Chart Plotters

[harrison]

I already have a fishfinder, Garmin 7SV, but its not any good as a chartplotter, it only has basic GPS.

That’s a bummer.

Not gonna like this, but best advice, man up, flog it, and get an Echomap Plus combi unit. You knows it makes sense.

[Andy]

I run a Raymarine Dragonfly with C-map charts. I've had it a few years and it's not missed a beat, very reliable.

I was looking at that. What do you think about C-Map, as good as they say ? Why did you choose that over say Raymarine ?

Echomap Plus

The sonar is not as good as the one I have. Mine is specifically made to be a fish finder and not both.

[harrison]

The sonar is not as good as the one I have. Mine is specifically made to be a fish finder and not both.

Ah! Ok, so your looking to keep your dedicated fish finder and run a separate chartplotter alongside as well. Will both have transducers or just run plotter for position/mapping info.

[PeterM]

I've got the c map 'embark ' phone app. Free and seems to give me backup full charting.

I'm nota fisherman so beteeen a good reliable sounder and garmin charts I've not hit the land yet.

Reliance on a plotter isn't always a good thing, but to be able to look at new areas at home on plotter, and comparing a paper chart, the harbour one website allows a good mental picture in your head before you get near the water.

Then a plotter can reinforce what's in your head or help if things don't go to plan.

[chris moody]

A very good point made by @PeterM .

You really do need the skills to navigate without using electronics, and to keep practicing those skills. Electronic nav aids are great, but they do fail quite often, and you need to be able to continue your trip or get home when the plotter does fail. That is why on the Advanced Powerboat exam you have to take the examiner to three places of his choice, in the dark, without the aid of any electronic navigation aids.

I use a technique I call "cartoon maps" for my manual navigation planning, and I teach this method on day two of every coastal PB2 course I run. I'll dig out some examples of my cartoon passage planning maps and post them up on here.

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Reliance on a plotter isn't always a good thing, but to be able to look at new areas at home on plotter, and comparing a paper chart, the harbour one website allows a good mental picture in your head before you get near the water.

Then a plotter can reinforce what's in your head or help if things don't go to plan.

[chris moody]

A couple of my passage plans. I laminate these, or put them in a waterproof wallet.

Portsmouth to Bembridge entrance

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Spitbank fort to Cowes (river Medina entrance)

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All you need is these passage plans, a compass, and a pair of eyeballs.

[chris moody]

The first time I do a particular trip I create one of these passage plans. When I redo the trip I take the existing laminated plan with me.

I will be making up one of these passage plans for the next Solent outing I am doing, which will be starting at either Camber or Warsash, and going to Ryde or Newport (I've not fully decided which to go to yet).

[Paul B]

As PeterM says, it’s good to look at paper charts, so easy to miss something on your plotter, I always check my paper charts if I’m going into a area I don’t know well,

And as I’m doing my coastal skipper exams at moment it’s something that gets drilled into you, never ever just rely on electronics, if they fail and your not in familiar waters, or even in water you are familiar with but the weather closes in its very easy to loose your bearings ,so can you navigate to safety , based on what was on your screen, I find looking at the paper charts helps to remind you of rocks etc,