iPad at the binnacle - genius or madness?

[MagicalArmchair]

The previous owner of my new boat, which has a Raymarine e7 Chartplotter down below, thought the best method for viewing position at the helm was using an iPad in a waterproof case, like the below:

This works wonders when there is no water on the screen and the weather is good - what happens when it rains? Sure the case is waterproof, but does that render it useless at that point? Does anyone else work like this?

 

[johnalison]

Could be useful at night. I can't think of any other use where the sun might shine.

 

[[70521]]

I prefer to look out at that amazing scenery rather than peer at that wee screen.

 

[NormanS]

I would reverse the installation, put the e7 at the helm, and have the iPad inside.

 

[pvb]

There's a reason why people buy waterproof, sunlight-viewable, dedicated chartplotters.

 

[ashtead]

Much easier to have the ray marine on a Bavaria helm ? and pair it with the iPad down below . I had a Garmin at helm before they had pairing but guess an E7 pairs via Bluetooth to the iPad so you just need to move a couple of those ray marine dislays and have a new panel cut in acrylic to fit the e7 unit. I would have thought any bracket like that is prone to damage and to be honest the best use for the iPad is navigating at night watching the ais under the spray hood shelter when on auto helm

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

It's definitely handy to have one upstairs if there's no plotter, drawbacks notwithstanding. Mine's in an aquapac bag and gets hung by it's strap somewhere inconvenient, that looks a much better place to store it even if you can't use it like that.

 

[RupertW]

It's definitely handy to have one upstairs if there's no plotter, drawbacks notwithstanding. Mine's in an aquapac bag and gets hung by it's strap somewhere inconvenient, that looks a much better place to store it even if you can't use it like that.

We’ve never felt the need for a dedicated plotter and having iPads already it’s a small expense for the app and all needed charts. So it sits downstairs with eyeballs upstairs - about the only time I’ve brought it up to the cockpit was one very tricky unlit night entrance forced on us and a couple of time with complicated unbouyed anchorages and is it sat on the cockpit table in front of the binnacle it was shaded by the Bimini.

 

[Daverw]

+1 for swapping them around

 

[RJJ]

I have exact same setup. But reversed and happy with it.

 

[Cardinal]

To answer the op’s question, when it rains the iPad is significantly compromised as the touch screen reacts to water droplets.
My question is, will the e7 pair with the iPad so that one can run the Navionics app on the iPad and view and control it on the e7 at the helm? That would seem a good set up.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

I have a plotter at the wheel and a tablet below.



For those that have no plotter at the helm there are 2 advantages that I wouldn't live without - I'm no fanatical sailor, I just like messing around on boats in the sunshine ...

1. AIS display - there's a shipping seperation channel and a lot of shipping going in and out of Rijeka ... being able to see course info, closest point of approach etc. for the ships at the helm is very useful - having a 100% reliable device to display this is comforting.

2. My plotter is networked to my autopilot, so I can set a waypoint and with a few button presses set the autopilot to follow the track to the waypoint - wonderful for those windless days when you just want to get to the next anchorage for a swim and a cold beer.

I chartered in Scotland this summer and the boat had a plotter below but nothing at the helm - so we used phones/tablets with navionics. We had 3 recurring problems:

Moisture on the touch screen - could be solved with a case?
Battery life - could be solved with a waterproof power suply at the helm?
Screen brightness - too bright at night, but unreadable in direct sunlight.

If it were my boat, I would swap them round.

 

[Neeves]

The only time you really NEED a chart plotter is on a tricky piece of navigation (harbour entrance, convoluted passage) in the dark and rain - and when you NEED it - you want it to be totally dependable.

The rest of the time you can simply duck down and get it.

It is 'nice' to have access to the yacht's progress and be able to produce waypoints - anywhere in the yacht - berth, saloon, galley - if you think access to data anywhere is valuable and guaranteed performance at the helm invaluable -

Do what is being repeatedly suggested

Chartplotter at the helm, iPad ('floating around) down below.

That's what we have - and find it works

Jonathan

 

[XDC]

My question is, will the e7 pair with the iPad so that one can run the Navionics app on the iPad and view and control it on the e7 at the helm? That would seem a good set up.

