Newbie

[Sadler25]

Just checking in. This winter (Having just come into some unexpected funds) I'll be renovating my old Sadler 25 with a view to sailing from Denmark's west coast to Whitby next year. One of the things I'm particularly interested in researching is the viability of using an android tablet as gps plotter. my son who's not a sailor but is an IT software developer, assures me this could well be the way forward. I'd appreciate any thoughts the forum has on this theory!

Cheers...Jon

[Cherp]

Tablets have gps now. We use one but also use a chart plotter and a pc with charts. I have an idea they are using tablets on the America's Cup boats.

[nigel1]

Perfectly possible, but have some other means as well, either a dedicated chart plotter (there are very reasonable priced units on the maeket (see Digital Yachts), or a lap top running running open cpn. If you used a laptop, check out Free charts, tide tables and pilotage : from Visit My Harbour as a good source of electonic charts (raster) at a very reasonable price.
Thats a busy and crowded stretch of water between Denmark and Whitby, you'll be wanting to know where you are.'
BTW, whats the departure port in Denmark

[Sadler25]

Hi Nigel and thanks for the prompt reply. Departure port will be Thyborøn...NW coast of Jutland. I chose not to use laptop because of it's reliance on air-cooling (Which almost inevitably will lead to brine corrosion) Tablet doesn't have this problem. I intend to sail a direct line from Thyborøn to Whitby which is fairly traffic-free if you discount the gas and oil rigs (Compared with the coastal "Motorway" route via the Elbe and N. Netherlands) I'll always run good ol' dead reckoning at the same time (Bit of a Luddite) so no sweat there! I'll certainly visit the provided link (Thanks for that!)
Jon

[Sadler25]

Thanks Cherp...I'm fairly sure this is the way forward. Last trip (Denmark's Baltic coast from Vejle up to Limfjord) I did with an old Garmin GPS and passage chart, which went fine. I'm sure that there's an android tablet solution that's far more superior!

[Cherp]

I forgot to mention we have an older gps unit on board and paper charts for the area we sail. I feel good knowing they're there. It will be interesting
to see how this summer pans out. The chart plotter is new. So is the Ipad with GPS for which we downloaded navionics for 40 dollars or so. The chart plotter is under our nose on the steering binnacle. The PC and world charts are down below. The iPad can be anywhere but I don't want to give it a dose of salt water. I expect the chart plotter and iPad will fight for attention. Better than the days when I only had a chart, a compass and a hand bearing compass.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!