Electronics update for cruising

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by accomplice

No, don't do this!

If that screen is providing your AIS, radar, navigation and other data, you'll be glancing at it every few minutes for days. IMHO, keeping it covered would not only be impractical, but also unsafe.

If I came on-deck and saw one of my crew had covered over the radar display, I'd probably have to calm myself down before I talked with them about it.

I've seen people take black plastic garbage bags and put them over their pedestal mounted touchscreen while on passage. Its a useless design if that is needed.

[Littlechay]

Originally Posted by Paul L

I've seen people take black plastic garbage bags and put them over their pedestal mounted touchscreen while on passage. Its a useless design if that is needed.

Yea - and the wind is going to destroy a garbage bag and blow it into the sea fairly quickly. Lets keep the crap out of the ocean.

One idea that I have seen for the night vision problem on inside mounted plotters is to cover the screen with neutral density gels (the ones that are used for studio and stage lighting). It's pathetic but if you have one of the models that can't be set up correctly for night viewing it works - until you want to touch the screen!

[accomplice]

Originally Posted by Littlechay

[...]
One idea that I have seen for the night vision problem on inside mounted plotters is to cover the screen with neutral density gels (the ones that are used for studio and stage lighting). It's pathetic but if you have one of the models that can't be set up correctly for night viewing it works - until you want to touch the screen!

I'm sure there are plotters out there that are always too bright, but I cannot imagine using the dimmest settings on our ancient Furuno. Brightness is adjustable 1-8; 3 is dim at night and 2 requires eyes well adapted to night vision. I've never seen 1.

[leftbrainstuff]

Originally Posted by nathanielg

I'm considering replacing my chart plotter with Open CPN on a Mac and a waterproof touchscreen monitor in the cockpit. Still have to do some research before I'm certain that's what I want to do. My boat's a 2006 with Raymarine electronics from that era - a little newer than yours, it seems.

By the way - the solution for wet fingers on a touchscreen would be a stylus. Just hang one on a cord from the binnacle! Also keep the screen covered to keep it from getting wet - remove cover as needed.

Try using a stylus in any reasonable sea state. Rotary knobs rule for tactile feedback.

sv Sedoza Sakona Liberty 458 hull 12

[hellosailor]

The state of marine electronics, especially integrated systems, has become frightening. Newer systems inevitably have bugs or lack features and next year's models always have something to offer, but the integrated systems from Garmin, Raytheon, Furuno, etc. have gone to multifunction displays and full integration of charting, radar, sonar, FORWARD looking sonar, autopilot, wind instruments...And I heard at least one will be adding an NMEA2000 support for Nespresso machines this winter.(G) The PO of that boat seems to have been big on redundancy and good equipment. I suspect that if you didn't mind $pending quite a bit, the new integrated systems could offer more with way less clutter and power consumption, and perhaps be reliable enough not to worry about that much redundancy. But since they are in such a constant state of flux and so many new features keep getting stacked (doesn't yours offer Wifi connection of the sonar and engine readouts to your Android tablets?) I'd take it as it is. See how well it does the job, and hit a couple of major boat shows and dealers to see what the new completely integrated systems have to offer. You CAN now use software that will take your polars and personal comfort preferences (i.e. no more than 20 knots on the bow, please, and no more than six foot seas) and actually generate your route and waypoints to match. Or, ignore everything and just give you the fastest course, allegedly even integrating forecasts for gulfstream eddies. And then dump that to the integrated chartplotter and passing the waypoints all to your autopilot. Try doing that on five year old electronics. Lots of claims for lots of new toys out there, but you've got so much stuff already in place, and so many options for new stuff...I'd "make haste slowly" on this.

[Don1500]

Ya, all that stuff is antiquated. Replace it all with a Raymarine EV-100 system and send that crap to me.

Use it for a year then decide. I had an EV-100 system I designed on my old boat, loved it. I have a C120 MFD/Radar Display with an old ST7000 autopilot on the "new" boat. It can do everything the EV-100 can do, but I need to work with it to see how it all works together. If I decide to change it out it will be for an EV-100, but I don't think I will.

[TheThunderbird]

Originally Posted by Emouchet

Add a full AIS device: receiver AND transmitter. If you only get the receiver, you will regret your decision soon after.