The E7 will connect with the iPad and vice versa but don't confuse the apps.

You can control most E7 functions from down below using the free RayControl app from the iPad. You can see what is being displayed on the E7 and even change it (which may annoy the helm )

If you have the Navionics BOATING app loaded on the iPad it is in effect a stand-alone app i.e. Boating won't control or see the MFD.

However you can backup routes, waypoints and charts between the two devices using Plotter Synch:

https://www.navionics.com/gbr/charts/features/plotter-sync/raymarine-how-to

 

[Stemar]

I've never understood why people mount plotters below and have nothing or a bodge at the helm. My definition of a bodge being anything that isn't daylight viewable and usable in the rain and wearing gloves.

Having a bodge, using my slightly unkind definition above, like Navionics or whatever on a phone or tablet is fine if that's all the budget will run to (me), or because that's all you need for the kind of sailing you do (me again), just don't put your only plotter below where you can't see it when you're trying to identify that buoy or dodge those rocks.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

I've never understood why people mount plotters below and have nothing or a bodge at the helm. My definition of a bodge being anything that isn't daylight viewable and usable in the rain and wearing gloves.

Having a bodge, using my slightly unkind definition above, like Navionics or whatever on a phone or tablet is fine if that's all the budget will run to (me), or because that's all you need for the kind of sailing you do (me again), just don't put your only plotter below where you can't see it when you're trying to identify that buoy or dodge those rocks.

I think plotters below are a throwback to the days of paper charts and chart tables ... the plotter was put where traditionally the navigation would be done - and people were initially very suspicious of the electrickery. In the distant past, plotters were nowhere near as capable as today, and they were certainly not multi-function displays - so people just bolted them next to the chart table and many older boats therefore have that configuration by default. The tablet in my picture above is covering the hole where a monochrome plotter used to live.

Tradition takes a long time to change .... people stick to what they are used to.

PS: Before I get savaged by the paper-chart brigade or Tablet users, I'm not advocating getting rid of paper, or belittling the use of tablets - your boat - your rules

 

[Old Harry]

No, im not a gamer. A good autopilot enables me, when s/h to "pop down " to the full sized chart table

 

[RupertW]

I have a plotter at the wheel and a tablet below.

View attachment 82212 View attachment 82213

For those that have no plotter at the helm there are 2 advantages that I wouldn't live without - I'm no fanatical sailor, I just like messing around on boats in the sunshine ...

1. AIS display - there's a shipping seperation channel and a lot of shipping going in and out of Rijeka ... being able to see course info, closest point of approach etc. for the ships at the helm is very useful - having a 100% reliable device to display this is comforting.

2. My plotter is networked to my autopilot, so I can set a waypoint and with a few button presses set the autopilot to follow the track to the waypoint - wonderful for those windless days when you just want to get to the next anchorage for a swim and a cold beer.

I chartered in Scotland this summer and the boat had a plotter below but nothing at the helm - so we used phones/tablets with navionics. We had 3 recurring problems:

Moisture on the touch screen - could be solved with a case?
Battery life - could be solved with a waterproof power suply at the helm?
Screen brightness - too bright at night, but unreadable in direct sunlight.

If it were my boat, I would swap them round.

That’s interesting as I suspect our sailing is similar. I have an aversion to point 2 as I don’t like the idea of a course change happening with nobody looking around at that moment and deciding it’s safe, but AIS appeals - I’ve grown up with ship dodging out of Dover, Portsmouth and Southampton so not too worried but every now and again it would be nice, and unlike fixed features which I’m fine to have on the chart below, ship movements should be looked at from the helm. I think if I sailed in places with mist or fog I would have got AIS years ago.

 

[XDC]

That’s interesting as I suspect our sailing is similar. I have an aversion to point 2 as I don’t like the idea of a course change happening with nobody looking around at that moment and deciding it’s safe

With my setup I have to ACCEPT the course change, it doesn't just happen on its own.

 

[RupertW]

That makes a lot of sense - didn’t realise that was an option