How important is it to have a chart plotter at the wheel pedestal?

James_Calvert said:
Just out of interest, would you put your plotter as more important than your close hauled unit? Or is there room for both?

You've got a big powerful boat, and if it works, the wind unit might be quite useful.
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Good point. It does and it is. There is room for both. There are places for up to three dials each side of the wheel, along with the fire extinguisher remote and the emergency fuel cut off, and that is where the regular depth, speed and wind units go, along with an i70 for AIS and where the autopilot control will go when I am next feeling rich... (!)I thought the close hauled dial was better nearer the line of sight to the headsail luff, but maybe not, in which case it can come back to the wheel.

The display that I really like is the compass!
 
I just mentioned on a PBO thread about people vomming. As its quite a common thing, seasickness, for anyone who suffers a cockpit plotter must be up there as one of the best things ever!
 
Zing said:
Right by the wheel. Unthinkable for me anywhere else. Even the spray hood is too far away. I sail a lot amongst reefs and it would take too long to walk forward or worse, to go below to check my position. If relying on the radar to navigate it’s also necessary to have it close.
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Same with me, radar as well.
 
As we effectively used to sail single handed much of the time with lots of overnights and use the autopilot a lot, I don't see the point in having to go behind the wheel just to look at instruments or plotter, nor do I see any sense having them down below. We prefer to navigate on paper so the plotter is used mainly for pilotage at night or in poor viz but also serves as a moving chart at other times. Everything is around the companionway under the sprayhood (radar, plotter, instruments, radio etc) where we can reach and operate and everything can also be seen from the helm if necessary.
 
Graham376 said:
As we effectively used to sail single handed much of the time with lots of overnights and use the autopilot a lot, I don't see the point in having to go behind the wheel just to look at instruments or plotter, nor do I see any sense having them down below
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Same here, but I do also keep an eye on my plotter when I'm in the saloon. The probable difference is that I have a pilot house saloon, so when the weather isn't very nice or at night when it's too dark to see much I retreat to the saloon and keep watch from there.
 
At this point in time I don't have one.
Personal preference really. Put it where you will find it most useful for you.
My observation, I don't find my radar very useful, because its on the chart table. If I would move it out to the cockpit and use it more.
I find the plasticized place matt. Swiped from a fish and chip restaurant really quite useful in the cockpit.
If and when I ever get a plotter, I will fit it to be seen easily from the cockpit. Probably not on the pedestal by the wheel.
I might be navigating but not steering, which is often the case.
I quite like the idea of a bracket in the companion way, I may fit on the pedestal just because its a handy place to screw it on to rather than fitting a bracket.
 
We have a 14” plotter/radar combo in the cockpit under the sprayhood. It can be seen easily from the wheel when navigating through reefs etc. We also have the same plotter below but the 12” version. It never gets turned on so is a bit of a waste of time really.
The plotter in the cockpit never gets turned off whilst sailing. It can be seen from anywhere in the cockpit so at night you don't need to be behind the wheel to be on watch. We sit under the sprayhood sheltering from wind, rain, sun and spray. The plotter stays dry. In addition we have five other displays over the campanionway. We have a second autopilot control head, two programmable graphic displays, wind and speed/depth. Everything is visible from anywhere in the cockpit.
I cant think of a better arrangement on our boat.
 
My own boat has the plotter just inside the companionway ..... on top of the engine box to port ... keeping it out of the way. Its no problem as the boat is not so big and I can see it from the helm ... I usually have tiller-pilot on anyway.

Saved me all that hassle of wires being led !

I also used to carry it when I delivered others boats ... its the Lowrance 3500 ... old hat now of course ... but there was one instance I was glad of it.
I was asked to nav a Match 35 from Germany to Latvia ... and I duly took my 3500 .... two guys with me said - no problem - they have a new chart card for the Raytheon on board .... well we get to the boat ... sort ourselves out .. I plug in my 3500 .. throw the antenna on the chart table ... 30 secs later - there we are ... tracks all laid in before I left home so jobs a flyer ..
On of the other guys fires up the Raytheon out on the pedestal ... it works ... but no chart. He puts in new card ... wrong area !! Its only got baltic north ... !!

My trusty old 3500 sitting on the chart table took us all the way ... never glitched whole trip ... in fact guy asked if I would sell it to him ...
I still have that 3500 and it still mounts to my engine box !!

Ok ... back to OP's question .. its 6 of one 6 of another. If you can have a repeater - then I would have main at pedestal and repeat at chart table for manual plot. If no repeater - then pedestal only.
 
Yoeoman on the chart table connected to a GPS. Independant 9 inch plotter on deck, placed just behind the tiller, facing forward.
I do sail single handed & going below in a blow can often be a no no, as I only have one of those useless raymarine AV100 "death trap" autopilots. I do have an Aeries but it cannot always be effective on some angles & seas. Besides I get seasick an awful lot so prefer to stay on deck in any sea. I cat nap in the hatchway & can just about see the plotter from that sleeping position looking aft without moving.
With the plotter to hand at the tiller I can see the AIS printout & I can adjust the screen at will. I would not be able to reach it on the bulkhead from the tiller.
In places like the Dover Straits the AIS needs to be available as often as possible to aid No 1 eyeball. Especially being single handed.
The Yeoman is used to work out the basic planning prior to plotting on the ploter & besides I like using a chart. When down below I much prefer to look at a chart rather than a plotter. That being said, my old 7 inch plotter is also down below as a reserve if I need it.
 
For us who sail in archipelago there is huge benefit having the plotter on deck, preferably by the wheel. This gives an independent verification to the visual on position and course adjustments. Added safety and ease of mind
 
Mine is at the chart table, but that's partly because it was the easiest place to install when I was in a hurry having just purchased the boat. In the cockpit and under the sprayhood I have a Raymarine Graphic display which is set up to show the bearing and distance to the waypoint and course over ground. I never sail single handed and therefore this arrangement isn't a problem. I agree that a plotter under the sprayhood or at the helm would be ideal.
Just a heretical thought ................ isnt it all getting just a bit too easy, plotter at the helm with AIS overlay plus autopilot to do the actual steering, might it be easier to catch a ferry and stay in a shoreside hotel !
 
Graham376 said:
As we effectively used to sail single handed much of the time with lots of overnights and use the autopilot a lot, I don't see the point in having to go behind the wheel just to look at instruments or plotter, nor do I see any sense having them down below. We prefer to navigate on paper so the plotter is used mainly for pilotage at night or in poor viz but also serves as a moving chart at other times. Everything is around the companionway under the sprayhood (radar, plotter, instruments, radio etc) where we can reach and operate and everything can also be seen from the helm if necessary.
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Exactly this. The wheel is only ever used when we are going in and out of harbour so our iPad on the chart table does the job for us, whether at sea or coming into unfamiliar harbours which we’ve done much more often in recent years than going into a familiar one. The pilot book comes up to the cockpit table in front of the wheel and that’s far more useful.
 
So...

A majority of those who have kindly replied want an electronic chart display (radar, AIS, chart) in the cockpit.

If you steer with a tiller, it’s going to go on the aft cabin bulkhead.

If you steer with a wheel, it’s going to go on the bulkhead or at the wheel, depending on whether the cockpit is short (Amel Maramu) or long (Westerly Sealord).

If you see it as primarily a radar display you are going to want to reach the (touch) screen from the helmsperson’s position, ie on the steering pedestal.

It is less likely to be damaged if located on the bulkhead.
 
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