Confused. Should I buy a Raymarine E7 chart plotter? or just stick with a IPAD??

[TeddyDiver]

If I have a chart and can plot a course on it then it's chartplotting me thinks.. No need to have a chart (or a plotter) in the weather either. Sailors did well with paperchartplotters for centruries

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by hoppy

Lets see a photo of it on a bright sunny day in the direct sunlight or even worse when there is light cloud cover so there is no direction you can shade it.

My first summer was using an iPad and it was rubbish to see.

Better to have a MFD designed for sailing conditions in an open cockpit.

We use ours under a bimini without any issues. Most people seem to have a bimini or sprayhood these days. I can honestly say, we spend alomost no time steering from behind a helm, instead on aito pilot from under the comfort of shade.

We've never met anyone over the past four years who has a habit of steering the boat from a helm position, and out in the bright sunlight that might interfere with viewing an ipad.

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

We use ours under a bimini without any issues. Most people seem to have a bimini or sprayhood these days. I can honestly say, we spend alomost no time steering from behind a helm, instead on aito pilot from under the comfort of shade.

We've never met anyone over the past four years who has a habit of steering the boat from a helm position, and out in the bright sunlight that might interfere with viewing an ipad.

Between Islands I'm always in front of the helms, but then I don't need to look at the MFD much or at all. Entering an unfamiliar harbour or bay, then I'm behind the helm and don't want to be struggling to see the screen. Trying to shade the iPad screen, unlocking and getting the nav app back or tapping the screen to get it back to full brightness are things I had encountered in the past which added stress to soloing that I am happy to do without....

iPad in the cockpit as primary nav device

[ramblinrod]

Finally, some good sense.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by hoppy

Between Islands I'm always in front of the helms, but then I don't need to look at the MFD much or at all. Entering an unfamiliar harbour or bay, then I'm behind the helm and don't want to be struggling to see the screen. Trying to shade the iPad screen, unlocking and getting the nav app back or tapping the screen to get it back to full brightness are things I had encountered in the past which added stress to soloing that I am happy to do without....

iPad in the cockpit as primary nav device

they are the problems I have with my iPad too. I have a new Raymarine 9 now. I so far like it. The only bit I don't like is that it doesn't have that little line coming out from the boat indicating my direction. I liked that about some of the others. Like a Garmin has.

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

they are the problems I have with my iPad too. I have a new Raymarine 9 now. I so far like it. The only bit I don't like is that it doesn't have that little line coming out from the boat indicating my direction. I liked that about some of the others. Like a Garmin has.

You just need to turn them one, it's under vectors. (chapter 14.17 Vectors in the LH17 manual)

I display on my e7 the COG, Heading, tide, wind direction and sometimes the laylines

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by hoppy

You just need to turn them one, it's under vectors. (chapter 14.17 Vectors in the LH17 manual)

I display on my e7 the COG, Heading, tide, wind direction and sometimes the laylines

"Heading" vector. found it in the manual. brilliant. I had not previously noticed this. But that's exactly what I wanted. Cheers.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by ramblinrod

Finally, some good sense.

Go ahead, live in the past. I prefer the future, which is mobile devices. Traditional chartplotters will go the way of the buggy whip within 2-3 years.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Go ahead, live in the past. I prefer the future, which is mobile devices. Traditional chartplotters will go the way of the buggy whip within 2-3 years.

Ok to remind you of this claim in 2 to 3 years?

[rourkeh]

An ipad is not a marine navigation device it is a computing toy.
If this is what you are using to navigate and operate the critical navigation systems aboard your boat, good luck. There is a reason they make "marine" navigation equipment. If is a financial problem stopping you from having real equipment I can understand, but don't venture too far from the dock because when that crap stops working you may lose your boat.

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Go ahead, live in the past. I prefer the future, which is mobile devices. Traditional chartplotters will go the way of the buggy whip within 2-3 years.

LOL

Tablets in their current form will only be a secondary device or a budget option who already has a tablet but not a MFD.

For the "traditional" MFD to be "replaced", it will take a tablet that is designed specifically for the job, i.e. a non-reflective screen than is viewable from a wide range of angles when wearing polarised glasses, rated for water resistance and shock. It will never be an IOS device because Apple will never make it, so it will be Android either made by RM/Garmin/Simrad or a new company.

BTW where is your radar displayed?

Mine is on my MFD and overlayed on the chart and AIS when desired?

[Kenomac]

You guys can stand out in the sun all day long navigating from behind the helm, just make sure you wear sunscreen. We use an autopilot and ipad under the cool shade, just as we've been doing successfully for over six years. We rarely use the wheel helm.

The radar is stand alone Furuno. I wrote obsolete in 2-3 years, judging by the lonely chartplotter salesmen at the boat shows, it'll probably be sooner.

[goat]

Originally Posted by rourkeh

A'chart plotter' is not a marine navigation device it is a computing toy.
If this is what you are using to navigate and operate the critical navigation systems aboard your boat, good luck. There is a reason they make "marine" navigation 'charts'. If is a financial problem stopping you from having real equipment I can understand, but don't venture too far from the dock because when that crap stops working you may lose your boat.

Fixed it for you. Times have changed, arguments haven't. What would it cost for charts for a chartplotter to circumnavigate with stops in every port? I see the future having depths marked on Google earth charts. Actual satellite photos rather than fixes by Captain Cook. Right now I've got paper charts, tablets and phones with charts, and a couple of Garmin GPS hand helds. I can't see buying a chartplotter in the near future. Maybe if they weren't gouging on the price of charts, then changing format every couple of years, I'd consider one.

goat

[Safari38LH]

If you are going to do extensive traveling to faraway places on your boat get the chartplotter. Navigation is to important not to have something dedicated to it. Daysailing not so important. We like to travel - have two chartplotters (on deck and one below at nav), two iPads, with Navionics and iNavX, two iPhones (with Navionics) and paper charts for everywhere we go.

Think worst case.


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by rourkeh

An ipad is not a marine navigation device it is a computing toy.
If this is what you are using to navigate and operate the critical navigation systems aboard your boat, good luck. There is a reason they make "marine" navigation equipment. If is a financial problem stopping you from having real equipment I can understand, but don't venture too far from the dock because when that crap stops working you may lose your boat.

Been using nothing but ipads for six years. It was the Raymarine chartplotter that crapped the bed on our Hunter and a $10,000 Furuno integrated chartplotter system that **** the bed on our Oyster.

Three ipads and an iphone still going strong without a problem.

Here's a picture of what our "marine grade" Furuno chartplotter looks like after only seven four month seasons. What total crap and a complete waste of $10,000. Never again, and fortunately, we didn't pay for it. The repeater was always mounted in a protected area under the spayhood while in use and stored indoors during the off season. As far as I'm concerned, The Furuno company should be ashamed of itself for selling such garbage. The dispay screens are also blistered... Even the indoor nav station screen which has never seen direct sun. What total crap. IMHO

What is shown in the picture is a 2002 chartplotter that wasn't even used for 8 seasons or exposed to the elements.