Which chart-plotter?

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Dick Atcherley

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I am currently overhauling a boat and wanted to install a chart-plotter that, for security reasons, can be unscrewed and taken away between trips (it's an open cockpit boat, so probably wouldn't want it permanently fixed, for reasons of scrote-activity). I also want AIS overlay capability, and will need a radio.

I have considerable experience of Garmin products in the world of General Aviation, but zero experience of marine products, so any advice would be welcome.

What should I be looking at and who are the best suppliers?
 
Nearly all the N2K modern chart plotters from the big manufacturers come with ability to mount on a quick release bracket/gimbal/bail/U bracket. You will have several plugs to undo on the back each time, however. And they invariably have overlay and integration with your a new N2k radio if that's what you buy

Garmin make excellent stuff and I bought their touchscreen stuff on my previous boat and current boat. But there is very good stuff from Furuno, Raymarine and Simrad too, so it comes down to personal choice

The choice of buttons vs touchscreen is a Marmite thing but I love touchscreens on both a big mothership and a small bounce-around tender. Again, each to their own on that one
 
Do you just want it for charting ability, or are you going to add radar on to it? How big is the boat, how much space do you have and what's your budget? These are all questions that will help narrow down the best option. Garmin are well regarded by many, so you won't go wrong if you choose them, but there are other alternatives that may be just as good for your application. I really like Raymarine, but also really rate Simrad's latest stuff. Standard Horizon also provide a good budget option.
 
Thanks a lot for the input so far!

On the touch-screen/buttons&knobs debate, I prefer buttons and knobs; my experience of touch-screen avionics in an aviation context is that when you're bucketing around in instrument conditions, with cold /numb fingers, a touch screen is a bloody nuisance. Add water and wind in the open cockpit of a boat, and I have no reason to think that matters improve. As you say, it's a personal choice thing...

I don't want radar and the boat is 29ft with two engines. It'll be mostly coastal work, with some continental trips.

Budget, I have absolutely no idea, but figured that I'd probably be in the £2-5k range for chart-plotter and radio with AIS, rather than the £10-20k range.

The experience that I've had in an aviation context with Garmin's after-sales service has been astonishingly good, on a couple of occasions where they really would have been well within their rights to tell me to Foxtrot Oscar.
 
I have Raymarine gear and am very happy with it however I think you have answered your own question "
The experience that I've had in an aviation context with Garmin's after-sales service has been astonishingly good, on a couple of occasions where they really would have been well within their rights to tell me to Foxtrot Oscar.
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If you're happy with the sales, service and usability then probably best to stick with what you know. I have also heard of some exceptional service reports of them so they seem pretty good.

Notice you say yes to AIS but not bothered about radar however I would say inshore radar is at least as useful as AIS or even more so. My boat is only 8 metres and the first boat I have had fitted with both radar and ais. If I were to spec another similar sized boat for me I would definitely have both

2P put in the pot :)

Martin
 
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