Helia 44: Nav Screen Size at Helm Station

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

I guess it is what you get used to but i think the reason IMO regulates Minimum size for a certified display is to provide better discrimination of adjacent radar targets.
I am also not a fan of chart overlays but I do like the biggest radar display I can fit.

Indeed, but radar is not generally operated by the helmsman on a ship. If you're at the helm you're not going to be doing radar plots, nor are you going to be doing any serious chart work. The helm station is for pilotage and keeping your eye on traffic or watching for obstacles -- a large display is not needed for this in my opinion.

It's the nav table where you're going to be doing IMO-style work. Here I have an 8" radar display and wish I had a bigger one, and a 22" 4k monitor displaying OpenCPN with official "for navigation" raster charts -- for passage planning and real chart work, and for AIS.

The 8" radar display is marginal but adequate for me because I don't do much serious radar plotting. Serious radar plotting is not even possible on my boat, because my Navico 4G radar doesn't have enough bearing discrimination for it. This radar is supremely good for watchkeeping, however, with superlative target discrimination and noise suppression, so guard zones work extremely well. Large display not needed for this. Detection of targets not transmitting AIS is a critical function, but really accurate plotting, for which you might want a very large display, is not really necessary, because the kinds of targets you pick up this way don't require really complex collision avoidance -- all ships broadcast AIS.

I use the radar for backstop double-checking of charts for pilotage, but again, really accurate plotting is not required.

These are the realities I think of pleasure boat radar operation.

I would like to have a large open array HALO radar, which would change all of this, but I don't.

[Seabeau]

Given the topic, what solutions have you gentlemen/ladies come up with to eliminate/reduce glare on your information screens? Sun shades, screen films?

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Indeed, but radar is not generally operated by the helmsman on a ship. If you're at the helm you're not going to be doing radar plots, nor are you going to be doing any serious chart work. The helm station is for pilotage and keeping your eye on traffic or watching for obstacles -- a large display is not needed for this in my opinion.
.

Normally the ship or yacht is on autopilot and the watch keeper operates the radar.

Here in SE Asia, many many many small boats with no AIS, so watching them on the radar create a small opening for you to pass is helpful....especially at night.

The bigger the screen the easier it is to see their actions.

I also parallel index when coasting and my Radar EBL is automatically offset to the approaching Land point at the desired safe distance.
it is my basic comfort level that all crew know how to do this so I can immediately assess my wriggle room if called up in a close quarter situation.

At night, always 2 on watch....a lookout and the watch keeper

[Goldenbvi]

Heliades, we recently chartered a yacht through dream yacht charters. A 44 FP Helia by the same name as your id, owners layout. Beautiful catamaran. We sailed from Grenada to the Grenadines and back. Can you let me know if this is your yacht?

[crdaem]

Originally Posted by PapaLulu

We have 12" at both helm and Nav station. Definitely like the 12" at the helm. Could probably tolerate the smaller size at the nav station and provide more room for other instruments there.

Papalulu, Are your Chartplotters Garmin or Raymarine? I was told by the dealer that the Garmin 12" would not fit at the helm station. Garmin is Fractionally bigger by about 3/4 inch in the width

[PapaLulu]

Garmin. I'm away from the boat until June 9 but I believe we have the Garmin GPSMAP 7412 (12") at the helm and the 7410 (10") at the nav station. I'll confirm via a PM once I get back.

[Cotemar]

Originally Posted by crdaem

Papalulu, Are your Chartplotters Garmin or Raymarine? I was told by the dealer that the Garmin 12" would not fit at the helm station. Garmin is Fractionally bigger by about 3/4 inch in the width

On a Helia 44 you can use a Garmin 12" at the Helm. Normally A 10" inch Garmin would be at the Nav Station.

[ed91e]

Originally Posted by PapaLulu

Garmin. I'm away from the boat until June 9 but I believe we have the Garmin GPSMAP 7412 (12") at the helm and the 7410 (10") at the nav station. I'll confirm via a PM once I get back.

On the navigation topic. I just came back from a week on a Helia. I love everything on that boat, apart from the seating arrangement of the nav station.
Any comments from the owners with long term use experience.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by ed91e

On the navigation topic. I just came back from a week on a Helia. I love everything on that boat, apart from the seating arrangement of the nav station.>>>>.

What didn't you like?

[ed91e]

Sitting at the end of the sofa is not comfortable. I felt I rather went to the helm for rout planning even at anchor.

If the sofa was shortened a bit, there could be room for a fwd looking nav station with a real chair. But I understand that the looks of it would be less roomy.

[akopac]

Raspberry pi, openplotter, VNC, iPad Air 2 at helm, bed, head. Whatever