Obviously so
Cause, indeed, sailors only need the TX section (not av. As a choice) kudos mfrs from all over the world

[TheThunderbird]

If a big boat, add another AP.

I have NMEA 0183 & 2000 NOT interconnected!

Why 2000?
- plotter/chart, great for navigation and anchoring
- wireless extension

Why 0183?
- still works
- redundancy


The trend is in moving navigational supports to the cockpit area, off the boarding table, and not exclusively at the helm

[Nightsky]

Originally Posted by travalab

So we are looking at possibly purchasing a boat, the current electronics package is this:

Two Raytheon radar systems, one antenna on mast, the other on a pole in the cockpit. Raytheon C120 GPS/plotter at nav station, C80 at helm, two Furuno GP-32 GPS's at nav station. Simrad AP 16 autopilot, Brooks and Gatehouse apparent windspeed/direction indicator, depthsounder, knotmeter/log, all (2006) mounted on pedestal guard. Ritchie pedestal-mounted compass. Icom IC-M700 Pro marine SSB transceiver, two Icom IC-M304 VHF radio transceivers. Icom CommandMike2 RAM. ACR Sat 3 406 mhz. EPIRB. Firdell Blipper mast-mounted radar detector. Backstay insulated for use as SSB antenna. Spare VHF antenna mounted on radar pole.

Looking at this setup, what would you recommend updating? The plan is to use this boat for cruising the next 5 years, hopefully extended cruising but for sure New England, the Bahamas, and Caribbean.

Is it worth starting what the boat comes with and upgrading the particularly antiquated parts, or is it best to tear everything out and start new?

If it all works, keep it for now. What you are considering replacing, I would consider an upgrade to what I have. Just saying.

[sailcrazy]

In the FWIW column, do not spend alot of time worrying about your radar(my opinion). We used our (old, vintage1989) radar alot when we sailed at night in the Philippines......but only to track freighters to determine which way they were going and approximate their speed. Other than that, we have not used our radar in the 16 years we've been ocean sailing! Yes, as a retired airline pilot I do know how to use a radar! And yes, I know it can come in handy, especially during night passages. But it is one of the least used bits of kit on our boat! Do install a good chartplotter (with maps). Do install a good depth and wind speed/direction system. And yes, DO install an AIS recver AND transmitter. and a powered up....and down.....windlass with a chaincounter will come in very handy.

[barnakiel]

I would recommend updating only the stuff that failed. And only if you are bang sure you need this stuff.

Electronics do not make your boat sail.

Cheers,
b.

[Bor the Wolf]

Let's establish that none of the electronic gadgets are needed, they are very convenient 'nice to haves', but no more than that. Basically a good compass, a Walker log, a clock, a pencil and charts will take you anywhere. They need no maintenance or licence renewal and are more reliable than anything.

No I am not a purist, I have as many gadgets aboard as you guys! But I do keep remembering myself they are not 'must haves' and they surely do not need replacement every year. I'll stick to what I have for as long as I like it.

My priorities lie elsewhere, mainly in sailing as many miles as my job allows. While sailing I hardly look at the electronics. The weather vane, tell tales and compass are my primary instruments and I keep a lookout for other ships and obstacles. And every once in a while I have my observations confirmed by a moving map GPS. Almost always they match.

"All I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by" (John Masefield)

[MarkJ]

If you think u need to rip it all out then you haven't written up a list of the replacement prices and installation

Cruising is expensive enough without shooting yourself in the foot before you start.

Buy nothing except the AIS. Sail for 5 years and try to replace as little as you can. You will still arrive home broke, but you will have wasted less

[nic26]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

If you think u need to rip it all out then you haven't written up a list of the replacement prices and installation

Cruising is expensive enough without shooting yourself in the foot before you start.

Buy nothing except the AIS. Sail for 5 years and try to replace as little as you can. You will still arrive home broke, but you will have wasted less

Even 1 step further: Invest your money in courses for navigation, piloting and weather. The knowledge surprisingly still works even when your Batteries are gone south and the engine does not start.

[bjymd]

I feel that an important question unanswered in the initial statement is whether or not a survey was done and how well the equipment was tested and how well it worked.
If it all works then I would not change anything until I had sailed the boat for awhile.
An AIS transceiver is an important option if sailing long distance on open sea at night.
Good luck with your new boat!