ive get about 16 weeks left before embarking on the trip of a lifetime. Living outta my 25 foot Tophat for possibly 18 months. Getting to the final stages of the prep, but I'm still not savvy as to what chart plotter system to use.
I'm trying to keep the boat as light as possible with room to spare. I'm by nature a minimalist and hate clutter and full cupboards , drawers etc.
i currently have a handheld Garmin GPS unit, but the screens on these things are tiny. I do really love the idea of using an Acer 501A 10.1 inch tablet . It has a GPS chip and a usb port for a GPS puck also.
Im leaning towards this because of the weight, which would make it easier to make a rotating bracket that would keep the tablet inside whilst I view from cockpit and then can be rotated indoors for use inside.
The only thing is the question of navionics. Personally I love the app a lot but is it enough for remote islands in the South Pacific. I am also saving a lot of Google earth images and will have charts although not for everywhere I may go..
any advice much appreciated. I know a cheap lippy with GPS puck is the go , but it would be bulky and id almost have to make a table for it. I'm sure it's do able but I prefer the idea of a tablet so I don't have to rig wiring and furniture to suit. However if this is the best option for navigating then I'll do it, it I don't really want to!

Hey Steve, we use one of these Garmin bluetooth pucks to a tablet which works well but can't vouch for navionics in the islands.



The inbuilt GPS in your tablet will probably work as good though.. we've experimented with the puck and the inbuilt and they both seem pretty similar when checking with a GPS test program like this





All the best with the trip!

Your tablet will draw a lot less current than a PC. Is it waterproof? The more expensive plotters like the Raymarine draw small current and are water proof, so if you are going to rely on it the more expensive option may be best. Even water resistant phones with a navionics app are almost impossible to read when they get wet.

I have a Raymarine E series and love it. It doesn't come cheap and to be honest if it didn't come with the boat it probably would've been too rich for me. I am running the Navionics data card in that.

I have also have Quickcharts that run off Memory Maps and am very happy with them, although they don't print as full charts if you want to print them out (it may be a Mac thing as it is only new to Apple Mac. There support for PC seems much better).. The licence covers two PCs and Two tablets. I haven't put it on my tablet yet, just my MacBook. Where are you going? If you get the AUST/NZ version it also covers the Cook Is, Tonga, Nuie, Samoa. But not the islands further west like Fiji, Vanuatu and New Cal. There might be a version for there.

i do like the idea of the stand alone plotters but i know nothing about them. Im happy to spend a bit of money one up to 1000 bucks. I used phone(Samsung) and an ipad with navionics on it over xmas sailing 500kms, and navionics was awesome, but in weather it was hard to zoom in and out etc as you have to use 2 fingers.
Plan is from Hayman, or north of there, to Eastern PNG, down through Solomons, Vanuatu, jumping off from Noumea to NZ. If not enough time as ive got heaps to do beforehand, itll be qld to new cal, Summer in NZ , then heading north , then East to French Polynesia.
So a fair amount of sailing and probably a trip worthy of a decent Chartplotter.
Only thing is , which one?
I still want something simple with at least a 10in screen. I just really dont even know which one would suit. I guess i should go have a chat and a look in WW.
TopH i had navionics for Fiji which seemed to be really good. I wasnt sailing but was travelling around small remote islands, Kadavu, Ono Etc, and Navionics seemed pretty good there.

For a trip like that I'd definitely be going with a dedicated chart plotter.

I have a Raymarine a series MFD with a 7" screen which is plenty big enough running Navionics. You can get a bigger screen but you pay for them.


I had Navionics on a tablet & it was nowhere near the Raymarine MFD - I don't bother with the tablet anymore.

I have the Raymarine c-97 and have found it so far so dammed complicated to use. I seem to fumble through the menu not being able to find the information I require. It seems jammed packed with features that are totally useless to me,,,, it doesn't even have an eta feature...?. I have just spent the last month using it every day and are only just starting to make some sense out of it.
I have a My Furuno GPS GP-31 mounted in the cockpit instruments and I find it far easier to navigate with and acquire the information I require.
I'm probably just too old and easily frustrated with new tec stuff and abbreviations to learn quickly.
I do like the navonics on it though

On my fishing vessel I had a Seiwa 12 inch screen plotter for awhile. Dedicated plotters are OK up to a point. I switched to a desk top computer and Seaclear with Admiralty charts and would not go back. The other commercial vessels in this port had the same gear. My yacht has a 15 inch laptop running Seaclear and the same charts. The laptop is screwed down to the chart table. The only fault I can see with laptops is the screen is in a delicate place and there is always the possibility you could get thrown over the cabin and knock it. The battery is removed on mine which reduces the power requirements.
I have a Dell D530 I bought off eBay for engine tuning the ECU in my race car for $50. 16 inch screen and 4x3 screen ratio which is better for a plotter. Brilliant bit of kit. Fast because it has no other stuff on it. I wish I had bought more of them when I had the chance. It is also a 12v computer! Hook straight up to the ships battery.
I would buy two or three of these with a Sirf 4 puck. Load them with Seaclear or Open cpn. Get the appropriate charts off your mates. Make charts from Google Earth. Keep a heap of spare batteries for your Garmin and keep your tablet for sunny calm days. For serious nav gear I would suggest some time on this forum www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f121/
Read the Open cpn section on Cruiserforums as well, that's where you will probably end up.

