Do I need a chart plotter considering the down loadable soft ware?

[jonbuilder]

I am taking delivery of a 1997 Block Island 40 in Rock Hall MD. May 2. The navigation equipment is old generation Radar at Nav station some kind of old MFD at nav station, non-working GPS, Older but functional wind speed and depth instruments. I plan to sail the Chesapeake Bay and cruse up to Nantucket. I have never sailed on the east coast. My last sail was to South America from San Francisco and back. I had a sextant and radar.
I am considering if I should install a chart plotter at the helm with new generation radar and cables that will plot on the chart platter. Or Can I get by with my windows laptop, Ipad and Iphone with all the down loadable application and software. I figure the chart plotter will have a shorter learning curb one mistake will more than pay for it.
Any advice muchly appreciated.

[Shrew]

How well do you navigate with compass and chart?

We get fog in New England.

[cwoflyboy]

I would really hate to not have a chart plotter. While I am very comfortable navigating, not having to deal with a chart while at the helm, especially when windy or raining or dark reduces my stress/frustration and I think makes me a safer skipper.
Good luck and take care.

[denverd0n]

Take your iPad outside on a nice sunny day. Stand out in the sunlight, not in the shade. Can you read it easily enough to tell at a glance where you are, when you are busy paying attention to sailing the boat? My guess is, probably not. I have yet to find any standard phone or tablet (that is, not an expensive, mil-spec type of device) that would pass this test.

Now, you may think, because you have a bimini, that you should stand in the shade to perform this test. Well, okay. If you promise that you will NEVER do anything, or go anywhere, without your bimini, and that you will ALWAYS stop and anchor as soon as the sun is low enough in the sky that it is coming in under your bimini, then I guess that's okay. Otherwise...

Short answer for me is that if I need electronic navigation devices, then I need ones that are made for the marine environment, and work well in sunlight. A phone or tablet is a great backup device. I believe (this is for me, not telling anyone else what they should believe) that they are not suitable for a primary device. Whether your "primary device" is a marine chartplotter, or charts and a compass, is a whole different discussion.

[MV Wanderlust]

We were faced with the same dilemma when we bought our boat last year, old and non-functioning electronics. Our radar didn't work at all. we literally sailed off the edge of the charts loaded in our chart plotter on the way home and the manufacturer said it was too old to be updated. We navigated home using an iPad that had Navionics loaded on it. (Garmin BlueChart also makes a good product)

After a lot of research, we decided we are happy with the integrated navigation options available from Navionics on our existing iPad. So, we bought a second (used) iPad for $125, two mounts for about $100, and a Furuno First Watch radar dome. The Furuno First Watch is widely available for just under $1000 and sets up it's own wifi network for the second iPad to be a dedicated radar unit. We installed the mounts on top of the dash and have been quite pleased with the results. They have several advantages, including being moveable, if needed.

The software on the iPads do draw some power so we hooked up a dual USB outlet on the dash to keep them charged.

There are plenty of people that will say tablets should not be relied upon for primary instrumentation. That belief seems to be falling away, however. Not too long ago, I saw a story about a guy who crossed the Pacific ocean in a sailboat and his only navigation device was an iPad. If you decide to go that route, you will need an iPad that has the cellular circuitry, not just the wifi-only model. You don't have to have the cellular part turned on but it is needed for the GPS functionality for the chart plotting.

Some purists will probably flame me for this opinion so feel free to let it fly. Otherwise, let me know if you have any questions.


Edit: Our bridge is under a hardtop so we don't really have issues about sunlight on the screens except at extreme angles.

[Skimmerscott]

Originally Posted by JohnEasley

We were faced with the same dilemma when we bought our boat last year, old and non-functioning electronics. Our radar didn't work at all. we literally sailed off the edge of the charts loaded in our chart plotter on the way home and the manufacturer said it was too old to be updated. We navigated home using an iPad that had Navionics loaded on it. (Garmin BlueChart also makes a good product)

After a lot of research, we decided we are happy with the integrated navigation options available from Navionics on our existing iPad. So, we bought a second (used) iPad for $125, two mounts for about $100, and a Furuno First Watch radar dome. The Furuno First Watch is widely available for just under $1000 and sets up it's own wifi network for the second iPad to be a dedicated radar unit. We installed the mounts on top of the dash and have been quite pleased with the results. They have several advantages, including being moveable, if needed.

The software on the iPads do draw some power so we hooked up a dual USB outlet on the dash to keep them charged.

