Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 01-28-2017, 05:05 AM   #1
Guru
 
JohnP's Avatar
 
City: Toms River
Vessel Name: V E N T U R E
Vessel Model: 1996 36' Island Gypsy Classic
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,361
Do you cruise without paper charts?

Between my Chartplotter and running Garmin Bluecharts on my ipad, I am starting to venture beyond my paper charts. I could buy more chartbooks for Southwest Florida, the keys and South East Florida but not sure if it is really needed. Just wondering if others chart electronically only?

Old School in me says its a No No.

John P
JohnP is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2017, 05:18 AM   #2
Guru
 
Rogerh's Avatar
 
City: Niceville, FL
Vessel Name: At Last
Vessel Model: 1990 Jefferson 52 Marquessa
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 724
I use both. I use the electronic charts all the time. However when going into unfamiliar areas I find having both is handy for me. The paper charts give me a large surface to see the big picture. Can't do that on the smaller displays with my old man eyes. I guess that is the big reason I like having the paper charts. If my eyes were as good as they were when I was 30 I may be different.
Rogerh is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2017, 05:25 AM   #3
Guru
 
JohnP's Avatar
 
City: Toms River
Vessel Name: V E N T U R E
Vessel Model: 1996 36' Island Gypsy Classic
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,361
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rogerh View Post
I use both. I use the electronic charts all the time. However when going into unfamiliar areas I find having both is handy for me. The paper charts give me a large surface to see the big picture. Can't do that on the smaller displays with my old man eyes. I guess that is the big reason I like having the paper charts. If my eyes were as good as they were when I was 30 I may be different.
I do agree it is nice to look at a paper chart to get the whole picture for planning and just checking out overall progress. It also gives others onboard an easy reference for the "are we there yet folks".
JohnP is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2017, 05:36 AM   #4
Guru
 
City: Seaford Va on Poquoson River, VA
Vessel Name: Old Glory
Vessel Model: 1970 Egg Harbor 37 extended salon model
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,264
No paper charts.
I use openCPN on a pc on the boat, and installed that and some other charting apps on my Samsung phone. I used to buy paper charts.
sdowney717 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2017, 05:39 AM   #5
Guru
 
psneeld's Avatar
 
City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 28,148
There is no "need" for them......

Just your own desires and preferences.

There are some "what ifs" for both camps, but not anything that can't be overcome or ignored.

Probably a bigger discussion possible over raster or vector charts.
psneeld is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2017, 05:43 AM   #6
Guru
 
City: Seaford Va on Poquoson River, VA
Vessel Name: Old Glory
Vessel Model: 1970 Egg Harbor 37 extended salon model
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,264
Quote:
Originally Posted by psneeld View Post
There is no "need" for them......

Just your own desires and preferences.

There are some "what ifs" for both camps, but not anything that can't be overcome or ignored.

Probably a bigger discussion possible over raster or vector charts.
I use vector charts. The detailed info is useful.
https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/...ffRNC_ENC.html
sdowney717 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2017, 05:51 AM   #7
Guru
 
City: Solomons, MD
Vessel Name: Branwen
Vessel Model: Hatteras 48 LRC
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 645
So far, no, but except for the delivery trip, I haven't ventured far from the local cruising grounds for which I have guides and charts.

On the delivery trip, we went offshore from Fort Pierce to Beaufort, NC, with paper charts, 2 GPS systems, AIS (with basic GPS display and lat/long readout), the Navionics app on my tablet, and GPS phones with various nav capabilities. GPS fixes were being used to track our progress on the paper charts by the "old timers." If they hadn't been along, the paper track wouldn't have been maintained. I didn't see value in the paper charts or the track beyond historical/sentimental.

We did lose one of the GPS systems near the Florida/Georgia border when a "new" satellite appeared in its view that it didn't know what to do with. (I later learned that updates were not available for that system, so I replaced it. That would have been nice to know before starting, but I can't count how many of those nice-to-know things I didn't know on that trip.) Had we lost all electronic nav capability, I'm not sure what good the paper charts would have been. Head west, find land. Once land was located, some paper would have been helpful to locate ourselves along the coast and find an inlet, but a guide covering the landing spot and surrounding area would have been preferred to paper charts.

Thinking back, the paper did give us insight into the offshore shipping lanes and the occasional lights and day shapes that we wouldn't have had without them or the electronics. Without paper and a known starting point, we couldn't have maintained a DR plot had we lost the electronics.

As I've learned and practice in my real job, deciding what you need when cruising can be framed as risk management. Evaluate the risks, mitigate them to the degree you determine acceptable, and be prepared to accept the residual. Having paper is a risk mitigation, but the value of that mitigation will vary significantly with the user's experience, confidence, and supporting tools.
GregBrannon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2017, 05:52 AM   #8
Guru
 
cafesport's Avatar
 
City: Miami
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 800
I've always had a collection of paper charts so the simple answer is no, but the reality is if I cruise to a new area I will be guided by electronic charts. I really like the way coastal explorer has integrated the updates to mariners in their charts. Best of both worlds.
__________________
Via iOS.
cafesport is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2017, 05:54 AM   #9
Guru
 
cafesport's Avatar
 
City: Miami
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 800
Do you cruise without paper charts?

