ghostlymoron
Well-Known Member
I think that for tiller steered yachts, under the spray hood is ideal. Preferably demountable with a seperate power supply so that it can be used below for the tedious business of entering waypoints at leisure.
Plotters - Cockpit or Chart Table?
- Thread starter yachtorion
- Start date
johnalison
Well-Known Member
I don't believe there is a right or wrong place, though duplicate displays would be ideal. I went the route the OP suggests on my tiller-steered 34. I was concerned about how weatherproof the area under the sprayhood was and didn't want to clutter the area around the clutches, so I have my plotter at the chart table, a graphic repeater above the companionway, and an iPad (in an Aquapack if necessary) for when I want to dodge rocks or watch the AIS. This suits the kind of sailing I do, which is a mixture of coastal passages and longer crossings.
NormanS
Well-Known Member
When under way, you want to be able to see the compass, so there's no way that you would have it (if you only have one) down below at the chart table / nav station. Think of your plotter in the same terms.
I suppose I have the best of both worlds. With a deck saloon ketch, with duplicate controls, inside and out, we have duplicate instruments. The outside one is under the sprayhood, just forward of the wheel.
I'm not sure about this "tedious business of entering waypoints". I used to use waypoints when I first had a GPS, but with a plotter, why do you need waypoints?
I suppose I have the best of both worlds. With a deck saloon ketch, with duplicate controls, inside and out, we have duplicate instruments. The outside one is under the sprayhood, just forward of the wheel.
I'm not sure about this "tedious business of entering waypoints". I used to use waypoints when I first had a GPS, but with a plotter, why do you need waypoints?
pvb
Well-Known Member
Agreed - entering waypoints is quick and easy, if ghostlymoron finds it tedious, he's doing it wrongly!
prv
Well-Known Member
?
Modern plotters are generally fully submersible.
Some older ones are only IPx6, which means proof against powerful water jets from a half-inch nozzle from any angle.
I really don't think the odd bit of rain or spray finding its way under the hood is likely to be a problem.
Pete
smithy
Well-Known Member
I spent a lot of time on a boat with a large plotter in the cockpit and an identical one below. The chart table one was rarely used.
yachtorion
Well-Known Member
But is that because the very handy plotter in the cockpit encouraged "bad" navigational practice? If so, what?
ghostlymoron
Well-Known Member
I haven't had a plotter for a few years - the last was a Lowrance 5M I think. Entering the names seemed to involve a lot of scrolling through the alphabet with the accompanying bleeps. I've now just got a handheld Garmin GPS (non-plotter). I still find waypoints handy to avoid hitting stuff which you may not notice on the chart. Most navigators I know still use them.
pvb
Well-Known Member
Yes, I use waypoints, but there's no real need to name them (the plotter will assign a number automatically). With current plotters, you can set up a route from A to B in a few minutes, including checking along the route and adjusting waypoint positions if necessary.
duncan99210
Well-Known Member
We have a networked system on the boat, with a plotter at the chart table, which also acts as the radar controller. At the binnacle, with a pod in front of the wheel, there is a duplicate of the chart table plotter plus depth/speed display and autopilot control. The chart table plotter has the ability to display all the info from the binnacle instruments but at the expense of shrinking the size of the displayed chart. We plan routes using a combination of paper, iPad and plotter charts but rarely input waypoints into the plotter. Rather, we tend to use the cursor to put in a waypoint once pilotage is finished leaving the anchorage/port and use that to navigate to. Shortly before arrival at that waypoint, if required, we will insert a new one until we arrive off our destination. And that's when the chartplotter at the helm comes into its own. The helm can use a combination of the plotter and Mk 1 eyeball, along with helpful hints from the off watch crew, to steer a course between charted obstacles to the final destination. We keep a running log of position, course, speed and distance covered on an hourly basis in close water and two hourly on longer passages; sometimes plotted on to the paper chart as well for longer trips.
In bad visibility, the radar display is available at the helm with no need to have someone watching it down below. We would add AIS into the equation if it were not for the fact that the kit is all older generation and therefore not compatible with AIS. If I were designing the whole thing from the ground up again, I don't think I'd do much different. I money forced a compromise, then I think I'd go down the route of plotter at the helm and an ipad in a bulkhead mount down below, as having all the info available to the helm is, in my opinion, the best way to do it.
In bad visibility, the radar display is available at the helm with no need to have someone watching it down below. We would add AIS into the equation if it were not for the fact that the kit is all older generation and therefore not compatible with AIS. If I were designing the whole thing from the ground up again, I don't think I'd do much different. I money forced a compromise, then I think I'd go down the route of plotter at the helm and an ipad in a bulkhead mount down below, as having all the info available to the helm is, in my opinion, the best way to do it.
johnalison
Well-Known Member
My first radar/plotter was installed in 2000 and was not submersible. I have got used to working my way, so the replacement was put at the same site.
I don't need to look at a chart when I am helming, so the basic information of DTW, BTW, SOG and COG are all I want. I can display XTE on a separate instrument if I need to, and the rest of the arithmetic I can do in my head.
prv
Well-Known Member
I use waypoints very little. I suspect they're mostly a hangover from older GPSes.
Occasionally I'll tell the autopilot via the plotter to "steer to cursor", which creates a sort of anonymous quasi-waypoint, but that's about it.
Pete
Occasionally I'll tell the autopilot via the plotter to "steer to cursor", which creates a sort of anonymous quasi-waypoint, but that's about it.
Pete
pvb
Well-Known Member
Don't you use a "route" when you're going somewhere?
prv
Well-Known Member
That sounds as if you are always sailing towards a programmed waypoint on a pre-determined route? Certainly it works (as long as you can stick to the route), but I think I would find sailing like that inflexible and the necessary pre-planning boring.
Pete
prv
Well-Known Member
pvb
Well-Known Member
When I'm passing through unfamiliar waters, I usually set up a route in the plotter, and check that it avoids areas of shallows, etc. Then it's simple to follow the route, know exactly where you're going, know that it's the quickest way, etc.
doug748
Well-Known Member
I think so as well:
View attachment 47085
I stow the thing below but admit that I have never used it there. It is in pilotage situations when you need it in front of you; offshore, the occasional dot on the chart can serve well enough.
Martin999
Well-Known Member
Both
smithy
Well-Known Member
No, not trying to say anything about good or bad practice just reality. The chart table plotter may have been used for occasional passage planning but day to day use the cockpit one was used. This was probably 95% of the time and that was the case whatever skipper or crew was on.
pvb
Well-Known Member
Luxury!
