Modern navigation practice

[franksingleton]

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 was a traditionalist by force majeure for many years. Nothing fancy, Biscay, Med, Caribbean chartering. 3 days max passages. But have had AMD in recent years. Now, heavily dependent on iPad. We carry two with 12 inch screens and an iPhone 13. The iPads use the GPS and AIS via DY AIS1000. The iPhone receives GPS direct so is an independent system. Of course, all rely on the GPS system not failing. Without these, we would not be sailing. Will be 90 next month but hope to cross the Channel as usual. All due to the wonders of technology.

 

[LadyInBed]

I think that modern navigation systems can be fantastic

I'll tell your misses that you said that!

 

[capnsensible]

I'll tell your misses that you said that!

thing is she agrees how useful modern systems are, but like me, thinks that starting from basics is the way to do it. Fortunately, enough people around the world who want to learn how to navigate enroll in the courses the company she works for. Hoo ha.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

thing is she agrees how useful modern systems are, but like me, thinks that starting from basics is the way to do it. Fortunately, enough people around the world who want to learn how to navigate enroll in the courses the company she works for. Hoo ha.

I think it’s safe to say that most here learned before GPS, let alone touchscreen plotters and NMEA2000. I’m guessing I’m one of the younger ones, and I did my YM before GPS got a mention in the syllabus.

 

[Supertramp]

I agree, and similar trends among walkers and cyclists. Happily I was pre GPS but missed out on sextant education.

 

[Wansworth]

There is a certain fascination with modern boat navigation and control,noticein the i mocas no one is steering sort of neat screens that at a touch ofa button produced what was once in a sailors head ,or the flick of a switch the bowthruster pushes the boat,neat and clean.

 

[steve yates]

I’m a younger one, I learnt and navigated with an iphone, though always had relevant paper chart out and marked off position on crossings outside of land, eg over to ireland.
I use an ipad now with phone as back up.
I only really feel a need for depth, a compass and a gps unit for additional instruments in my cockpit. I sail a friends twister with vulcan plotter, forward sonar and 3g radar, but I never use it. I still take my ipad and justuse that, I find it all too fiddly and too much info when I’d rather be looking around and glancing at the ipad, compass or depth when needed.
Ais is really all I feel i’m lacking at the moment.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

We don’t need our nav aids to find our way or know where we are, except in poor vis. Having the info to hand in the cockpit is a big help to maximising our VMG to waypoint in the tide though

 

[veshengro]

At a little shout off 79 yrs I am just about to take the plunge and get a basic Chart plotter type device. During 17 years plus single handed voyaging, Med and Caribbean mostly, I used a Garmin GPS and transferred the Long and Lat onto a paper chart with a pencil. I used a Sextant for distance off when close inshore, but purely because I enjoyed navigating that way. I tried Astro on Atlantic crossings but I am by nature a Dim Wit and in spite of closely following a set routine for working the Sights I was at times miles out. Sometimes I surprised myself and got it spot on, but Martinique appeared nearly half a day early once and it frightened me back to the GPS when in the vicinity of land.

My boat size has shrunk from a Nicholson 32 to an 18 foot Sail Fish now and land is usually visible on my 'voyages,' so I thought that if I can translate the jargon attached to navigating by techi kit, I'll give it a go ( as long as I can still see land and get a proper fix if I press the wrong button)...

 

[franksingleton]

At a little shout off 79 yrs I am just about to take the plunge and get a basic Chart plotter type device. During 17 years plus single handed voyaging, Med and Caribbean mostly, I used a Garmin GPS and transferred the Long and Lat onto a paper chart with a pencil. I used a Sextant for distance off when close inshore, but purely because I enjoyed navigating that way. I tried Astro on Atlantic crossings but I am by nature a Dim Wit and in spite of closely following a set routine for working the Sights I was at times miles out. Sometimes I surprised myself and got it spot on, but Martinique appeared nearly half a day early once and it frightened me back to the GPS when in the vicinity of land.

