Ideas on configuration of a carry-on navigation and communication system

[pwratch]

I am interested in hearing ideas for the specification of a system such as referred to in the title. It should include whatever you think is needed to safely pilot a boat from Southern California to the U.S. East Coast (via the Canal) and, ideally, should be as mobile as practicable (sans power requirements which you can assume are sufficient to the load). I imagine that a professional delivery skipper might have a system such as this as a backup or to compensate for boats with less-than-adequate systems already on board. Anyway, a basic, safe (in terms of capabilities) and portable system that someone could carry on board, plug in, and go (after untying, of course). How would you do it?

Thanks!

[Sailmonkey]

Large handheld chartplotting gps, handheld depth souder on a string, handheld VHF. Laptop with small inverter, opencpn, usb gps.

With this you can go anywhere.

[barnakiel]

Garmin handheld+chart cartridge+Iridium?

b.

[VirtualVagabond]

I think Boatman carries his own portable system with him, but he's doing a delivery so we may not see him here for a while.

[atoll]

when doing deliveries

i allways carry the specific paper charts for the voyage,
a maggellan hand held gps,a vhf,and my iridium sat phone on ocean passages.

as back up i also have cmap on my computer,with a gps dongle,
jvcomm 32 and a small ssb/short wave for weather.

if i know the boat has no auto pilot,i have a auto helm 3000 wheel pilot that i bring as well.

other stuff i bring is a small hand bearing compass,photo copies of port plans and other relevant info.

together with wet weather gear,clothes,first aid kit and sleeping bag all fits in a 120 liter rucksack,and day pack totalling about 30 kg.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond

I think Boatman carries his own portable system with him, but he's doing a delivery so we may not see him here for a while.

Boatman was aboard Jedi last night, he's doing fine... recuperating from the Spanish liqueur "43", but okay

ciao!
Nick.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Boatman was aboard Jedi last night, he's doing fine... recuperating from the Spanish liqueur "43", but okay

ciao!
Nick.

Thanks for being such a nice guy Nick!

[downunder]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Boatman was aboard Jedi last night, he's doing fine... recuperating from the Spanish liqueur "43", but okay

ciao!
Nick.

Hope he recovers sufficiently for the dry stretch across the Pacific.

[Bash]

Whenever I spend serious time on other people's boats, I take: handheld GPS, Iridium phone, PLB, binoculars, and a handbearing compass. If the owner has a satphone, I'll leave my Iridium phone behind. If I'm chartering, I'll often take a handheld VHF as well.

What I end up using most are my personal binoculars. I'm amazed at the number of people who have great boats equipped with not-so-great binoculars.

[Cotemar]

pwratch,

When I do deliveries I just take my iPad3 with an iPad Ram mount with suction cup.

1) Memory Map for Navigation with tracks, waypoints & anchor alarm
2) Navionics for tides and currents
3) marinetraffic for AIS traffic
4) Intellicast HD for location based weather, National weather center for storm info
5) Has internet, WiFi or 4G cellular
6) e-mail
7) Has a good camera and Video / movie recorder
8) CNN news
9) All my Contacts and emergency numbers
10) Voice to type e-mail and notes
11) All Boat manuals loaded as pdf’s
12) Has all my personal music
13) Keeps all my favorite books
14) Keeps all my appointments
15) Holds all my photo’s
16) Make phone call’s using MajicJack, TalkFree

[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Boatman was aboard Jedi last night, he's doing fine... recuperating from the Spanish liqueur "43", but okay

ciao!
Nick.

AAhhh.... another sailing hazard to watch out for. Running into Nick!

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond

AAhhh.... another sailing hazard to watch out for. Running into Nick!

I just saw him stumbling towards the early morning bus to town... I think he was trying talking about "red-eye bus" and such so I guess he's okay again

ciao!
Nick.

[pwratch]

Many thanks for the relevant responses to those that sent them. The "Where's Waldo" tracking of lost and drunken friends I could have done without.

[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by pwratch

Many thanks for the relevant responses to those that sent them. The "Where's Waldo" tracking of lost and drunken friends I could have done without.

Maybe. But the rest of us couldn't.

Without the camaraderie and humour here this forum would soon dry up, and then there goes your wealth of experience and knowledge we all can access with a few taps on a keyboard

[pwratch]

Camaraderie and humor are fine and desirable things, I agree. But so are consideration for others and some sense of where you are practicing your camaraderie and humor. But then, I don't presume to speak for everyone else or imagine that some sense of appropriateness will bring on the demise of the forum, so maybe it's just me.