To use a Chartplotter or not, that is the question

[patrscoe]

I have been using my Simrad chartplotter at the helm for several years now and I am in the process of reworking my helm, instruments and network.
EV-100 autopilot instrument head is located to the right of the wheel, recessed into the fiberglass (opposite side of the motor controls). I can control it while ahead of the wheel or at the wheel.
I have my Simrad chartplotter at the guard in a pod. New depth and wind is now in the cockpit bulkhead.
I am thinking of eliminating my chartplotter at the helm and either pick up a handheld garmin or convert a Ipad into a chartplotter, mount with a bracket and use it when I think I need one.
I have turned on my chartplotter twice this season for only purpose was to locate a good anchor spot.
I am thinking... Do I really need the additional pod and chartplotter? I am thinking no unless I go to a unknown marina or trip, which is not that often.
What are you guys using and how often?

If I eliminate the chartplotter, I would reduce the height of the guard to 44". I had a J boat where the guard was lower, less intrusive but still provided the little protection that the guard provides.

 

[Loren Beach]

Thanks for an interesting observation on the "helm"... Back a few years ago I had to have our stock Yacht Specialties ss guard raised several inches to provide enough room under the curved top to put a 9" plotter. Offhand I do not recall what the height is now, altho it's totally easy to see over. I had a welder add a section of tubing, sleeved inside, and ground and mirror polished the joints on the outside -- invisible mod.
One thing to consider is that most of the clip on brackets for holding the small gps devices are more exposed to damage than the under-the-guard one that I have.
No bad solutions.... just choices and options, as the saying goes.

 

[Teranodon]

...
I am thinking... Do I really need the additional pod and chartplotter?

We have the same boat, so my setup may be of interest, although each owner has his own tastes and requirements.

I love my 9" Garmin touchscreen chartplotter and am always fiddling with it. It shows AIS targets and has the radar overlay feature as well. it's not mounted in a pod, being adequately waterproof. I made the shelf out of Starboard plastic. I find that enough of the Edison guard is exposed to provide a convenient handhold. Note that I use my old Garmin 78sc handheld as well, on its own Starboard mount. It's for navigation. I locate the destination by choosing from a list or from the chart. Then I display SOG, distance, VMG and bearing. Like you, I have depth and speed on the bulkhead, where everyone can see them. Wind data as well. The EV-100 head is on the starboard coaming, requiring me to move to my right and stoop down. That's the only part of my setup that I don't like, but I probably won't change it.

 

[Christian Williams]

The charm of a helm chartplotter is a display of chart, position, GPS speed, depth, sonar (fishfinder), o'clock, and the usual GPS data about deviation from efficient course, time to destination, waypoints and so on. And AIS, although my AIS display is separate.

But if you don't need all that, and speed and fathometer are on a bulkhead, well--you don't need it.

Here's what for me would be a real luxury--a chartplotter at the nav desk below. Then if the autopilot is on, or somebody else is steering, the owner need not even put on his pants to be fully informed.

 

[Tin Kicker]

I have a B&G Vulcan 7 chart plotter at the nav station. I found it on a sale for a whopping $499.

The great thing is that it mirrors to my iPad Pro 11 at the helm in a waterproof case. The iPad has the same display and can control what is at the nav station. Being under the bimini means it doesn't have issues with being in the direct sun or heat.

While the iPad battery easily lasts all day, I will be putting a USB outlet on the binnacle. It's easier to read than what the photo seems to show.

 

[Bolo]

I have been using my Simrad chartplotter at the helm for several years now and I am in the process of reworking my helm, instruments and network.
EV-100 autopilot instrument head is located to the right of the wheel, recessed into the fiberglass (opposite side of the motor controls). I can control it while ahead of the wheel or at the wheel.
I have my Simrad chartplotter at the guard in a pod. New depth and wind is now in the cockpit bulkhead.
I am thinking of eliminating my chartplotter at the helm and either pick up a handheld garmin or convert a Ipad into a chartplotter, mount with a bracket and use it when I think I need one.
I have turned on my chartplotter twice this season for only purpose was to locate a good anchor spot.
I am thinking... Do I really need the additional pod and chartplotter? I am thinking no unless I go to a unknown marina or trip, which is not that often.
What are you guys using and how often?

If I eliminate the chartplotter, I would reduce the height of the guard to 44". I had a J boat where the guard was lower, less intrusive but still provided the little protection that the guard provides.

Noticed that you’re a Chesapeake Bay sailor like myself. I think one of the things to consider among others when making modifications to our boats is where and how do we sail. The Chesapeake bay is not the ocean and it has many aides to navigation in the way of buoys, daymarks, lighthouses, points of land and so on. So it’s fairly easy to get around during the day. At night is another story because all those lighted aides to Nav, shore lights and vessel lights can get confusing but considering that most of our sailing is done during the daylight hours, let’s stick to that for this subject for now. My E32-3 still has the three old YS instrument pods at the helm which I had refurbished years ago, along with the steering pedestal, when I had a soft cockpit deck repaired. I like the “retro” look of the OEM pods. I did move my trusty Garmin GPSmap 540 (I had it for a long time mounted someplace else) to an arm attached to the binnacle guard and removed the speed through water gauge because the paddle wheel constantly clogged from C-bay marine growth. I find SOG info from the Garmin more useful. In that open pod I installed the EV-100 control head which just fit.

