I feel like somewhat of an expert in this matter, because I have just about every possible solution installed on my boat.
The ToughBook was preferred when no other options were available and is not really used now. The main issue is the bulk and the need to keep it supplied with
power if used out in the
cockpit for any length of time. It's weight makes it a liability for flying around the boat and doing damage in a rough sea. I'vealready posted about the time I drowned mine because it got sat on the floor to prevent this.
The NUC is my favourite. It runs
OpenCPN with official
charts. There are many NUC variants from Atom based processors through to the I7. My preference is the I3 with 8Gb RAM, although the I5 is just as suitable. I tried an Atom based unit at first, but it was just totally underwhelming and offered little benefit over a Pi.
I use the NUC for most things (including writing this post!). It is an excellent allrounder and the quality if the unit, just like a toughbook, means that a second hand unit makes perfect sense for use on a boat and this representrs a significant saving over new. Do not be fooled by other "NUC" variants. They tend to either be cheaply made, or designed for
desktop use. The I3 NUC is perfect for general computing, navigation and running typical business
software. Another benefit is that the I3, although supplied with a 19VDC input brick runs as happy as Larry off the raw 12VDC supply from the
batteries. The 19VDC Atom based units won't even do this - they complain of low voltage and refuse to boot.
Disadvantage is the permanent mounting. I obviously can't use it in the
cockpit, but I do have paid for
current hydrographic charts installed so I use it for
route planning using
OpenCPN. An advantage is I can't use it in the cockpit, and it sits in a reasonably well protected area.
The Raspberry Pi is very impressive. I initially had the 3B+ unit deployed using OpenPlotter 1.nn in a headless mode and was a little underwhelmed with it's performance when using it for OpenCPN via a VPN connection. As an
NMEA server it was brilliant and I initially also had a dAISy hat installed for
AIS reception. After I got an AIS transponder, I decided to replace the 3B+ with the older 3B unit and installed OpenPlotter 2 on it. This was a bit of a revelation as surprisingly it is now more than fast enough to comfortably run OpenCPN on it via VPN and the change from Kplex to SignalK for serving
NMEA data made setup just so much smoother and easier than on the earlier version of OpenPlotter.
The Raspberry Pi invaluable as an NMEA server and it's
low power means that it basically switches on with the sailing
instruments and stays on. I also use it as a file server and store charts, routes and even the odd
movie for streaming on it. I would never be without it and the low
price and small size means there's no excuse for not carrying a spare. I'd also have no issues whatsoever using it for a primary
chartplotter, even though for me it is on about the third tier of backup level for this function.
Tablets. I have a bunch of old tablets.
Anchor alarm software works better on older versions of Android due to
power saving changes made with later versions, so one table is used as an
anchor alarm. All tablets are loaded with
Open CPN and get their NMEA data from the rPi. If I didn't have a dedicated
chartplotter at the
helm, my cockpit system would a
helm mounted tablet. The issues with capacitive touch screens and waterproofing in general aside, this would be my preferred solution for getting information in the cockpit. In fact I have a NOS Samsung Galaxy Active
phone that solves a lot of the issues with the outdoor
environment in the cockpit.
Tablets are
cheap and handy all rounders. The advantage of using tablets in an integrated system is that I can use them anywhere and exchange OpenCPN
route information with other OpenCPN devices on board (using the rPi's file server functionality). The disadvantage is the aforementioned enviromental exposure considerations and the fact that it is very easy to loose a tablet over the side or have it otherwise damaged in rough conditions.
MFD. I have an older model
B&G Zeus at the helm. Not much to say about this except that it has a tremendous advantage in that it is rugged, designed for the
environment and has dedicated MFD functionality. The biggest disadvantage is that it doesn't interchange route information with OpenCPN. This means that I have to program routes twice; Once in OpenCPN and again at the MFD (usually while sitting at the helm, even though I can remotely access the MFD). In normal use, I find I'll use the MFD primarily for
autopilot and
radar control and a tablet for monitoring the route. If the MFD were to die, I'm not sure I'd actually replace it.
Lastly, my big expensive laptop stays firmly in it's padded bag unless I need it's grunt for my work or to edit some videos. The darn thing is too fragile and too expensive to risk getting wrecked!
Anyway here's some pictures of the Toughbook, NUC and rPi in thee usual locations aboard. The other picture is a tip on getting a 50" or bigger
screen onto a small boat!