Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 13-04-2008, 15:55   #1
Registered User
 
cat man do's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Brisbane Australia [until the boats launched]
Boat: 50ft powercat, light,long and low powered
Posts: 4,409
Images: 36
Google Earth as an aid to navigation

Has anyone used Google earth as an aid to navigation, mainly for pre plotting an entrance into an area?

I found the new version shows more detail (or maybe it's my new 22'" monitor) and the measuring device is handy for seeing how far away things are and how wide entrances are.

But are the measurements and lat/long accurate enough to input to a GPS?

or are they only good enough to get within visual of the destination.

As an example, pics of a lagoon I was looking at.

Cold beer, cool water and crayfish, gotta be some around there

Dave
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	Entrance.jpg
Views:	552
Size:	91.3 KB
ID:	3279   Click image for larger version

Name:	Entrance 1.JPG
Views:	376
Size:	94.8 KB
ID:	3280  

Click image for larger version

Name:	OOH Baby.JPG
Views:	337
Size:	82.6 KB
ID:	3281  
__________________
"Money can't buy you happiness but it can buy you a yacht large enough to pull up right alongside it"...............David Lee Roth
Long Distance Motorboat Cruising – It Is Possible on a Small Budget
cat man do is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-04-2008, 16:20   #2
CF Adviser
Moderator Emeritus
 
Hud3's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Virginia
Boat: Island Packet 380, now sold
Posts: 8,942
Images: 54
Cat,

You draw less than most, but I would be reluctant to go in without scouting. Google Earth can give you an idea of where you might like to go, but I would take the precaution of anchoring and scouting in my dinghy with a hand-held depth sounder (available for about $100 US)
__________________
Hud
Hud3 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-04-2008, 16:29   #3
Registered User

Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Oz
Boat: Jarcat 5, 5m, Mandy
Posts: 419
You could check the lat and long with your gps when you pinpoint your cray. I imagine that if the water is clear enough for google earth, it is clear enough for you to see, visually (Nice bit of redundancy) whether you have enough water. Robert
Robertcateran is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-04-2008, 16:32   #4
Registered User
 
cat man do's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Brisbane Australia [until the boats launched]
Boat: 50ft powercat, light,long and low powered
Posts: 4,409
Images: 36
Naturally so, I never go into strange places without a scout in the dinghy first.

Because of my shallow draft I always found the "Magic Stick" (boathook worked well enough, buy I would look at one of those handhelds if they are only $100 as well.

Handy for scouting out murky anchorages, I know, I have parked in ones with 30 ft tides and have seen very thin water the next morning where the chart said there was depth.

Dave
__________________
"Money can't buy you happiness but it can buy you a yacht large enough to pull up right alongside it"...............David Lee Roth
Long Distance Motorboat Cruising – It Is Possible on a Small Budget
cat man do is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-04-2008, 18:15   #5
Registered User

Join Date: May 2007
Location: New Zealand
Boat: Trismus 37
Posts: 763
I have used it to enter the Kaipara harbour as a visual aid, (depends as to how up to date the shots are) I printed copies for use on board. It showed the extent of the major sandbanks etc. Also used it where the chart survey stopped, the photo showing where I wanted to go was at low tide so I could see all the channels etc, it certainly worked for me. I think the lat and longitudes are correct as you can enter them to find a known shoal or reef, and there it is.
Steve Pope is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-04-2008, 18:27   #6
Moderator Emeritus
 
Pblais's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Hayes, VA
Boat: Gozzard 36
Posts: 8,700
Images: 15
Send a message via Skype™ to Pblais
Quote:
Has anyone used Google earth as an aid to navigation, mainly for pre plotting an entrance into an area?
I can now have dual display with ENC charts and Google earth. The accuracy of the photos is not as good as charts. I wouldn't thread the needle with it and trust it. Photos have to be ratioed and rectified to be close to accurate and these are pretty high altitude stuff. It all is usefully to be sure but don't try a detailed approach with one when local knowledge is needed beyond what the charts say.
__________________
Paul Blais
s/v Bright Eyes Gozzard 36
37 15.7 N 76 28.9 W
Pblais is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-04-2008, 19:12   #7
cruiser

Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: No longer post here
Boat: Catalac Catamaran
Posts: 2,462
This is a NOAA offering. New and pretty slick. The high altitute view is google earth. As you get closer it automatically switches view to nautical charts.

Here's the link

NOAA

Not a bad tool for route planning.
Tropic Cat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-04-2008, 20:22   #8
Registered User
 
cat man do's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Brisbane Australia [until the boats launched]
Boat: 50ft powercat, light,long and low powered
Posts: 4,409
Images: 36
Very cool site Rick, now for the rest of the world

Dave
__________________
"Money can't buy you happiness but it can buy you a yacht large enough to pull up right alongside it"...............David Lee Roth
Long Distance Motorboat Cruising – It Is Possible on a Small Budget
cat man do is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14-04-2008, 00:39   #9
Registered User

Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Eastern Seaboard
Boat: Searunner 34 and Searunner Constant Camber 44
Posts: 949
Quote:
Originally Posted by cat man do View Post
Has anyone used Google earth as an aid to navigation, mainly for pre plotting an entrance into an area?
I think they are good additions but the sat photos are more frequently updated for high density areas (like coastal towns) than for low (like idyllic anchorages). So for terrain association it makes nice but somewhat extraneous addition.

The future value, in my opinion, is what you can (or can’t) do once you reach shore. It would be great to know as I approach an island that the only place to get internet is the post office, that I have to use their computer, and that it is closed except for days they get mail in. Or the chandlery shop is out of 5/8 line but has 200’ of chain.

__________________
Regards,

Maren

The sea is always beautiful, sometimes mysterious and, on occasions, frighteningly powerful.
Maren is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-05-2008, 17:48   #10
Registered User

Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: NY
Boat: Panda/Baba 40
Posts: 868
Quote:
Originally Posted by cat man do View Post
Has anyone used Google earth as an aid to navigation, mainly for pre plotting an entrance into an area?
Absolutely! Google earth is the only 'navigation' program I dare install on my work computer.
anotherT34C is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
google earth, navigation

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Google Earth Presentation of BlueJacket's Sailing Routes geoffschultz Other 1 25-03-2009 14:47
Google Earth is very interesting. Inthewind Flotsam & Sailing Miscellany 1 20-04-2007 07:27
Google Earth a Great Sailing Tool Frank4 General Sailing Forum 24 27-12-2006 10:30
Google Earth Video of Cruise Sunspot Baby Flotsam & Sailing Miscellany 4 19-09-2006 04:02
Track the Volvo Ocean Race in Google Earth Frank4 General Sailing Forum 12 15-01-2006 22:23

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 00:08.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.