Modern navigation practice

[franksingleton]

It doesn't have to be. I have a tablet from London Chartplotters that basically worked straight out of the box. I don't do anything complicated with it, it's just a chart that has a little boat shape that tells me where I am, where I'm heading and how fast.

No problem. I began working this way 10 years ago, age 80 so it cannot be too difficult. For some situations, eg mine, I cannot imagine a better solution. Others, with different needs, will think differently. If you have any specific queries, you can try a pm.

 

[veshengro]

The main reason I am thinking about electronic nav aids is because I now have a smaller boat without the benefits of a proper chart table as I had in previous boats. I know I can have a chart kept below on a portable board, I do that now, but it's a fiddle at times, trying to mark off the chart while balancing the chart board, so an Ipad or something will make life easier. I'll still carry my paper charts though.

 

[doug748]

Thanks for that, Steve. I was genuinely serious but realise I'm probably getting confused between Ipad and Iphone, I've not owned or used either or indeed had any contact with them. When my son visits he carries a monstrous great phone that he seems to devote 95% of his time to poking with his finger to send messages or check on progress at work. He gets distraught because it doesn't work here in the wilds of West Wales..

Thanks Frank, just seen your reply which is useful. It will be a steep learning curve for me to just catch up...

You may be better off with a simple plotter. Tablets and 'phones are really for folk that must have tablets and 'phones. Young folk are likely to steer you towards a solution that they would like - not necessarily what is best for you.

If you don't already have or love, tablets and 'phones then there is dreadful rabbit hole in prospect. Plotters just work and usually need no coddling, see my previous post.

.

 

[franksingleton]

You may be better off with a simple plotter. Tablets and 'phones are really for folk that must have tablets and 'phones. Young folk are likely to steer you towards a solution that they would like - not necessarily what is best for you.

If you don't already have or love, tablets and 'phones then there is dreadful rabbit hole in prospect. Plotters just work and usually need no coddling, see my previous post.

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I do not agree. See my last few posts above. Without an iPad, I would not now be sailing. A chart plotter would not be useable for me. There is no one solution to meet all needs and preferences. The iPad solution, in my case, two 12 inch iPad Pros, a DY AIS transceiver and the WiFi interface, is not the cheapest solution, for me, it is the best, probably the only solution. Keep an open mind. Look at all the pros and cons.

 

[Shaddickp]

Don't need to have it in the cabin. Modern chart plotters work fine in the cockpit, although string direct sunlight from say, astern might be a bit of a challenge. I had a 9" at the helm, but a 12" would be nice. The functions you describe are quite normal (and more available!) although on long passages like that largely redundant.

Remember being on the bridge of Barfleur a state of the art Britanny ferry 25 years ago marvelling at the displays which are now available on my £695 Garmin.

For a while I had a Garmin Oregon handheld chart display and that had what was then called an Organic LED screen. What this meant in practice was that the brighter the sunlight the clearer the screen, and in poor light the backlight made it visible. Absolutely brilliant I don't understand what all chart plotter screens do not have this technology. I now have a larger newer fixed Garmin chart plotter at the helm, it does not have this technology and it is not so good in bright light. Maybe a cost think I dont know, but if anyone makes a large screen Organic LED plotter then I'd like to know.

 

[Daydream believer]

Over the last week I've been testing my new anemometer / wind transducer with my B&G Vulcan.

The anemometer is made by LCJ Capteurs and its NMEA2000 adaptor has a built in barometer.

I noticed that the Vulcan can show barometric pressure as a line chart, so you can notice if it drops steeply. My depth transducer also passes water temperature to the network, so I guess this would help in identifying that one has entered the gulf stream?

Image of a B&G display grabbed from the web:

Reminds me of when I bought my graphic equaliser years ago. I took it home & rigged it up. Showed it to the wife & she ( sarcastic "£$%) said
" Nice, but what does it all mean?"
Women have no idea of modern technology. Nothing to do with understanding---It is all about the flashy pics

 

[Wansworth]

I think what it swing it for me is the nice bright display showing my boat in relation to the coast or harbour even if it’s dark and cloudy and wet I will have a clear picture where Am going

 

[AntarcticPilot]

For a while I had a Garmin Oregon handheld chart display and that had what was then called an Organic LED screen. What this meant in practice was that the brighter the sunlight the clearer the screen, and in poor light the backlight made it visible. Absolutely brilliant I don't understand what all chart plotter screens do not have this technology. I now have a larger newer fixed Garmin chart plotter at the helm, it does not have this technology and it is not so good in bright light. Maybe a cost think I dont know, but if anyone makes a large screen Organic LED plotter then I'd like to know.

