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Old 23-02-2017, 22:54   #1
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Recommendations for Electronic Navigation

I was a navigator in the US Navy. I learned Celestial Navigation and even own my own Sextant.

I just bought a 27-foot Cal MkIII and started thinking about sailing on big waters again for the first time in 30 years.

I was wondering what electronic means do people recommend these days? I own a USB GPS receiver for my laptop. I used to use Street Atlas and even scanned my own charts into my laptop back in the 90s. I did an Internet search and was overwhelmed by the various options.

My preference is for something that would work with my laptop (Mac) and would include support for my USB GPS antenna. Can I download charts for various destinations and plan course plans and such? Obviously, it has to be independent from live Internet support since I will be far from cell towers and wired connections for most of the time. I'd also rather buy the software and hardware outright, than have to pay for a subscriptions or service fee.
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Old 23-02-2017, 23:33   #2
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Re: Recommendations for Electronic Navigation

Start by playing with OpenCPN. Free download.
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Old 24-02-2017, 05:20   #3
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Re: Recommendations for Electronic Navigation

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Start by playing with OpenCPN. Free download.
I have it running on my apple laptop with gps dongle and I don't even have a boat... It's that good! Also if your adventurous enough look at running it on a Raspberry PI. Good luck.
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Old 24-02-2017, 07:02   #4
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Re: Recommendations for Electronic Navigation

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Originally Posted by Bigjim View Post
My preference is for something that would work with my laptop (Mac) and would include support for my USB GPS antenna. Can I download charts for various destinations and plan course plans and such? Obviously, it has to be independent from live Internet support since I will be far from cell towers and wired connections for most of the time. I'd also rather buy the software and hardware outright, than have to pay for a subscriptions or service fee.

MaxSea Time Zero runs on laptops, and supports add-on GPS receivers. Ocassionally sync (e.g., ActiveCaptain markers, chart updates) when you happen to have connectivity, otherwise no connectivity needed. Charts are available from MapMedia (although we usually download our charts and updates from the Furuno site, since MX TZ is essentially the same software engine using the same charts as our plotter). They support NOAA raster, NOAA vector, C-Map vector, and Navionics (vector?) charts, latter two at additional cost. The overall package is not inexpensive, but so far has been bullet-proof.

It's not uncommon for folks to use a nav app on a tablet, either as primary or back-up. Tablets can suffer from daylight-nonvisibility, and aren't usually waterproof, but then they're inexpensive (relatively, compared to some plotters) and the apps/charts are relatively cheap. Lots of app threads here with products to consider.

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Old 24-02-2017, 07:08   #5
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Re: Recommendations for Electronic Navigation

Depends on how much you want to spend.
The Open CPN is incredible, even if it weren't free, and normally I'd recommend a "real" marine plotter as primary, but you understand paper in a way that few of us ever will, so I think you don't need a primary electronic device, get one if you want, they are handy.

BTW, will you teach me how to use a Sextant? I have one, but its not very useful right now
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Old 24-02-2017, 07:12   #6
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Re: Recommendations for Electronic Navigation

My vote would be for Open CPN on the laptop.

Garmin BlueCharts Mobile on the iPhone & iPad
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Old 24-02-2017, 08:43   #7
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Re: Recommendations for Electronic Navigation

I'll put in a vote for PolarNavy on laptop, not free but reasonably pricex, easy downloads of free NOAA raster and vector charts, reasonably easy install of for-pay non-US charts, tides, currents, activecaptain, ais. It is an annual fee but that covers multiple installs so you can have laptop on boat, backup laptop on boat and home install for planning all on same license. I find I can just turn it on and use, opencpn always has me fiddling to get something working (most likely operator error but still...)

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Old 24-02-2017, 08:49   #8
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Re: Recommendations for Electronic Navigation

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Originally Posted by a64pilot View Post
Depends on how much you want to spend.
The Open CPN is incredible, even if it weren't free, and normally I'd recommend a "real" marine plotter as primary, but you understand paper in a way that few of us ever will, so I think you don't need a primary electronic device, get one if you want, they are handy.

I'm going to second this

A real marine plotter in the cockpit is a great thing to have, and there are now small ones which are very cheap. They are waterproof, rugged, daylight visible, and dedicated to the sole purpose of navigation. They will interface with other electronics you have, including a pilot if you have one. Others on here might argue the point, but there is no way that a generic piece of fragile consumer electronics can really duplicate the functionality or reliability of a real marine plotter, which can be a life safety critical item of gear.

At the nav table, OpenCPN is superb, simply the best. And FREE. For cartography: For U.S. waters, up to date raster and vector charts are FREE for OpenCPN.

For the marine plotter, try to find a deal with the cartography bundled. Just not the crappy "silver" Navionics cartography, which is really just a base map and not really usable for navigation.
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Old 24-02-2017, 09:12   #9
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Re: Recommendations for Electronic Navigation

Have used OPEN CPN for a year and love it! Runs,on both my laptop and tablet. Under the bimini, the tablet is viewable. Not so much in direct sun....
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Old 24-02-2017, 09:17   #10
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Re: Recommendations for Electronic Navigation

Quote:
Originally Posted by a64pilot View Post
Depends on how much you want to spend.
The Open CPN is incredible, even if it weren't free, and normally I'd recommend a "real" marine plotter as primary, but you understand paper in a way that few of us ever will, so I think you don't need a primary electronic device, get one if you want, they are handy.

BTW, will you teach me how to use a Sextant? I have one, but its not very useful right now
A way to practise that doesn't require tables is to measure "distance off" by comparing the height of a charted tall thing on shore (like a chimney stack or radio tower) with the angle made on the sextant. Remember to include (with dividers on the chart) the distance to the shore from the object being observed, and record the bearing with a hand-bearing compass. It's a relatively quick way to determine position if you lack, for some reason, two landmarks in view. You can also do this with the sextant on its side, but baby steps, baby steps...

The short version is "play with the sextant to get used to it".
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Old 24-02-2017, 09:28   #11
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Re: Recommendations for Electronic Navigation

Look at an Ipad with Navionics. A friend of mine delivered a boat from South Africa to Florida using this set up.

Navionics | The Leader in Electronics Charts | Navionics

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Old 24-02-2017, 09:35   #12
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Re: Recommendations for Electronic Navigation

I use Garmin Homeport. Buy regional chips and use your dongle GPS receiver. It also interfaces with Active Captain.
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Old 24-02-2017, 10:11   #13
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Re: Recommendations for Electronic Navigation

I have Furuno on the chartplotter (came with the boat) which I do not recommend because of difficulty to learn and use, though now that I know how to use it, I won't change unless it dies. Have Garmin Bluechart on the iPad, which I love, and Navionics on the Android phone which is just okay, but on the other hand it's a tertiary GPS. Based on comments about OpenCPN, I'm going to get that for my MacBook - can someone recommend a good GPS dongle for the Mac?
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Old 24-02-2017, 11:09   #14
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Re: Recommendations for Electronic Navigation

Have a look at Coastal Explorer www.rosepoint.com
Hi praise from people who use it, excellent support and a one-time purchase. Includes Active Captain and useable on and offline. I don't own it yet but it's on my wish list... I just bought a Dual GPS for my laptop and this software's next.
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Old 24-02-2017, 11:27   #15
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Re: Recommendations for Electronic Navigation

Just downloaded OpenCPN and.... well lets just say it is not at all Mac like. It's a windows program ported over for OS and looks and feels like windows with a lot of clicking around to do minor things. I'll be sticking with Garmin Homeport even though you have to buy the chips and they are not cheap.
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