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Old 26-09-2017, 09:23   #1
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Best Navigational Software To Be Installed During A Refit?

I am starting a refit on Exit Only, our Privilege 39 catamaran. I need to bring our navigation gear/electronic charts up date. I think I need to start over.

We did our circumnavigation using hand held GPS with sextant and hand held calculator back up. The second half of the trip, we used C-map on a windows laptop.

I want to sail back to Australia through the South Pacific if things work out.

I have iPhone, iPads, mac book laptop, and I am getting a windows laptop with a CD player. I don't have a chart plotter.

I have paper charts for the world, and somewhere I may have my old C-map CD charts.

I am at a loss to know where to start as I navigate my way through this navigational challenge.

I don't really need lots of bells and whistles. I am more interested in reliability and affordability. Since I am starting over, I would like to get it right the first time and not waste a lot of money.

Your knowledge, insight, and experience would be a big help and much appreciated.
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Old 12-10-2017, 13:32   #2
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Re: Best Navigational Software To Be Installed During A Refit?

Well I dont have an answer but. . .I plan to purchase C-Map charts to load on a Toughbook PC. I spoke with C-Map about compatibility with navigation software and they listed 3.

Rosepoint Coastal Explorer

Nobeltec Time Zero

Expedition

It may work with other packages but these 3 are prolly guaranteed to work.

I am also searching trying to find experiences and comments if anyone has any.

Cheers and good luck
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Old 13-10-2017, 16:34   #3
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Re: Best Navigational Software To Be Installed During A Refit?

I have a power boat now and I'm an old navy trained navigator and like something close to the paper charts I used all my life. So I prefer a nav program that runs on a computer with a decent screen. I want to see the big picture or the detail without it seeming like I'm looking thru a straw.
I have TZ Navigator and also use OpenCPN as a backup. Except for a few features, I like OpenCPN better, mainly because I can update free US, NZ and some others, I don't use the 3D feature of TZ Navigator and prefer non propitiatory charts. Propitiatory charts only get updated every couple years.
My main area is the PNW and only use stars enough to keep the skill. I plot stars, etc., on a separate program and transfer the results.
I use a Mac powerbook, but running windows 7 and I have a backup desktop and a 32" monitor that gets used for nav or tv. When running with guests, it keeps them informed, but away from the real navigation. I've kept older, stand alone GPS for backup and also can use the Russian and European systems as additional backup.
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Old 13-10-2017, 23:33   #4
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Re: Best Navigational Software To Be Installed During A Refit?

We are going through the same process - not just replacing navigation software, but also all the navigation equipment, instruments, radar, etc. Awhile back, we suffered a lightning strike whilst en route, all our fixed electronics were knocked out and this played a big part in the decisions we made. I also believe in layers of backup redundancy - this saved our bacon during the lightning strike. Here is what we are doing;

1 x Main PC (built-in) - TimeZero Navigator v3, MaxSea v12.4, Navionics Boating HD (running through BlueStacks) and OpenCPN
2 x i7 Notebooks Windows - same as above
2 x Android tablet - Navionics Boating HD,
2 x Android Samsung Galaxy S7 - Navionics Boating HD.
1 x Furuno TZTL15F connected to the main PC sharing CMap charts.

TimeZero Navigator v3/CMap charts is really good and we mostly use this software. The only charts we buy are the CMap charts for the Furuno chartplotter/TimeZero Navigator. The Navionics Boating HD is available on elsewhere on the internet and allows current worldwide charts to be downloaded for free. You know the chart situation regarding MaxSea v12 and OpenCPN.

I recommend:
Timezero Navigator v3 with CMap charts,
Navionics Boating HD (Android), MaxSea v12 and Opencpn as backup.
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Old 14-10-2017, 03:44   #5
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Re: Best Navigational Software To Be Installed During A Refit?

From a budget end, I really can't see much of an argument going further than Opencpn for charting software. Up to date charts can be a problem getting but to be honest in the South Pacific I wouldn't completely trust any chart source anyway.

From the simplicity side the new venturefurther plugin makes it very easy to create charts from google earth images which I find near essential now after cruising with them as an additional source of nav info for a while.

For bluewater it is well worth looking at openplotter on a raspberry pi as well, Sailing with free hardware | Sailoog

Getting a way a bit from simplicity but really not that hard to set up initially and very cheap. Mine runs for weeks at a time so seems reliable, uses about 0.3A.

What you get is a little box which takes all nmea data and spits it out over wifi to be used in a prog or view on anything which accepts wifi and can view a web page.
, one big plus for me is being able to add cheap sensors, engine temperature and battery voltage would be sorely missed, barometer records and costs about a beer. Yet to do an ocean passage with the current setup but looking forward to it
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Old 14-10-2017, 04:38   #6
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Re: Best Navigational Software To Be Installed During A Refit?

This year is the first time I haven't used a built in plotter. I have to Olson raytheons on the boat but just couldn't see the value in the chart purchases, I looked at new plotters and couldn't justify them either.
Im now fully tablets, smart phones and PC. There's just massive redundancy.
I don't throw away old tablets or Pc's therefore between my girlfriend and myself we have two smart phones, and three tablets and four Pc's, a combination of open cpn, navionics, I Sailor, SAS planet (offline satellite).

I'd like another large built in plotter at the helm, I just can't see the value.
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Old 14-10-2017, 04:45   #7
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Re: Best Navigational Software To Be Installed During A Refit?

