard, but have never used it.

If in a really tight corner, the missus helms and I watch the plotter and get my opportunity to yell instructions at her,(and get away with it!!)

 

[Anonymous]

How did you get a little 'A' by your username?

 

[snooks]

[ QUOTE ]
How did you get a little 'A' by your username?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm Admin /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[photodog]

He studied very very hard......

 

[Richard10002]

I have a bracket on the binnacle for the plotter, and a facility to use it at the chart table.

I have almost never used it at the chart table - plot and plan on the laptop down below at the saloon table, (or at home, or wherever), then plot the route on the plotter at the wheel, (sometimes as we leave harbour for the trip /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif )

It will be most use, and used most, if you have it on deck.