Which waterproof Navionics chart plotter (with small screen) for small open bowrider boat

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Trevelyan

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Hi all,
I've got a bowrider boat which I use in tidal waters and have now conceded that a chart plotter/sounder might be useful (e.g. in dark or fog..). Navionics charts have really good detail for my particular location. Any suggestions please for a waterproof chart plotter to run Navionics charts with a fairly small overall size. I'd possibly be thinking second hand, not really worried about up to date charts etc. as this is for a specific purpose of following one small channel!

Any suggestions welcomed - have googled and where to start!!
Trev
 
I use a Dogee rugged tablet, the R10, from memory, but I believe smaller ones are available. Its only disadvantage is a relatively short battery life running Navionics, but if you can rig a charger nearby, it'll happily run all day.

You can find recon Samsung chargers, but the one I had wouldn't run Navionics when I wanted to switch to it, so Madame uses it now. She also uses the Dogee for movies, but I'm allowed to borrow it when we're on the boat.
 
I've no idea what a bowrider boat is, but have you considered a Garmin Handheld?

I just pop a copy of my chart into the handheld and have the same detail as my chart plotter.
 
Sandy and Stemar's suggestions are the easiest way to get plotting on a small open boat. However you've mentioned plotter/sounder? So I assume you think it would be helpful to have a fishfinder giving depth. Back in the days when I had a small MoBo I went down the second hand fishfinder route. I regretted that. I think the lesson I learned is don't buy old boat electronics that someone else doesn't want. I'm out of touch with whats a good deal any more but it is almost always cheaper to buy plotter, sounder as a package than upgrade later.
 
Hi again all, will get looking at the suggestions. I was originally thinking something fixed (rather than a phone/tablet) so that it is always there, easy to use and has power. Also mindful of how difficult phone screens might be in bright sunlight. That said some plotters aren’t great either. I did also think the depth sounder would be helpful, although interestingly what I’m after is for it to be very accurate and stable in 2m or less of water…
 
The Dragonfly in post #7 is the perfect type of thing. The integral fishfinder sonar transducer and software will be a lot more accurate than the very basic transducers used by most Yotties on here.
Bear in mind though that most of these types of plotter/fishfinder combos have a skimmer transducer mounted on the transom, and it doesn’t help with shallow water under your bow in narrow and steep sided muddy channels
 
Last edited:
Dellquay13 said:
The Dragonfly in post #7 is the perfect type of thing. The integral fishfinder sonar transducer and software will be a lot more accurate than the very basic transducers used by most Yotties on here.
Bear in mind though that most of these types of plotter/fishfinder combos have a skimmer transducer mounted on the transom, and it doesn’t help with shallow water under your bow in narrow and steep sided muddy channels
Click to expand...
I have a fishfinder with the skimmer transducer stuck to the inside of the hull with a blob of silicone. The quality of the signal is reduced when you do this but it is still good enough and at less than 10 metres all is clear. More than 10 metres depth I lose the digital depth readout but still have a graphical display of the sea bottom. Not sure when I lose the graphical display, maybe 50m?
You will soon learn what your depth sounder/fish finder reports when you touch the bottom.
 
I've got an Oukitel RT1 for displaying navionics and AIS as my plotters are legacy items and it works fine on that, long battery life as well.
 
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