Almost certainly to do with LED screens requiring much more power than LCD displays.

 

[Laser310]

I think that modern navigation systems can be fantastic. They give the ability for so many more people to get out on the water safely.

When I sailing for money, having weather information, tides, radar, ais all pumping I to a suitable device makes my life so much easier.

However, when I sail for fun, I much prefer to use more traditional navigation. It's just more....enjoyable for me. Again, personally, I think that having some skills in basic navigation makes skippers much more aware of what's going on around them and more in tune with the sea. Others will no doubt disagree but when I'm out locally, I really don't need to be screen watching.
Further afield, yeah, very handy and that's the bit that allows less experienced sailors push the boundaries and improve their skills. Once the basics are mastered. In my opinion.

What I like best on a screen is football and cricket.

i generally agree.., and understanding skills of "traditional navigation" will make one a better navigator.

But the modern systems are fantastic, and are much more likely to reduce accidents than to cause them - even in inexperienced hands, as at a basic level it's pretty intuitive.

What pilots call "situational awareness" can be greatly enhanced by these instruments; especially when rapid action is required, or when operating in difficult environmental conditions.

of course, even experienced pilots manage to fly their planes into the ground, and we will never end accidents due to human error.

It's not as if plotting position on a paper chart is not also prone to error.

How happy would any of us be if we got on, say a transatlantic flight, and the pilot announced: "Good evening ladies and gentlemen.., I thought you might be interested to know that I plan to navigate this flight using a sextant and paper charts, and I've turned off the ground proximity warning, as i plan to rely solely on the barometer for altitude..."

 

[capnsensible]

Reminds me of when I bought my graphic equaliser years ago. I took it home & rigged it up. Showed it to the wife & she ( sarcastic "£$%) said
" Nice, but what does it all mean?"
Women have no idea of modern technology. Nothing to do with understanding---It is all about the flashy pics

 

[DownWest]

Reminds me of when I bought my graphic equaliser years ago. I took it home & rigged it up. Showed it to the wife & she ( sarcastic "£$%) said
" Nice, but what does it all mean?"
Women have no idea of modern technology. Nothing to do with understanding---It is all about the flashy pics

Likely a bumpy landing...

 

[LadyInBed]

Re keeping an open mind, Android tablets also run navigation software and are a lot cheaper than iPads

 

[Daydream believer]

I think what it swing it for me is the nice bright display showing my boat in relation to the coast or harbour even if it’s dark and cloudy and wet I will have a clear picture where Am going

Well it would be dark & cloudy for you because you have not got a boat

 

[Daydream believer]

View attachment 153231

You know my wife then
That is exactly what she said when I then told her the price

 

[wingcommander]

In my experience, the other way round is best.

I remember on passing my Dazed Kipper course. Following week each student skipperd for a full day ( 4 students all on a extended zero to hero course). On my day I was about to plot a position, so told crew to do a three point fix and give me the bearings. Everyone gave me a wtf look even the instructor, and said , you've passed now so use the GPS .. Even now I like to use the old method before double checking whenever possible.

 

[steve yates]

I remember on passing my Dazed Kipper course. Following week each student skipperd for a full day ( 4 students all on a extended zero to hero course). On my day I was about to plot a position, so told crew to do a three point fix and give me the bearings. Everyone gave me a wtf look even the instructor, and said , you've passed now so use the GPS .. Even now I like to use the old method before double checking whenever possible.

I would have suggested you do your own 3 point fix

 

[capnsensible]

I would have suggested you do your own 3 point fix

On day skipper courses, my students enjoy taking the bearings and calling them down to the navigator to plot and do the log. It's good for promoting communication and involving crew. Win, win.

 

[steve yates]

Aye, but they had already done day skipper.

 

[capnsensible]

Aye, but they had already done day skipper.

Works for everyone.

 

[wingcommander]

I would have suggested you do your own 3 point fix

Yes ime normally solo now,so all inaccurate readings only myself to blame, but the course emphasis was on involving a crew , hence the request , and if I'm being honest at the time, I hadn't a clue how to use the plotter. I was literally the least experienced student.The chart plotter was not used during the course.