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Ramona said..
On my fishing vessel I had a Seiwa 12 inch screen plotter for awhile. Dedicated plotters are OK up to a point. I switched to a desk top computer and Seaclear with Admiralty charts and would not go back. The other commercial vessels in this port had the same gear. My yacht has a 15 inch laptop running Seaclear and the same charts. The laptop is screwed down to the chart table. The only fault I can see with laptops is the screen is in a delicate place and there is always the possibility you could get thrown over the cabin and knock it. The battery is removed on mine which reduces the power requirements.
I have a Dell D530 I bought off eBay for engine tuning the ECU in my race car for $50. 16 inch screen and 4x3 screen ratio which is better for a plotter. Brilliant bit of kit. Fast because it has no other stuff on it. I wish I had bought more of them when I had the chance. It is also a 12v computer! Hook straight up to the ships battery.
I would buy two or three of these with a Sirf 4 puck. Load them with Seaclear or Open cpn. Get the appropriate charts off your mates. Make charts from Google Earth. Keep a heap of spare batteries for your Garmin and keep your tablet for sunny calm days. For serious nav gear I would suggest some time on this forum www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f121/
Read the Open cpn section on Cruiserforums as well, that's where you will probably end up.

All good stuff, but Sectorsteve is in a TopHat with limited space and limited power. And none of these goodies would survive in an open cockpit. On long open sea passages it might not matter, he will be below a lot, but I love having my e series hybrid touch Raymarine at the wheel for coastal cruising cos it doesn't mind being soaked as you come into an anchorage on a wet night.

+1 for a mfd though I prefer B&G bit more than the $1000. But you will also be able to hook an auto pilot up with it.

It's the screen that burns electricity. The TH has a small cockpit and cabin. I found the 4.5. Inch diagonal screen on a Garmin 420/520 was big enough. Any larger in that size boat and it's like having a TV in the cockpit! At night you wouldn't need a masthead light, your 10 inch plotter will highlight your location. Halve your plotter budget and you've saved enough for an imported Standard Horizon 2200 VHF with AIS receiver, or (almost) a Delorme Inreach satellite communication transceiver.

When i sailed to Noumea we had a laptop and ipad with navionics for back up
Murphys law the laptop froze up as we saw land, ipad worked with out a hiccup with built in antenna
Very happy with navionics on tablet

All this sounds good..chart plotters sound really expensive. Is there anyway to get gps onto my old ipad? The screens massive but no gpssonibuse that one to plot and the Samsung phone to gps and speed etc. Tracking

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PhoenixStar said..

Ramona said..
On my fishing vessel I had a Seiwa 12 inch screen plotter for awhile. Dedicated plotters are OK up to a point. I switched to a desk top computer and Seaclear with Admiralty charts and would not go back. The other commercial vessels in this port had the same gear. My yacht has a 15 inch laptop running Seaclear and the same charts. The laptop is screwed down to the chart table. The only fault I can see with laptops is the screen is in a delicate place and there is always the possibility you could get thrown over the cabin and knock it. The battery is removed on mine which reduces the power requirements.
I have a Dell D530 I bought off eBay for engine tuning the ECU in my race car for $50. 16 inch screen and 4x3 screen ratio which is better for a plotter. Brilliant bit of kit. Fast because it has no other stuff on it. I wish I had bought more of them when I had the chance. It is also a 12v computer! Hook straight up to the ships battery.
I would buy two or three of these with a Sirf 4 puck. Load them with Seaclear or Open cpn. Get the appropriate charts off your mates. Make charts from Google Earth. Keep a heap of spare batteries for your Garmin and keep your tablet for sunny calm days. For serious nav gear I would suggest some time on this forum www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f121/
Read the Open cpn section on Cruiserforums as well, that's where you will probably end up.

All good stuff, but Sectorsteve is in a TopHat with limited space and limited power. And none of these goodies would survive in an open cockpit. On long open sea passages it might not matter, he will be below a lot, but I love having my e series hybrid touch Raymarine at the wheel for coastal cruising cos it doesn't mind being soaked as you come into an anchorage on a wet night.

