Touch screen nav displays. Fashion or function?

[MapisM]

the clever digital radar showed solid red on the screen ie useless

Now, that's interesting.
With my analogue/all green radar, the fine tuning in that situation was indeed tricky, but eventually I could (just) distinguish the coastline, and match it with the plotter.
Otoh, I did have the opportunity to use some more modern/digital/colour screen radars, though never in such extreme conditions.
But I would have expected them to perform much better than analogue stuff, and also without needing a lot of manual fiddling with the controls.
If that's not the case, which are the other situations (if any) where the digital stuff is much better, in your experience?

PS: re. anchoring vs. staying put but underway, I perfectly see your point, but in the "no instruments at all" scenario, I can't think of any manner to avoid the risk of drifting, other than anchoring - or am I missing some trick?

 

[jfm]

Now, that's interesting.
With my analogue/all green radar, the fine tuning in that situation was indeed tricky, but eventually I could (just) distinguish the coastline, and match it with the plotter.
Otoh, I did have the opportunity to use some more modern/digital/colour screen radars, though never in such extreme conditions.
But I would have expected them to perform much better than analogue stuff, and also without needing a lot of manual fiddling with the controls.
If that's not the case, which are the other situations (if any) where the digital stuff is much better, in your experience?

I'm talking here of incredibly heavy rain of the type you see for 30mins every 5 years. The other occasion I can think of when this happened was 10 yrs ago in Portofino and my analogue screen was completely filled

TBH there may be adjustments you can make to the settings; I didn't try. In normal running with the digi radar, ships and rocks are red and rain is light blue. It is markedly better in that scenario than analogue imho. As you know rain patches can be small in the Med and I have often driven the boat between them to avoid the rain, using the digi radar. I have to admit I haven't studied the thing enough to use it to its maximum potential

PS: re. anchoring vs. staying put but underway, I perfectly see your point, but in the "no instruments at all" scenario, I can't think of any manner to avoid the risk of drifting, other than anchoring - or am I missing some trick?

Yes you are right: in that scenario I would indeed anchor. I had forgotten that part of DeB's question I suppose if everything stops working, why stop at the instruments? Sheesh, the anchor will probably not work either

 

[gjgm]

Although some think that having an array of analogue dials is simply 'macho', I can assure you that the human eye detects changes in an analogue display better than any digital readout, it's not about knowing whether the engine water temp is 84 or 86 deg, it's about whether it is changing (same goes for oil pressure) and you will notice even with a glance without having to think 'what was the temp/pressure last time I looked' Even the latest Airbus has numerous analogue displays.

I was thinking of boat shows and salesmen.. don't we all want to see a helm full of gizmos ?!
I take your point re the visual change, and I guess that is why analogue is still used. I am only wondering if it isn't just habit that we have and watch all this info, if for year after year nothing changes ! If engines are now adequately reliable, can we not move to alerts, not monitoring? Still, maybe folk don't want that.

 

[MapisM]

I suppose if everything stops working, why stop at the instruments? Sheesh, the anchor will probably not work either

LOL, yeah. All considered, the toilet paper roll might come in handy, eventually...

 

[MapisM]

Still, maybe folk don't want that.

Yep, I think it all comes down to personal preferences/habits, at the end of the day.
On boats where the engine monitoring is much more critical than with cruisers (namely, 3-digits speed demons), huge analogue gauges have always been used (together with alarms, anyway).
But with the advent of electronically controlled engines, builders began to install ALSO the small(ish) smartcraft display.
And nowadays, some custom boats are being built with big screens only - which can obviously be used also for analogue visualization, anyway.
Bottom line, pan was spot on when he said "whatever works" for each helmsman....

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

LOL, yeah. All considered, the toilet paper roll might come in handy, eventually...

Yup if everything stops working in this biblical storm due to a major electrical failure, the engines are going to stop working too. And the electric toilets as well so best not use too much of that toilet roll

 

[MapisM]

the engines are going to stop working too

Aaah, but! Not mine engines, remember?
The shut-off solenoid requires current to stop, otherwise it's normally on...
Still, the Tecma WCs wouldn't be much use, I must admit.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Aaah, but! Not mine engines, remember?
The shut-off solenoid requires current to stop, otherwise it's normally on...
Still, the Tecma WCs wouldn't be much use, I must admit.

Yup I remember. Looks like then when this storm hits, you'll be towing me to a harbour not the other way round

 

[MapisM]

Haha, yeah... After all, my old tub is much better suited to work as a tug than a luxurious Ferretti!
And I might throw a line at jfm's Squaddie as well, while I'm at that...

 

[jfm]

Haha, yeah... After all, my old tub is much better suited to work as a tug than a luxurious Ferretti!
And I might throw a line at jfm's Squaddie as well, while I'm at that...

Fine by me! I'd love the fuel saving. I came all the way back from Corsica-Antibes last week at 9kts and saved myself >1000 litres LOL, but being towed would improve on that substantially! If we had 2 equal length towlines, Mike and I could have a big party on rafted up Ferretti/Squaddie while you do all the driving. I'll call the dancing girls agency now...

 

[benjenbav]

Fine by me! I'd love the fuel saving. I came all the way back from Corsica-Antibes last week at 9kts and saved myself >1000 litres LOL, but being towed would improve on that substantially! If we had 2 equal length towlines, Mike and I could have a big party on rafted up Ferretti/Squaddie while you do all the driving. I'll call the dancing girls agency now...

On the subject of touchscreens: interesting to note that yours is ok in the tender. For reasons which are way too complicated to explain here it struck me as a good idea to bathe an iphone in a pool of bleach recently and that had some interesting results on the sensitivity of the screen. For a few moments it picked up finger movements mebbe 10mm away from the screen - which was quite cool - before, more predictably, getting very hot and then never working again. Now I appreciate that even in the Lerins Islands with delightful young females appearing in the morning to administer fresh croissants and a BJ, you aren't going be troubled much by pools or even petrie dishes of bleach but, I'm guessing that saltwater doesn't improve a screen's performance too much.

 

[MapisM]

Fine by me! I'd love the fuel saving. I came all the way back from Corsica-Antibes last week at 9kts and saved myself >1000 litres LOL, but being towed would improve on that substantially! If we had 2 equal length towlines, Mike and I could have a big party on rafted up Ferretti/Squaddie while you do all the driving. I'll call the dancing girls agency now...

Ok, deal.
Based on Lloyd's Standard Salvage agreement, needless to say...