Now back to considering where and how we sail. For the most part C-bay sailors navigate in very familiar waters. When I day sail out of Back Creek in Annapolis I turn on the Garmin out of habit (and as a security blanket I think) but rarely look at it because I know the waters so well. I use it more for trips to Rock Hall, Napps Narrows, Saint Michael*s, Solomons Island and so on to figure out a bearing and set the EV-100. If I were in your shoes I’d go with a hand held unit AND add a bracket at the Nav station for a iPad since the screens are hard to see in full sun light. Maybe have a bracket that you can move to the helm for night sailing? Like I said, it’s all dependent on where and how you sail.

 

[jtsai]

Running Navionic on iPhone or iPad is hard to beat but the Raymarine chartplotter on the pod is my primary. Twice the iPhone shutdown due to the heat during trip from NC to the Chesapeake and back (I have bimini and dodger). Twice I was caught in a whiteout condition in the ICW and had to creep slowly watching super zoomed in dot on the chartplotter to say in the channel. However if you always sail in familiar waters, then it is not as critical.

 

[Bolo]

Running Navionic on iPhone or iPad is hard to beat but the Raymarine chartplotter on the pod is my primary. Twice the iPhone shutdown due to the heat during trip from NC to the Chesapeake and back (I have bimini and dodger). Twice I was caught in a whiteout condition in the ICW and had to creep slowly watching super zoomed in dot on the chartplotter to say in the channel. However if you always sail in familiar waters, then it is not as critical.

Good point about the white out conditions. Got caught in what I think was a micro burst white put (with sails down secured) just south of the C-bay bridge and had to use my Garmin GPSmap 540 to find Annapolis! Couldn’t see the shore line even being close to it which was the scary part.

 

[bgary]

Here's what for me would be a real luxury--a chartplotter at the nav desk below. Then if the autopilot is on, or somebody else is steering, the owner need not even put on his pants to be fully informed.

I have an old iPad at the nav desk, running the "iSailor" app. shows everything the chartplotter shows - independently.



Doesn't have to be connected to anything else, but can be extended in a number of ways if desired. For example, if one's AIS transponder has wifi, it can display AIS targets on screen. And it's (relatively) easy to import/export .gpx files from a Garmin chartplotter, so (e.g.) you can import waypoints into iSailor, or use the iPad for routing and export the route to your GPS. All sorts of possibilities, but... mostly, it's a really handy backup.

Bruce

 

[Filkee]

I second (or 3rd?) the iPad clipped to the pedestal approach. Navionics subscription is worth every penny. Having a power supply there offers a little more peace of mind.

 

[patrscoe]

How does the Ipad work with Navonics? Does it have a GPS within the Ipad or does it use Cell service?

 

[Filkee]

How does the Ipad work with Navonics? Does it have a GPS within the Ipad or does it use Cell service?

You don't have to have service but the iPad has to be capable of service so getting one used that was formerly Verizon or ATT works.

 

[bgary]

You don't have to have service but the iPad has to be capable of service so getting one used that was formerly Verizon or ATT works.

Exactly.

You do not need a cell-plan to use the GPS, but you do need a cell-capable (not WiFi-only) device.

The GPS chipset only comes in the cell-enabled iPad models. (I don't know if that's also true of Android devices or not...)

 

[Christian Williams]

I need to learn iPad? After 40 years of the Common Ground interface?

There goes my decision to learn Finnish.

 

[Filkee]

I think once you finish there will still be time for Finnish.

 

[paul culver]

I have a B&G Vulcan 7 chart plotter at the nav station. I found it on a sale for a whopping $499.

The great thing is that it mirrors to my iPad Pro 11 at the helm in a waterproof case. The iPad has the same display and can control what is at the nav station. Being under the bimini means it doesn't have issues with being in the direct sun or heat.

While the iPad battery easily lasts all day, I will be putting a USB outlet on the binnacle. It's easier to read than what the photo seems to show.

That's a real clean installation down below Tin. Where's the mic for the VHF?

 

[Tin Kicker]

The mic wasn't plugged in when the picture was taken. In the lower left of the radio is the jack and the clip is just to the left. The radio puts AIS traffic on the Vulcan display and also can support a separate remote mic.

 

[Kenneth K]

My E32-3 still has the three old YS instrument pods at the helm which I had refurbished years ago....

I like the old YS instrument pods. I had been looking for a third one for a setup like you have. I just found one on eBay. The guy had two and was asking $130 a piece. He accepted my offer for $75 for one, so he still has one available. Maybe he'd let it go for less.

Search eBay item # 153536974051.