Weve just done 6 months using open cpn on a raspberry pi. All coastal, on the east coast of AU, so nav is pretty important in some shallow areas.
For $100 for the pi plus power supplies, and $300 for a screen, and $50 for a touch pad and keyboard, the system was awesome. I particularly liked that I could run the display to the main TV via hdmi as a backup and to show routes.
I also liked that I could have a backup pi for $60. Handy, given i blew 2 up (once by reverse polarity, once when setting up a connection to ais).
It worked as well as Raymarine and Furano units Ive used previously, and has much more customisation availiable.

Charts are availiable, and are pretty good. Adding recent waypoints for tricky areas is always worthwhile.

We also had paper charts, plus navionics on a cheap tablet. Didnt need them, but my 10 yo boy did enjoy plotting our position on the paper chart from a handheld GPS.

Current draw from the pi is insignificant as well with the screen turned off.

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Old 16-10-2017, 14:58   #8
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Re: Best Navigational Software To Be Installed During A Refit?

Dave, for GPS, we presently are using our AIS, with an internal wifi link to the computers, which display the C-Maps charts, which are a little long in the tooth, but mostly, the geography hasn't changed. Paper charts backup and for planning. Much easier to see in the larger format, less computer assisted groundings.

There are a lot of options, as you noted. For spare GPS, we still have our Northstar, and a hockey puck style one we can attach to the computers. Then, of course, if you're desperate, there is one in the camera, and one in a night vision scope....and I guess the phone, when you're in phone range.
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Old 16-10-2017, 18:51   #9
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Re: Best Navigational Software To Be Installed During A Refit?

So if I understand correctly, the Vesper AIS communicates with your computer by wifi rather than a usb connection in order to relay your position so that it can be plotted on C-map.
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Old 16-10-2017, 19:03   #10
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Re: Best Navigational Software To Be Installed During A Refit?

I'm just finishing a similar refit. Current setup uses B&G Zeus 3 plotter with C-Map charts and a laptop with Coastal Explorer for backup and planning.

I've used Rose Point Coastal Explorer for years and find it satisfactory. Expedition is overkill for what you're looking for, but has a great reputation. Much as I'm an advocate of open source software, I've tried OpenCPN and find the chart handling completely unacceptable. It has many interesting features, but until the quilting, chart loading, and presentation improve, I'll stick with CE.

Cheers,
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Old 16-10-2017, 20:44   #11
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Re: Best Navigational Software To Be Installed During A Refit?

In addition to all of the above, you'll want to consider if you want to integrate; radar, ais, depth, boat performance, & wind instruments in with all of this stuff. Even to include the boat's ideal polars, based on; wind, wave, & current/tidal conditions, along with the polars that your instruments are or can create in real time.

For some sailors, especially those new to the game, & or non-racers, this kind of stuff helps them to grasp why a certain tack or track is favored, as well as what would need to change for it to become the non-favored one.

It's also helpful to be able to pull up radar & charts both each by themselves, as well as both together, in order to get a better mental image of what's where, at night, or in conditions of limited visibility. Both at sea, & at anchor. The latter in case you have to make a hurried escape off of a lee shore, or to guide another cruiser into the anchorage via your nav gear & VHF comm's.

Not to mention that using longer range radar in conjunction with various weather programs, feeds, & tools, really helps people to "see" & understand weather. Along with boosting their ability to learn to predict it, especially on the "small" scale. Meaning within the range of your radar or a bit more. And to learn how to use these tools in order to make the boat perform better, make better speed towards your destination or waypoint. Along with choosing which tack & track to take in order to make the boat's ride smoother.


EDIT: Dockhead seems to usually have a well integrated, pretty up to date system onboard his boat, so you might ask him to weigh in on this.
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Old 16-10-2017, 21:13   #12
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Re: Best Navigational Software To Be Installed During A Refit?

Radar with a chart overlay would be extremely valuable. I have been at anchor at night in less than optimal conditions, and when a storm came up, I have had to use radar to get back to a safe position. Sometimes I have made an overlay on my radar screen so that I can get back to where I know it is safe if I drag anchor at night and need to put the anchor down again.

One night in the upper reaches of Prony Bay in New Caledonia we had a sudden tropical disturbance with about nine inches of rain and tons of wind, and I dragged anchor very badly during the storm. I would have been in real trouble if I had not had radar with an primitive overlay on my radar screen. It would have been much better if I had a chart plotter and radar combined overlay.
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Old 16-10-2017, 22:37   #13
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Re: Best Navigational Software To Be Installed During A Refit?

Quote:
Originally Posted by maxingout View Post
So if I understand correctly, the Vesper AIS communicates with your computer by wifi rather than a usb connection in order to relay your position so that it can be plotted on C-map.
Yes. Whichever laptop is being used for navigation is then unable to connect to the internet [where that is available]. One selects either the Vesper wifi or the Server's wifi.

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Old 17-10-2017, 00:00   #14
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Re: Best Navigational Software To Be Installed During A Refit?

It's kinda' obvious, & perhaps has already been mentioned, but it's very, very useful to also be able to overlay the weather info which you download from the internet onto your system, & integrate it with both long distance, & pilotage navigation. Including currents in real time, ditto sea surface temp's for tracking things like the Gulf Stream, etc. Since using the weather to your best advantage is huge, as is avoiding the worst of the bad via good routing. You might see if you can connect with some racers in your area, & have a look at their setups, as well as talking tech with them. Since this stuff plays such an enormous role in doing well racing, both inshore & offshore.
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Old 17-10-2017, 02:43   #15
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Re: Best Navigational Software To Be Installed During A Refit?

Quote:
Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED View Post
It's kinda' obvious, & perhaps has already been mentioned, but it's very, very useful to also be able to overlay the weather info which you download from the internet onto your system,
Opencpn covers that extremely well, if you can get hold of the data. Satellite over synoptic over gribs if you want to check each against the other.



But since we're talking bluewater here the download bit is a bit less likely.
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