My boat size has shrunk from a Nicholson 32 to an 18 foot Sail Fish now and land is usually visible on my 'voyages,' so I thought that if I can translate the jargon attached to navigating by techi kit, I'll give it a go ( as long as I can still see land and get a proper fix if I press the wrong button)...

I don’t know about chart plotters but my 12 inch iPad lets me expand to cope with my AMD. I do the same with my AIS displays and take screen shots. I can then watch several ships that might be close. I can watch their bearings and see how they are changing, very powerful. It is a far cry from a hand bearing compass or RDF. I got pretty good at recognising Morse code call signs of beacons.

 

[veshengro]

Ipad ? Is that like a small hand held computer? There is no signal for mobile phones where I live, the Internet comes from my shore telephone line apparently, so I imagine an Ipad wouldn't work either?
I've got a flip open phone but I don't bother with it because there's no signal anyway, but Granddaughter is going to advise/direct operations when it comes to getting something which will operate on my boat, in fact she mentioned Ipad so I may well be joining the sea going screen gazers.

 

[DownWest]

Bit like me, I learned coastal nav from a book at school in the early 60s and used it for cross channel nav. Bit later, did similar in the Med with a school atlas.. (Oh, the confidence..) Bought an early SatNav for the Company Boat in '85. Around half an hour to get a fix.. More recently, a HH GPS that does fine. But I don't go out of sight of land at the mo. I like chart nav, so bought a Yeoman for the combo. Might be off up the coast to Brittany in May, so will see how it works.

 

[LadyInBed]

Ais is really all I feel i’m lacking at the moment.

AIS is the best thing since GPS!
(Sliced bread is now akin to )

 

[steve yates]

Ipad ? Is that like a small hand held computer? There is no signal for mobile phones where I live, the Internet comes from my shore telephone line apparently, so I imagine an Ipad wouldn't work either?
I've got a flip open phone but I don't bother with it because there's no signal anyway, but Granddaughter is going to advise/direct operations when it comes to getting something which will operate on my boat, in fact she mentioned Ipad so I may well be joining the sea going screen gazers.

Just in case your serious, the phone signal has nowt to do with it and is not required. They have internal gps, ( or in my non sim ipad’s case, a gps dongle)

 

[franksingleton]

Ipad ? Is that like a small hand held computer? There is no signal for mobile phones where I live, the Internet comes from my shore telephone line apparently, so I imagine an Ipad wouldn't work either?
I've got a flip open phone but I don't bother with it because there's no signal anyway, but Granddaughter is going to advise/direct operations when it comes to getting something which will operate on my boat, in fact she mentioned Ipad so I may well be joining the sea going screen gazers.

Sorry, you totally misunderstand. I do not use the internet for navigation. We have GPS through a Digital Yachts AIT1000 transceiver. There is a WiFi device that passes the GPS and AIS data to the iPsd which has a 12 inch screen, about the same as my HP laptop. The iPad is, effectively a chart plotter. With my AMD it is great because I can have it just where I want it for easy reading. The ability to expand the image is great as I can read small detail and then zoom out. I can click on a ship AIS data, take a screenshot so that I can again expand to read the info and save it. On a Channel crossing I can be selecting several vessels at any one time. I use two iPads keeping one on charge. I have a cell phone which does have built in GPS. That is fine for someone with normal eyesight. For me, it works well as a back up GPS.
I do not know if chart plotters have the same functionality. Even if they do, I am pretty sure that the iPad is more suitable for me Due to being able to have it in the optimum position for my eyes. You cannot do that with a chart plotter.
I hope that makes it clear.

 

[veshengro]

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...

 

[Stemar]

It will be a steep learning curve for me to just catch up

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.

 

[Wansworth]

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.

Just up my street

 

[veshengro]

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.

That's the firm my Granddaughter has been in contact with, trying to find a basic 'starter' kit for me. Sounds promising.

 

[[194224]]

....................................... and too much info when I’d rather be looking around .......................................

That is a very much overlooked but crucial point Steve. I can't remember how many times my son has said to some of his junior watchkeepers "Have you tried looking out of the window?" when they're bamboozled by ECDIS, radar and all the other fantastic equipment they have these days.