I have met Steve and he needs a big picture. The screen should always be down below but visible from the helm. Open ocean the nav programme should be off unless you are worried about AIS and just use the Garmin turned on for a few minutes every couple of hours to update the chart. For a low power consuming unit I would think the Raspberry is the way to go with a 22" LED/LCD TV/monitor screwed to the main bulkhead. Turned on only when needed and enter strange ports only in daylight.

I would suggest reading all Cruiserforum posts on navigating the areas around Fiji and the problems people have had with charts of the area and how they have overcome the deficiencies.

If you are looking for an electrician I-cool 0417-207986 at Anzac Bridge Marina is a very helpful fellow.

thanks guys. I owe you some rope John :) Ive hardly been around lately...I do own a macbook air 11inch laptop. Maybe i should buy the dongle, try this open cpn thing, use my garmin handheld as ramona suggests in cockpit as its waterproof.
The great thing about the macbook air is that it has a realy good battery life(5 hours). Its a damn good computer, light as anything, fast etc and tough as hell. This would be easily mountable inside without too much inside mods which i dont want to do. I would slide into a magazine rack for example and like you say ramona it wont be on all the time.
I reckon between an acer 501A tablet with GPS, my samsung phone with GPS, My Garmin Handheld GPS and a lappy with open CPN, and custom uploaded charts(thst i need to learn) it could be ok?

Blue sky navigation sell a range of bad elf gps units that are designed for the iPad, I use one with the navionics app it hasn't led me astray yet

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woko said..
Blue sky navigation sell a range of bad elf gps units that are designed for the iPad, I use one with the navionics app it hasn't led me astray yet

+1 for Bad Elf gps on old IPad

If you use an Ipad or iphone with sim capability (last 5 years+) , it already has an inbuilt GPS. Get a waterproof cover, and a cockpit mount and your navonics or isailer will work perfectly. Note: you don't need to use the sim or wifi.
We used ours as a backup to our chartplotter over January while sailing around SA and it was spot on at all times - when we passed over shallower water etc. the accuracy was perfect. The GPS units in phones/ipads are as good as the GPS that I use on my GT31 system (very accurate). If my chartplotter dies, I'm just going to use an IPAD or two with a waterproof bag - will cost a fraction of the chartplotter & gives you significantly more flexibility than a PC. My 2c worth.

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Concepcion said..
If you use an Ipad or iphone with sim capability (last 5 years+) , it already has an inbuilt GPS. Get a waterproof cover, and a cockpit mount and your navonics or isailer will work perfectly. Note: you don't need to use the sim or wifi.
We used ours as a backup to our chartplotter over January while sailing around SA and it was spot on at all times - when we passed over shallower water etc. the accuracy was perfect. The GPS units in phones/ipads are as good as the GPS that I use on my GT31 system (very accurate). If my chartplotter dies, I'm just going to use an IPAD or two with a waterproof bag - will cost a fraction of the chartplotter & gives you significantly more flexibility than a PC. My 2c worth.

.....and there are lots of useful apps for the iPad.
Dont think I would consider replacing my Raymarine Multi Function Display if it died. iPads are far more flexible, portable, etc,etc
regards,
allan

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Concepcion said..
If you use an Ipad or iphone with sim capability (last 5 years+) , it already has an inbuilt GPS. Get a waterproof cover, and a cockpit mount and your navonics or isailer will work perfectly. Note: you don't need to use the sim or wifi.
We used ours as a backup to our chartplotter over January while sailing around SA and it was spot on at all times - when we passed over shallower water etc. the accuracy was perfect. The GPS units in phones/ipads are as good as the GPS that I use on my GT31 system (very accurate). If my chartplotter dies, I'm just going to use an IPAD or two with a waterproof bag - will cost a fraction of the chartplotter & gives you significantly more flexibility than a PC. My 2c worth.

I was caught on a lee shore at xmas in jervis during 50knots at night. I motored to a hidey hole nearby as waves whipped up and dropped anchor. I had navionics tracking while at anchor. It worked soo well. Spot on accuracy within metres. Just small screen on phone though and hard to operate with wet hands.
When the wond shifted and i was no longer in shelter i had to motor 1 hour in dark and alot of rain. Couldnt see in front of boat at all. Navionics got me to a save anchorage in the dark and accurately tracked me through markers. I was impressed.