There are plenty of people that will say tablets should not be relied upon for primary instrumentation. That belief seems to be falling away, however. Not too long ago, I saw a story about a guy who crossed the Pacific ocean in a sailboat and his only navigation device was an iPad. If you decide to go that route, you will need an iPad that has the cellular circuitry, not just the wifi-only model. You don't have to have the cellular part turned on but it is needed for the GPS functionality for the chart plotting.

Some purists will probably flame me for this opinion so feel free to let it fly. [emoji3] Otherwise, let me know if you have any questions.


Edit: Our bridge is under a hardtop so we don't really have issues about sunlight on the screens except at extreme angles.

What type of IPad did you get air2 built in gps, and memory and what are you using for data plan? Where do I get a used one for $125??

[MV Wanderlust]

Originally Posted by Skimmerscott

What type of IPad did you get air2 built in gps, and memory and what are you using for data plan? Where do I get a used one for $125??

Found it on eBay. There were plenty of them factory refurbished and this one was one of several that came with a 90 day warranty (I think it was 90 days). We bought an iPad2. As long as you get the cellular and WiFi model, the GPS chip is built in. You don't have to activate the cellular part so no data plan is needed. When in port, use the wifi side to download the software and the block of maps for the area you will be traveling. When you're underway, the GPS will still work accurately and you're good to go.

If we were doing it over again, we would have bought two 12.3" iPad Pros. The larger screen real estate would be easier on our eyes and the newer systems architecture would be faster processing.

One tip: Always reboot the iPad as part of your boat start up sequence. This provides the smoothest, most accurate tracking and response times.

[Skimmerscott]

Thanks for the info!! Wanted to buy a cheaper one to play with before we start really cruising full time. Larger screen would be nice, but $900 for the Pro, I just can't do it yet. Good to know in the data plan too!

[barnakiel]

Who needs a chartplotter offshore. I think where they truly shine is where you are passing / crossing numerous shallows, reefs, rocks and marks. It is way easier to sail in 'navigationaly thick' areas with a chartplotter than by looking up and marking a paper map. Especially in dense rain.

b.

[OS2Dude]

We have a MFD (B&G) at our helm with two dedicated displays for wind and depth. These are made to be in the elements, the software is dedicated to doing it's job and the data from additional sensors are easily displayed on them. If you prefer a paper chart and sextant, then an iPad in the cabin may be fine. I would not want to depend an an iPad or cell phone app a the primary means to get me home, particularly in bad/wet/windy conditions.

[wingless]

As would be expected, the latest electronics do really well and overshadow the older electronics.

The navigation, radar, plotting, wind, depth and autopilot are all very useful.

My experience is leaving the basic control to the electronics frees concentration time for better safety, better navigation and better results.

[DrivinSteve]

Originally Posted by cwoflyboy

I would really hate to not have a chart plotter. While I am very comfortable navigating, not having to deal with a chart while at the helm, especially when windy or raining or dark reduces my stress/frustration and I think makes me a safer skipper.
Good luck and take care.

IMO: Ipad/phone approach does not work well in the dark,rain,sliding around in a good chop, touch screen with gloves, etc.
Consider also that they are not designed to hold up in the harsh conditions that are always present.
I would recommend spending treasure on a real chartplotter at the helm that has hard buttons to control, at least, basic functions (zoom, pan, NAVAID ID).
Keep the Iphone in a ziplock bag, padded in the oven.

[anacapaisland42]

AND depth sounder.....we've sailed thousands of miles with those three.
Bill

Originally Posted by Shrew

How well do you navigate with compass and chart?

We get fog in New England.

[wrwakefield]

Jon,

We love our iPads, and still use them as standalone navigation instruments and mirrors/controllers of our MFD [we have B&G Zeus2] - which we have found is also necessary.

One issue not always mentioned- and we experience even in Alaska- is the iPads can overheat. When they do, they hibernate until they cool off with a little message on screen letting you know they have a fever...

Here are some posts on our blog detailing our experiences and decisions, and linking to other forum discussions in case you are interested...

Best wishes deciding what is best for your needs.

Cheers! Bill

[Dave22q]

An economic way to go is a cheap laptop (and maybe a spare) for a few hundred, a $20 GPS dongle and free software (CPN or Seaclear) plus free NOAA charts. If you have a 12v socket in the cockpit you can get a 12v battery for under $50. Big, easy to read but vulnerable to heavy rain unless you make some kind of enclosure. After all you only need your plotter when close in shore.