iPad and Atlantic Crossing

Halo

Halo

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I have Navionics but it does not seem to cover between canaries and Caribbean.
Any experience of which charts / apps that will give me an oversight of position and progress on my iPad
would be appreciated.
 
mbroom said:
As there is not too much to hit, it is not a problem. Just use the standard Navionics world base map.
Click to expand...
Best not apply for a job as navigator on any of the Volvo Ocean boats. OK it was the Indian Ocean where they hit a reef.
 
Sandy said:
Best not apply for a job as navigator on any of the Volvo Ocean boats. OK it was the Indian Ocean where they hit a reef.
Click to expand...

Yes, a reef, which is why Navionics publishes detailed charts for that area. Between the detailed charted areas of the Canaries and Caribbean there is nothing within half a kilometer of the surface, so not really comparable.
 
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Sandy said:
Best not apply for a job as navigator on any of the Volvo Ocean boats. OK it was the Indian Ocean where they hit a reef.
Click to expand...

He used the wrong scale on a vector chart unfortunately.. the plotter map card he was using did contain the reef , which is as big as the Isle of Wight, it even has a name!
 
For all of you who are crossing to the Caribbean this winter (it sounds like there will be quite a few on here?), may I put in a plug for Barbados?
You might have heard bad press about our lack of facilities for visiting yachts (no public marina being one of them) - which is true in a way, especially when compared to the other islands.
But if you are happy to be at anchor, we have lots of other interesting things to do and see here to compensate.
I have met many folk who have arrived here on a yacht and declared that they would only be staying for a few days - a few weeks (or even months with some) later they were still here, and couldn't tear themselves away.
Have a look at Chris Doyle's brief guide in my signature - and if you have any crew arriving for a shore based holiday, you can get the full lowdown at www.visitbarbados.org
And if you do pitch up here, and need any local knowledge about anything, give me a shout - I am a marine surveyor here, and have an ear to the ground - even the local shipping agents call me up to ask where they can find something obscure for a ship.
 
Sandy said:
Best not apply for a job as navigator on any of the Volvo Ocean boats. OK it was the Indian Ocean where they hit a reef.
Click to expand...
If you can find the mid-Atlantic reefs, I am sure they will name them after you and award you a knighthood....
 
mbroom said:
If you can find the mid-Atlantic reefs, I am sure they will name them after you and award you a knighthood....
Click to expand...

There are plenty but no hazard for skimmers, er, surface vessels. :)

And I can recommend a visit as Bajan Sailor has suggested to Barbados, lovely place!
 
Thanks for all the replies.
I have now added the Kindle app to my Ipad (as well as existing navionics etc) and so will be able to make good use of it on the trip (I hope ! )
 
I will add to Bajan’s recommend for Barbados. We used to go there a lot (flying) in the early 2000s and in the last 3 years have picked up the habit again to meet friends who have sailed across. The Barbados Cruising club has been so welcoming, the bay safe, and the island has so much to offer without the crime issues of other islands.
 
Halo said:
I have Navionics but it does not seem to cover between canaries and Caribbean.
Any experience of which charts / apps that will give me an oversight of position and progress on my iPad
would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

I recommend that you get a paper passage chart (Imray C100 for example). Mark your position on it once a day. If nothing else it makes for a fantastic trans Atlantic memento...

Pete
 
Can you still tie up by Chamberlain bridge in Bridgetown? we tied to the wall on the left as you head in right next to the bridge, although that was a few years ago.

And the sailing club on the beach in Carlisle bay is worth a visit for a beer. If I remember correctly there was a very friendly dinghy club as well? is that still there Bajansailor?
 
Neil_Y said:
Can you still tie up by Chamberlain bridge in Bridgetown? we tied to the wall on the left as you head in right next to the bridge, although that was a few years ago.

And the sailing club on the beach in Carlisle bay is worth a visit for a beer. If I remember correctly there was a very friendly dinghy club as well? is that still there Bajansailor?
Click to expand...

Hello Neil - the Careenage in Bridgetown is pretty full now with permanent residents berths (some of them are the big day charter catamarans), and the only time (usually) that one can come alongside now is during the middle of the day when there is a vacant berth for a few hours.

The Cruising Club (on the south side of the high rise Radisson hotel with it's distinctive pier with rooms on the end) is still there - I think that this would be the dinghy club that you remember Neil (?)
There is also the Yacht Club on the other (north) side of the pier - they are not so much into dinghies nowadays; rather, mostly fast motorboats up to about 25' that are kept on trailers and launched when required using their big tractor.
Although there is a strong J 24 fleet here now, along with a small motley collection of cruiser racers.

There is (supposedly) a new Customs station for yachts in the shallow draft harbour (on the east side of the main harbour) - but the only berthing is stern to a very high concrete dock for which you really need a gangplank.
Much easier to clear in at Port St Charles on the northwest side of the island. Although the Customs dock doubles as the dock for the fuel station there, and it can get very busy in the peak arrival time during the few weeks before Christmas.
 
On longish passages, I print and laminate an A4 chart (raster from NOAA), after adding all the interesting things like Metareas, Odas buoys, seamounts, etc etc, and make a noon fix every day.

Then 12yo daughter takes it to do her weather routing


I have the Imray Gnomonic for the North Atlantic, the impression is one needs anti-skew glasses to read it :D
 
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