Minimal Electrical Equipment for Offshore

[conachair]

Originally Posted by Sailsarefull

I never understood trying to do something with the bare minimum. I want everything I can afford, including radar, AIS, EPIRB, Sat phone, GPS Chartplotter, laptop, handheld, MOB beacons. If I can't afford it, then I will wait until I can.

Problem is you end up never leaving. And the likes of a chart plotter is just a hole for money buy all the chart folios you'll only use a tiny part of. Adelie pretty much nailed it in the first 2 Lists imho, though radar can be the bestest every thing ever ever once a year or so

I'd add a Raspberry Pi as ships nav computer, low power, low cost, big on capabilities.

[Sailsarefull]

Yes, I can agree there. You can spend the rest of your life saving for all the gadgets that "might" be needed. The Raspberry's are very cool. Never saw them before. Thanks.

[Shoalbay]

Hi Philip:
I am gearing up a 70's boat for a trip to Japan. I don't have a lot of offshore experience so please take my list with a grain of salt.

My must haves:‎
A. GPS*
B. Depthsounder‎ ‎
C. Autopilot
D. ‎Fixed mount VHF/‎Handheld VHF‎
E. PLB/EPIRB ‎
F. ‎ AIS transceiver‎
G. ‎Satphone‎
H. Laptop

Really want to haves would be:‎
I. Wind Instruments
J. DeLorme InReach
‎‎
‎Then the Nice-to-Haves in order:
K. Radar‎
L. Knotmeter

Good luck with your quest.

[sck5]

Bring a backup handheld GPS and VHF.. Electrical devices often fail and it pays to have a backup for anything you think is truly essential.

[Shoalbay]

I agree with SCK5.

I have backups for GPS, VHF, autopilot, laptop (tablets).

Shoalbay

It will all be fine in the end.
If it's not fine,
It's not the end.

[JMR]

Why is epirb an option? Or GPS? or VHF?
IMHO these are required.
For the rest its a trade-off need vs $$.
For comms
hf/ssb is nice to have - can access weather, email, etc...
sat is nice to have - expensive to use, but mostly good quality service
radar - very high utility value, enhanced safety
ais receiver - very nice to have, especially in high commercial traffic area.
xmitter - nice to have

note: weather info is very usefull for a sailor. Many sailors can get by with a barometer and metereological knowledge and experience, but I doubt you'll find too many who will not advise you to get access to weather info as often as you can.

[buzzstar]

Originally Posted by JMR

Why is epirb an option? Or GPS? or VHF?
IMHO these are required.
For the rest its a trade-off need vs $$.
For comms
hf/ssb is nice to have - can access weather, email, etc...
sat is nice to have - expensive to use, but mostly good quality service
radar - very high utility value, enhanced safety
ais receiver - very nice to have, especially in high commercial traffic area.
xmitter - nice to have

note: weather info is very usefull for a sailor. Many sailors can get by with a barometer and metereological knowledge and experience, but I doubt you'll find too many who will not advise you to get access to weather info as often as you can.

Required? Why? So we will have more bureaucrats and controls? Do we not have enough already? Good to have, but required. OMG.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by brianlara 3

I can't believe that you said "Somalia & Yemen". IF you even tried to get anywhere near those places YOU WILL GET, at best, eaten.

Piracy there has fallen way off in the last 2yr.

Also they said East to West so they wouldn't being going near there if they did that.

[TeddyDiver]

My list

Minimum must have:
GPS Chartplotter Sonar combo
VHF
World radio and laptop for weather

Nice to have:
Radar
AIS

Trying to avoid anything beyond that..

[gjordan]

All of this electronics and no mention of how to keep it going if your electrical system packs up????? I think solar panels on cabin tops are a hazard and arches are truly ugly, but you are going to need some way of keeping the bare minimum of electronics going in the event of a charging failure. I dont know the prices off roll-up solar panels, but they would make a good backup to keep running lights going and a designated battery for the SSB. The question of "Is my boat ready to go off shore?" has been asked many times and I have often answered by saying to go anchor out for a weekend or longer and turn your main battery switch off. If you cant get drinking water out of your tanks, or propane for cooking or if your head depends on an electrical pump, or you have no way to get minimum lighting down below (kerosene?), then your boat isnt really ready for a passage. Try it, maybe things you had not thought about will pop up. Best of Luck._____Grant.

[brianlara 3]

Originally Posted by Adelie

Piracy there has fallen way off in the last 2yr.

Also they said East to West so they wouldn't being going near there if they did that.

They mentioned Yemen & Jordon which rang alarm bells.
Actually, my next boat is likely to came the UK. So returning to OZ is via Suez, Horn of Africa or west about via Hornos.
If there was even a 10% chance of piracy in the Indian Ocean then for me Suez is a no go place. Me and AK 47's are a bad mix.
I'm wondering why the OP mentioned "west about" but also Suez neck of the woods.
And to get from GB to Asia has be easier and shorter via Africa?

[dana-tenacity]

I'll use this list
A. GPS*
B. Depthsounder‎ ‎
C. Autopilot
D. ‎Fixed mount VHF/‎Handheld VHF‎
E. PLB/EPIRB ‎
F. ‎ AIS transceiver‎
G. ‎Satphone‎
H. Laptop

Really want to haves would be:‎
I. Wind Instruments
J. DeLorme InReach
‎‎
‎Then the Nice-to-Haves in order:
K. Radar‎
L. Knotmeter


My first boat had E/2.

My second boat came with D1 as well so I used it occasionally.

My third boat came with those two plus A, B, CK and L. It seemed a bit overkill at the time.
Current boat is getting fitted out and will have ABCD1, E2 G H and L

I sometimes miss the old days. The answer to your question as above is "nothing". Everything else is kinda optional.

[leftbrainstuff]

Minimal. GPS and VHF.

I tend to look to maximize options and have as much redundancy as possible.

For safety critical systems that means 5 levels of redundancy.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by JMR

Why is epirb an option? Or GPS? or VHF?

IMHO these are required.

Because the IMO and the various coast guards have not yet agreed to make them mandatory under law.

If you are really surprised that they are not mandatory then I don't think your opinion is really that humble.

[roland stockham]

Essential - None, you just need a compass and log. Hand held VHF is almost essential for port entry
Preferable, everything except the sat phone is on the proscribed list for commercial traffic operating outside coastal waters.
Order of priority - GPS VHF RADAR, SSB, AIS
Why -
GPS just make life so much easier and these days is so cheap that 'why not'
VHF essential safety but look at the new GMDSS models as they make great MOB devices
Radar is part of you basic nav system, independent check for GPS, checks accuracy of charts and collision avoidance
SSB essential for safety comms' offshore, free access to best weather service available issued by US and British navies. also receives Navtext but dedicated receiver is nice.
AIS, particularly a transceiver, I could not call an essential but is very useful and definitely makes passage making safer and takes a lot of pressure of the watch keeper.