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F51 · 20-05-2014, 18:44

Wouldn't it be nice to combine a GPS and Sounder? Then you could go out in the dinghy and map the bottom contour to find the deepest channel across a bar. Come back to the boat and dump the data into the plotter to have a route around the obstacles/high spots. Am I crazy or what?

brantleychuck · 20-05-2014, 19:33

Not crazy, but maybe a little more than needed. I use a simple hand held depth sounder to scout about. Locate reference markers etc .

BocaIII · 25-05-2014, 04:10

Raymarine and probably others already have this feature.
Jack

marting · 25-05-2014, 04:34

Navionics Sonar Charts
SonarChartsâ„¢ | Navionics

colemj · 25-05-2014, 05:21

We have a handheld depth sounder and a DCS handheld VHF with GPS. When I want to scout a channel or reef or other, I just go out in the dinghy, find the points I want with the depthsounder, and use the DSC "Position Report" feature to send waypoints back to the ship's chartplotter. When I return to the ship, the chartplotter has the path of waypoints all plotted out and ready to use.

I don't think the OP is talking about charts with depths marked on them. He is talking about those areas that either change in time frequently, or are remote/small enough to not have been surveyed for general navigation use. I also do not know of a Raymarine or other device that does what the OP is asking about.

Mark

Cavalier · 25-05-2014, 05:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by colemj

also do not know of a Raymarine or other device that does what the OP is asking about.
Mark

Comes up as part of the community layer on Navionics

http://www.navionics.com/en/webapp

..zoom right in and click the community soundings button. It shows higher resolution depth soundings and contours which are the computed average taken from people's depth sounders and chartplotters as they've passed over the area. When they connect their CF card for updates, then depth history with positions is uploaded back to Navionics server and interpolated.

colemj · 25-05-2014, 07:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cavalier

Comes up as part of the community layer on Navionics

WebApp | Navionics

..zoom right in and click the community soundings button. It shows higher resolution depth soundings and contours which are the computed average taken from people's depth sounders and chartplotters as they've passed over the area. When they connect their CF card for updates, then depth history with positions is uploaded back to Navionics server and interpolated.

Ah yes, but that would require an entire chartplotter setup in the dinghy! Not to mention needing to wait for a long time after taking readings to be able to use them. I understood the OP as wanting something small and portable and immediate.

Mark

Cavalier · 25-05-2014, 07:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by colemj

Ah yes, but that would require an entire chartplotter setup in the dinghy! Not to mention needing to wait for a long time after taking readings to be able to use them. I understood the OP as wanting something small and portable and immediate.

Mark

OP wants the moon on a stick!

Hydra · 25-05-2014, 08:16

In many areas, when you want to use a sounding some time after taking it, you have to correct it for swell and tide.

Correcting for swell just means sounding in a few throughs and on a few crests, then taking the average. But correcting for tide means you have a good knowledge of the tide curve in the area. And the tide often deviates from the rule of twelfths in shallow inlets (don't ask how I know).

Alain

tomfl · 25-05-2014, 08:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by F51

Wouldn't it be nice to combine a GPS and Sounder? Then you could go out in the dinghy and map the bottom contour to find the deepest channel across a bar. Come back to the boat and dump the data into the plotter to have a route around the obstacles/high spots. Am I crazy or what?

If I understand your post you might consider getting something like a kayak fish finder.

Not saying this is the best one, just one that seems to get OK reviews from the guys that fish from kayaks.

Fish Finder

Just attach it to the dinghy, and when you get back to the boat take the fish finder to the helm and use the cookie crumbs to guide your big boat.

The fish finder I linked to is fairly new but they keep bringing new ones out every couple of weeks with more features at a lower price. If you do a web search for "fish finder kayak gps review" you can find the one that best suits your needs. It will also function as a redundant GPS on your big boat.

Or not.

s/v 'Faith' · 25-05-2014, 09:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by F51

Wouldn't it be nice to combine a GPS and Sounder? Then you could go out in the dinghy and map the bottom contour to find the deepest channel across a bar. Come back to the boat and dump the data into the plotter to have a route around the obstacles/high spots. Am I crazy or what?

Not at all. If Garmin came out with such a unit, they could interface it with some kind of a crowd sourced app (like active captain) and the waters we sail would be constantly surveyed!

Imagine running the ICW with near real time data.....

tomfl · 26-05-2014, 13:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by s/v 'Faith'

Not at all. If Garmin came out with such a unit, they could interface it with some kind of a crowd sourced app (like active captain) and the waters we sail would be constantly surveyed!

Imagine running the ICW with near real time data.....

It would be nice to know real time about all the drunks in cigarette boats speeding on the ICW.