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26-06-2021, 22:02
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Channel Islands, CA
Boat: Jeanneau 41 DS
Posts: 559
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Laser Rangefinder Anyone use for anchoring?
Where I sail we always anchor and I have been doing this for 25 years. That said, I have never been able to properly judge distances when I anchor. I always think I am closer than I am only to find out I am not. I do have radar and plotter which I can use if I need to.
Does anyone ever use a laser rangefinder to see how close you are to the shore when anchoring? Am I the only that has a problem with judging distances?
Abe
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26-06-2021, 22:19
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Ensenada, Mexico
Boat: Hunter 50cc
Posts: 32
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Re: Laser Rangefinder Anyone use for anchoring?
I use one all the time. I can't judge the distance to shore very well. I have a 1000 yard model. Works great. Also have forward looking sonar. I do a 360 spin to check the bottom for the scope I plan and check the distance from the shore with the range finder. The maps on the chart plotter are not very accurate here in Mexico.
The range finder also works to see how close I am to other boats in the anchorage. Highly recommend one myself.
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26-06-2021, 23:24
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Alaska
Posts: 33
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Re: Laser Rangefinder Anyone use for anchoring?
Same here. I have an old 1000 yard model that I use regularly to range the shore and other boats. I think I'm getting better at guessing the distances, but I'm regularly surprised at how much farther the rocks are than I thought... I tried it the first time last year and the rangefinder hasn't left the boat since.
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27-06-2021, 05:30
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2015
Location: edmonton alberta
Boat: 1992 lagoon 42 tpi
Posts: 1,730
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Re: Laser Rangefinder Anyone use for anchoring?
I use my old hunting rangefinder It works great for knowing distance to shore and other boats. It also works well for floats on crab traps.
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27-06-2021, 05:35
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Bellingham
Boat: Outbound 44
Posts: 9,319
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Re: Laser Rangefinder Anyone use for anchoring?
I don't have a rangefinder, but always thought it would be handy. I use our Radar to measure how many yards we are off shore or other boats.
__________________
Paul
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27-06-2021, 06:17
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Caribbean live aboard
Boat: Camper & Nicholson58 Ketch - ROXY Traverse City, Michigan No.668283
Posts: 6,375
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Re: Laser Rangefinder Anyone use for anchoring?
I use my chart plotter and GPS. We anchor in many busy harbors, sometimes close to other boats. Practice and you will get proficient at estimating your swing and others. Depth is more important.
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27-06-2021, 06:51
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Left coast.
Posts: 1,451
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Re: Laser Rangefinder Anyone use for anchoring?
We love our laser rangefinder, use it often.
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27-06-2021, 08:35
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 1
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Re: Laser Rangefinder Anyone use for anchoring?
I would also like to get a rangefinder for anchoring.
Any suggestions on which one to buy that you have used?
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27-06-2021, 08:45
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#9
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Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2007
Boat: Bestevaer.
Posts: 14,682
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Re: Laser Rangefinder Anyone use for anchoring?
I would also agree that laser rangefinders are a very useful tool.
Even the less expensive models seem to work well. As you pay more the optics, range and reliability improves, but unless you are anchoring frequently try a cheap version.
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27-06-2021, 08:51
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Boat in Greece
Boat: Lagoon 400
Posts: 1,433
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Re: Laser Rangefinder Anyone use for anchoring?
I have and use Lomvum 600m rangefinder.
Not often in a bay anchorage but very often when we anchor Med style (anchor out, stern to quay) as I want to drop the anchor at a pre-defined distance from the quay.
__________________
Mark, S/Y Bat-Yam
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27-06-2021, 09:07
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Puget Sound, WA
Boat: Nauticat 43 ketch
Posts: 794
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Re: Laser Rangefinder Anyone use for anchoring?
Knowing the distance to shore or other boats is necessary and hard for me to judge by eye, but when anchoring I’ve come to rely on my chart plotter and radar, which visually displays all that information and makes it far easier to decide where to drop.
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27-06-2021, 11:30
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 12
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Re: Laser Rangefinder Anyone use for anchoring?
Hello. We’ve used two older rangefinder and twin-lens reflex cameras. Quite accurate. There are lots of them about, second-hand. Cheers, Peter
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27-06-2021, 14:56
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Florida
Boat: Hunter 27, 1978
Posts: 538
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Re: Laser Rangefinder Anyone use for anchoring?
Hmm... Never considered using a twin reflex camera... Those things are pretty common in yard sales, flea markets, and the like. I may even have a couple.. I will have to check into mine and see if I can figure out how to use them for extended ranges.. I never used the feature much, I am afraid. The cameras were from the 80's if memory serves (and it may not), and I did not use the cameras much other than to ensure they were within "indicated" focus and I let the exposure be what it was. Of course, I also had some pretty..interesting...results coming back from the processors too... Let's say I did not get billed for much of my photography results back then...
__________________
SailingFan
1978 Hunter 27
Learning by the day!
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27-06-2021, 16:00
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2020
Boat: Coast 34 Sail
Posts: 215
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Re: Laser Rangefinder Anyone use for anchoring?
Rangefinder is part of our arsenal along with radar, chart plotter, cruising guide and depth sounder. Not very expensive and damn handy.
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27-06-2021, 16:10
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: The boat - New Bern, NC, USA; Us - Kingsport, TN, USA
Boat: 1988 Pacific Seacraft 34
Posts: 1,455
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Re: Laser Rangefinder Anyone use for anchoring?
We have both radar and a laser rangefinder. We use the laser rangefinder to check our distance to nearby anchored boats. Our is an older Nikon Prostaff 550 with a LCD display. A LED display or an illuminated display would be better in low light situations, but such models are rare and more expensive.
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