I have a raymarine plotter and an ipad with navionics. Found both to be good, was usefull having two diferent navigation devices when i decided to have a break sailing down the coast, followed the course on the plotter while i plotted a new one on the ipad, when the old course and new course intersected i used the ipad to get into shelter. Would probably only use an ipad if i didnt already have the raymarine

Another great gadget is a sonar phone fish finder, you can run your iPad as a split screen plotter sounder and it makes charts while its at it ! Very handy, throw the iPad and sounder gadget in the ding and check an uncharted area before you take the pride and joy in there

The iPads et al are great for nav, web browsing, looking up manuals & how-to's(download the rleevent pdf's into the iBook program before you leave) on the web etc & in familiar waters perfectly fine as the only electronic but they are prone to a few problems & idiosyncrasies from my experience. As do many "I" products they think for themselves, which is fine to protect the product from silly humans.
On a recent trip my iPad (with 3g/4g) decided it was too hot, even though I had the screen off it must of half been in the sun, & I had to let it cool down.
Another time, I had an Anchor Watch app running overnight, it had run the battery down so much I couldn't turn it on, to turn the Anchor watch off, even while charging it in a hard-wired USB port. In the end I was able to get it going via the ciggy lighter socket, just enough to turn off the anchor watch, after which it was fine.
I reckon your trip is worthy of a proper plotter(with a 7 or 9 inch screen), even if you don't regularly use it (as the iPads are so convenient), I think you will be a lot less worried about what will happen if your phone/iPad packs it in.

The Ram mounts for ipads & phones are excellent quality, I think this ipad mount was $110

No expert in the area but would you be considering AIS? Would you need more then a tablet to have the cargo ships appear on your screen? Could be a benefit if you don't use radar?

???? Just theories in my head can't say I'm a propper off shore sailor

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gyccrewman said..
No expert in the area but would you be considering AIS? Would you need more then a tablet to have the cargo ships appear on your screen? Could be a benefit if you don't use radar?

???? Just theories in my head can't say I'm a propper off shore sailor

I may get an ais integrated with vhf radio. Not fussed about getting an ais though.

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gyccrewman said..
No expert in the area but would you be considering AIS? Would you need more then a tablet to have the cargo ships appear on your screen? Could be a benefit if you don't use radar?

???? Just theories in my head can't say I'm a propper off shore sailor

iPad works well with vesper marine AIS

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DAMA said..

iPad works well with vesper marine AIS

That is neat

It is my subjective opinion, but l would not go cruising - especially amongst reefs where Steve is planning to go - with only l-gadgets and Navionics on my boat!

Not without proper paper charts, hand held compass, plotting aids (perhaps even a sextant) and marking my way on the paper charts at regular intervals, either.

I consider a chartplotter with WGS-84 based charts like C-Map a good start.
I am in no way against the new technology of l-gadgets and Navionics which l don't like much. I use an Android tablet with MemorMap and it saved us running on sandbanks, from my bed, a while ago!!!

So there is nothing wrong with modern technology as long as one got something to fall back on in case of total electronics failure, or a lightning strike.
Even if there is a Faraday cage on board, ones gadget -electronics going to be used and not stored away in the cage. In case of a fitted chart plotter, back up phones, tablets may be!!! The paper charts and the sextant still would get you to shore, unless they are burned, eventually.

To me those 'old ways' are as necessary to a peaceful mind and successful trip as an EPIRB, and a top quality PFD with harness (!worn 24/7!) a PLB attached, strobe light and spray hood. Or a well provisioned grab-bag.

Mate, do not worry about the ropes, l just 're-rigged the boat. I got ropes galore.
It is my humble contribution to your successful trip. Enjoy. Come back safe!

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sirgallivant said..
It is my subjective opinion, but l would not go cruising - especially amongst reefs where Steve is planning to go - with only l-gadgets and Navionics on my boat!

Not without proper paper charts, hand held compass, plotting aids (perhaps even a sextant) and marking my way on the paper charts at regular intervals, either.

I consider a chartplotter with WGS-84 based charts like C-Map a good start.
I am in no way against the new technology of l-gadgets and Navionics which l don't like much. I use an Android tablet with MemorMap and it saved us running on sandbanks, from my bed, a while ago!!!

So there is nothing wrong with modern technology as long as one got something to fall back on in case of total electronics failure, or a lightning strike.
Even if there is a Faraday cage on board, ones gadget -electronics going to be used and not stored away in the cage. In case of a fitted chart plotter, back up phones, tablets may be!!! The paper charts and the sextant still would get you to shore, unless they are burned, eventually.

To me those 'old ways' are as necessary to a peaceful mind and successful trip as an EPIRB, and a top quality PFD with harness (!worn 24/7!) a PLB attached, strobe light and spray hood. Or a well provisioned grab-bag.

Mate, do not worry about the ropes, l just 're-rigged the boat. I got ropes galore.
It is my humble contribution to your successful trip. Enjoy. Come back safe!

I agree with all that. Chart plotting on the paper charts is something i love doing. i just hope i have all the charts, ill need alot.
I will have the handeld garmin which is waterproof. Do have a built in compass on board and will have handheld as well.
ill figure it out. After you buy all these gps pucks , and maps etc a plotter doesnt seem to be that expensive