Full charts for a circumnavigation for £109. Really?

[inchcailloch]

I have used the Navionics as my main form if navigation for 3 Atlantic crossings and one Pacific crossing. This I use on a Samsung 10.1 but also have Open CPN for 2 backup laptops. I will also carry the Cruising guides ie Anne Hammick (Atlanic coast and Islands, Europe), Graham Hutt (North Africa), Rod Heikell (Mediterranean), Chris Doyle for the Caribbean, all carry near port/marina/anchorage charts for micro navigation. With having these, if the worst comes to the worst always have back up for near land navigation.

[44'cruisingcat]

Be aware that you don't actually get the charts, you get the right to download them. You still need an internet connection, enough data allowance, and storage capacity to keep them.

[mikedefieslife]

I imagine that most people have:

At least one chart MFD (many have two)
A tablet of some sort (OpenCPN, Navionica, iNAVx etc..)
Laptop
Mobile phone
Backup mobile phone
Handheld Garmin GPS devices (Perhaps they used to use it when cycling, or motorcycling, walking etc..)

That is at least 6 devices all able to carry electronic charts. Some can be shared between devices e.g. Navionics can be shared across multiple phones and tablets. Garmin charts go even further being able to be shared with the MFD, mobile, and handheld (since the new AC update). The really paranoid can even keep some of the devices in a faraday type cage, (perhaps the back up phone and the hand held), along with a powerbank.

Of course I say all that but should I every do a long passage, I think I'd quite enjoy plotting my position every x hours, and being able to look back up on it once the journey is over. That, and if ever I had an issue, the CF community would be "Ah I told you so..should have had paper" 😛

[Deltasailor]

Originally Posted by grantmc

Wow this post has morphed. But you can never be too careful. The Zombie Apocalypse could happen at any moment. And when it does Davy Jones Locker will surely be opened, so being at sea won't be a safe harbour. We need to be prepared, so a few paper charts for me, and a gun with silver bullets.

And a reminder, it's happened before:
Ezekiel 37.7
So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone.
8 And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them.
9 Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.”’”
10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
11 I looked again, and behold there cometh the armies leader. A fat man in a red suit, yelling yo ho ho, carrying a huge sack, his chariot pulled by horned beasts, their noses glowing like embers.

I love it, keep the thread going!!

[peter57]

Originally Posted by Zven

It's an interesting question ...
Could all power really be lost? In reality?
Of course one's main chart plotter could pack up... but what if you also have Navionics and/or iSailor on a half dozen mobile devices... complete with spare batteries, power packs and so on... Perhaps also with some solar panels to keep most of the kit running.
At what point, then, does the old "all power lost" become a less likely event than the paper charts getting ruined by fire, moisture, crayons or zombie attack ...?

What about a Solar flare like 1859 that took out the telegraph in Canada. There is speculation that one could take out the satellites, there is a satellite warning system to turn them off, but who knows!

There would be a lot of lost yacht's if they don't have paper charts, sextant, almanac, tables and the knowledge of how to use them.

Rare occurence, just saying to stir the pot.

[settlednomad]

Notwithstanding Zombie attacks, solar flares and lightning, I think I'll carry a few just for good measure, and because I like them! Maybe in the back of my mind I can't find a solid enough reason not to carry them. If we are only talking half a dozen at a time - in large scale - then there will be more than enough room on the boat. I will have pilot books for the areas I'll be visiting as standard. I also have Cornell's Ocean Atlas if it all goes tits up. It won't have the accuracy but it'll have me going in the right direction at least. Not even I could miss Australia if I aimed for the centre of mass

I worked a lot with GPS systems when in the military. This was worldwide. One thing stuck in my mind and that was that the military (owners) from various countries could either switch off the satellites or, and more likely, program a positional error. Only coded devices would be able to access accurate positions. How true it was back then, and how true it is today, I've no idea - I've been out for a while.

So for me, paper is a must. I'll just remember not to have a hungry goat onboard!