Oops wrong thread
__________________
Via iOS.
cafesport is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2017, 06:06 AM   #10
Guru
 
psneeld's Avatar
 
City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 28,148
You can have electronic charts downloaded on a computer and keep a running log of fixes and estimated set, drift and leeway.

RNC charts are pictures of paper charts so they contain the exact same info

There is no real difference except space and money for some.

I like paper for their ease sometimes too.....but on a smaller vessel....starting to make less and less sense to me.
psneeld is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2017, 06:20 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
nodestination's Avatar
 
City: Green Cove Springs,FL
Vessel Name: No Destination
Vessel Model: 1972 GulfStar Trawler 36
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 199
OpenCpn on my 10 inch tablet. Amazing GPS accuracy. I found paper absolute.
nodestination is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2017, 07:07 AM   #12
TF Site Team
 
Larry M's Avatar
 
City: Jacksonville
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 11,681
We use OpenCPN on a laptop (and a backup), an iPad with Garmin Blue Charts and we just installed an MFD with Navionics. We also have cruising guides for each seasons destinations also. We haven't had paper charts in over 10 years.
Larry M is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2017, 07:28 AM   #13
Guru
 
TDunn's Avatar
 
City: Maine Coast
Vessel Name: Tortuga
Vessel Model: Nunes Brothers Raised Deck Cruiser
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 889
I use raster charts on my laptop with a gps puck on my cruiser. On my sailboat I have a chartplotter. On both boats I have a chartbook for new england.
TDunn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2017, 07:30 AM   #14
Guru
 
City: Carefree, Arizona
Vessel Name: sunchaser V
Vessel Model: DeFever 48 (sold)
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 10,186
I seem to recall some jurisdictions where paper charts are a legal requirement. Last year some very informed navigators had an article in PMM on the paper yes/no subject with paper charts seemingly a good idea as electronic charting lapses occur.

A good set of charts in a large booklet is pretty cheap insurance. Me, I have big charts for the entire run from Seattle to Glacier Bay. Use them routinely laid out on the chart table as necessary. The Admiral insists on it as do many informed guests. i lack trust in Mexican charts and by extension plotter data for that country.

In all my years of driving, a safety belt has saved my life only once.
sunchaser is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2017, 07:35 AM   #15
Senior Member
 
bilge53's Avatar
 
City: Oriental, NC
Vessel Name: M/V Major Award
Vessel Model: Senator 35 w/single Lehman
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 423
I always have paper charts to insure the electronic ones keep working.
__________________
It is not who is right...it is who is left.
bilge53 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2017, 07:57 AM   #16
Guru
 
High Wire's Avatar
 
City: Cape May, NJ
Vessel Name: Irish Lady
Vessel Model: Monk 36
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,964
Primary is garmin 5212 chart plotter. I use paper chart books for planning and the "big picture ". My wife follows our route on paper as we go. I also have updated blue chart mobile and navionics on my iPhone handy plus my laptop loaded with the updated raster charts.
__________________
Archie
Irish Lady
1984 Monk 36 Hull #46
Currently in Cape May, NJ
High Wire is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2017, 08:26 AM   #17
Guru
 
Tom.B's Avatar
 
City: Cary, NC
Vessel Name: Skinny Dippin'
Vessel Model: Navigator 4200 Classic
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 5,841
Do you cruise without paper charts?

Yes... Big picture of the area in a large format that is easy for two or three people to gather around.
__________________
2000 Navigator 4200 Classic
(NOT a trawler)
Tom.B is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2017, 08:31 AM   #18
Guru
 
JohnP's Avatar
 
City: Toms River
Vessel Name: V E N T U R E
Vessel Model: 1996 36' Island Gypsy Classic
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,361
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom.B View Post
Yes... Big picture of the area in a large format that is easy for two or three people to gather around.
Seems most folks agree. Sitting around planning or looking at the big picture paper is nice. When really navigating electronic charting is the only way to go.
JohnP is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2017, 08:44 AM   #19
Guru
 
psneeld's Avatar
 
City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 28,148
Not for everyone...but you could put it up on a TV screen...bigger than my chartbook and in my case, 2 steps away from lower nav station.

Just from NJ to FL and the Bahamas.....that's 4 cursing guides snd .4 chartbooks.

A lot of room on a 40 footer if you include the Coast Pilots and Tide Tables.

Electronic versions with multiple backups has a lot going for it for me.
psneeld is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2017, 10:19 AM   #20
Senior Member
 
ragin cajun's Avatar
 
City: Lafayette, LA
Vessel Name: presently boatless
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 350
I use both. I find paper gives me the redundancy I need when venturing in new waters. I update on paper every 15 minutes using my Garmin info, a really good pair of binoculars for landmarks and numbered channel markers and a good compass. I won't run my boat without a working depth sounder. I'm old school but it works for me.
ragin cajun is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Trawler Port Captains
Port Captains are TF volunteers who can serve as local guides or assist with local arrangements and information. Search below to locate Port Captains near your destination. To learn more about this program read here: TF Port Captain Program





All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:48 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2006 - 2012