About a year ago a friend showed me some
iphone apps that were so convenient that it got me thinking about what I should get for my next
cell phone. I ended up getting a Casio Commando android
phone that is shock resistant and waterproof. I downloaded apps for tide information,
charts,
weather, etc. It is very convenient on a lanyard around my neck. As for my more permanent charting, I have several laptops, some older, and I've done a lot of
research with them. I am retired and as an
engineer have no problem with techno stuff. You have Windows and Linus operating systems and lots of
software available to either platform. You have Panasonic toughbooks that are very durable. Other prefered machines are the netbooks which are very
cheap and multiple spares are affordable. I currently am using an IBM/Lenovo touchpad in the chartroom with its 1900 pixel
screen and am very happy with its performance. Any
laptop will have difficulties with the display in daylight conditions, which I found out in my pilothouse. I've got a police cruiser display enroute from Ebay which should fix that problem. My IBM
laptop cost about 200 dollars from Ebay with dual
core processor, etc.
GPS antennas with USB are availble for about 25 to 35 dollars. It seems a lot of
cheap electronics come from
Hong Kong and you have to wait for
delivery, but they usually
work OK. I would prefer to have a paper chart so I bought a printer that could print 11X17, large enough for some
ports or approaches. I can print these out before heading out, and I am covered, even with a
lightning strike. The printer is a Brother tabloid printer, business, no network capability, and cost about 130 dollars. The inkjet cartridges are large and business sized. It's good to have a hand held
gps with some chart capability. The way to use
navigation devices is to gather the information and plan your course and all the "what if"s and print out paper
charts, make light lists,
weather maps, and then go sailing. Use your hard copy information and use the electronic stuff when it works. Don't exceed your range of knowledge. Learn how to use a
sextant for noonsights.
There are also applications for weather fax which I have tested with a cheap
SSB receiver, also from
Hong Kong. You can get time information from the
SSB if you need it for
celestial navigation. You have to think "What If", what if a
lightning hit blows away all this electronic
gear? I was at the
dock the other day and a
boat was towed in, nothing worked except the
bilge pumps. The
engine control
software was gone along with everything else. There was no
wind. The
skipper was bringing it in to be hauled out and gutting the
boat to replace all the electrics and
electronics. I read a blog entry by Van de Veld about getting a lightning strike on the way out of
Hawaii and limping back with no
instruments. In the old days, not that long ago, a reliable clock and a
sextant and some nav tables would allow a
skipper to find out where he was and if he had a paper chart of his
destination, he could continue a voyage and complete it. Nowadays it seems that anybody can turn on a GPS and have a position and put it on a chart. You have to think "what if" though and have a non-electronic way to navigate if you get hit with the "what if" lightning strike. Also, for some of us, a boat is an ultimate way of escape if all Hell breaks loose. Nuclear war, angry riots, but oh, they couldn't happen here. But "what if" they did? A Nuclear blast would produce an EMF pulse that would kill most electronics. There you go, your ultimate get away vehicle is now stuck with no
navigation. Get some paper charts and nav tables, get a sextant and a reliable mechanical clock (check the prices on these) and you'll have the ultimate ground zero backup.
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