[conachair]

Originally Posted by settlednomad

Notwithstanding Zombie attacks, solar flares and lightning, I think I'll carry a few just for good measure, and because I like them! Maybe in the back of my mind I can't find a solid enough reason not to carry them. If we are only talking half a dozen at a time - in large scale - then there will be more than enough room on the boat. I will have pilot books for the areas I'll be visiting as standard. I also have Cornell's Ocean Atlas if it all goes tits up. It won't have the accuracy but it'll have me going in the right direction at least. Not even I could miss Australia if I aimed for the centre of mass

I worked a lot with GPS systems when in the military. This was worldwide. One thing stuck in my mind and that was that the military (owners) from various countries could either switch off the satellites or, and more likely, program a positional error. Only coded devices would be able to access accurate positions. How true it was back then, and how true it is today, I've no idea - I've been out for a while.

So for me, paper is a must. I'll just remember not to have a hungry goat onboard!

Would agree very much with that, plenty goats on the islands when you get there

I feel that ocean sailing is stacking the odds towards your favour , even just just a little paper might be helpful & isn't too hard to implement. Unlikely you'll lose every GPS onboard but plotters maybe.. & if in the almost negligible likelihood of the GPS system going down then might be wise to stay offshore for a while, so much of the world relies on it in so many ways it will be a bit crazy ashore..


(Aren't charts covering a big area small scale...)

[settlednomad]

Originally Posted by conachair

Would agree very much with that, plenty goats on the islands when you get there

I feel that ocean sailing is stacking the odds towards your favour , even just just a little paper might be helpful & isn't too hard to implement. Unlikely you'll lose every GPS onboard but plotters maybe.. & if in the almost negligible likelihood of the GPS system going down then might be wise to stay offshore for a while, so much of the world relies on it in so many ways it will be a bit crazy ashore..


(Aren't charts covering a big area small scale...)

Ooooops...big scale/small scale, I can never get it right! Thanks for putting me right

[conachair]

Originally Posted by settlednomad

Ooooops...big scale/small scale, I can never get it right! Thanks for putting me right

Back on Opencpn, it's worth persevering with the program, not that hard and can't be any harder than any other computer nav program. It can be useful to print out harbour charts/google earth images with waypoints. Often there will be sharing of favourite anchorages among cruisers over a glass or 2
Costs nothing (well, we all donate a little to such a good cause don't we.. ) and you might as well have the CM93 charts as well.

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by rom

I am surprised you say that, can you elaborate ? I have not used a paper chart in the last five years and I believe I will never use them again. BTW, by french rules paper charts are not mandatory anymore. What do other countries recommend ?

It also boggles my mind that I have been giving money to the insurance companies for years and have never used their services - never!
Food for thought.

[settlednomad]

Originally Posted by SVTatia

It also boggles my mind that I have been giving money to the insurance companies for years and have never used their services - never!
Food for thought.

My first season sailing in Greece cost me £500 for insurance. My boat was put on the rocks during a storm - €45,000 repair bill. I would have been screwed without it!

[settlednomad]

Originally Posted by conachair

Back on Opencpn, it's worth persevering with the program, not that hard and can't be any harder than any other computer nav program. It can be useful to print out harbour charts/google earth images with waypoints. Often there will be sharing of favourite anchorages among cruisers over a glass or 2
Costs nothing (well, we all donate a little to such a good cause don't we.. ) and you might as well have the CM93 charts as well.

I am now up and running on OpenCPN with charts to boot. Thanks for your help in the matter, greatly appreciated

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by settlednomad

My first season sailing in Greece cost me £500 for insurance. My boat was put on the rocks during a storm - €45,000 repair bill. I would have been screwed without it!

Exactly my point, when you go without paper charts and all electronics go bonkers, then what?

[redbeard1]

Hello all,

If you are worried about lightning strikes google faraday cage. They are cheap to make, protect against lightning, so you can store in the cage an old smartphone with gps app. That should at least help you get to nearest harbor.

[Excalibur5]

Originally Posted by redbeard1

Hello all,

If you are worried about lightning strikes google faraday cage. They are cheap to make, protect against lightning, so you can store in the cage an old smartphone with gps app. That should at least help you get to nearest harbor.

Absolutely correct. Also note that your onboard microwave or oven make a nice faraday cage. Just be sure not to turn them on when your tablet is inside! [emoji1]