|
|
02-05-2014, 09:22 AM
|
#1
|
Guru
City: Thibodaux, Louisiana
Vessel Name: Gumbo
Vessel Model: 2003 Monk 36
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,882
|
rangefinders and anchoring
Do any of the members use a rangefinder when anchored? Seems it would be useful to check for anchor drag your boat or maybe more importantly someone elses boat dragging down on yours.
Up to 500 + yard seems a good distance. They are available at hunting or golf shops, kind of expensive, about $150.00 and up.
BushnellŪ Sport 550 Rangefinder : Cabela's
|
|
|
02-05-2014, 09:36 AM
|
#2
|
Guru
City: East Coast, Australia
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 935
|
Radar does this job
|
|
|
02-05-2014, 09:48 AM
|
#3
|
Technical Guru
City: Wilmington, NC
Vessel Name: Louisa
Vessel Model: Custom Built 38
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 6,194
|
Better yet, gps/plotter. Most can be set to beep if boat moves more than a specified amount.
|
|
|
02-05-2014, 09:51 AM
|
#4
|
Guru
City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 28,149
|
For single handed anchoring I think one may be handy...when I'm out on the bow looking around to see the best drop spot and I want a very accurate quick check of what the difference between 75 feet and 100 of chain might be..I would think a rangefinder handy...but certainly not necessary.
|
|
|
02-05-2014, 10:18 AM
|
#5
|
Veteran Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 83
|
I've used them from a small boat. On water they don't really work past 60 metres / 200 feet. Below that they can be a bit temperamental due to boat motion and lack of hard, flat, reflective targets.
The laser doesn't like broken rocks, seaweed, or barnacles. Any boat motion and it will not lock on and return a distance. Radar/dGPS is far more reliable.
If you boat in an area with a lot of built structures on the beach you might get better results.
|
|
|
02-05-2014, 12:46 PM
|
#6
|
Enigma
City: Slicker?
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 16,565
|
Greetings,
Mr. S. I suppose you could bring your clubs and hit a few balls off your aft trunk.
__________________
RTF
|
|
|
02-05-2014, 12:52 PM
|
#7
|
Guru
City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 28,149
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by RT Firefly
Greetings,
Mr. S. I suppose you could bring your clubs and hit a few balls off your aft trunk.
|
Never thought of bouncing balls off the shore or other boats in an anchorage to determine range by club...sounds like fun...
It gives a whole new meaning to "anchor ball"..
|
|
|
02-05-2014, 01:15 PM
|
#8
|
Guru
City: Thibodaux, Louisiana
Vessel Name: Gumbo
Vessel Model: 2003 Monk 36
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,882
|
I gave up golf about 10 years ago, but maybe one of my sons will have a range finder can borrow next time I go out.
|
|
|
02-05-2014, 01:51 PM
|
#10
|
Guru
City: Concrete Washington State
Vessel Name: Willy
Vessel Model: Willard Nomad 30'
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 18,743
|
I have used the chart plotter for determining distance to shore or size of an anchorage. I do this on Navamatics also while choosing anchorages ahead. Would rather do that than arrive and see the "anchorage" you had selected is actually a hole in the wall. Frequently I'll stay on the same scale and move to an anchorage on the plotter that I'm familiar w to get a relative size. If it's just about dark when you get to your chosen anchorage and find it's unsuitable you may have to make do a bit out of the usual envelope of safety. Halving the right anchor for a small anchorage is a big help.
One could practice throwing rocks and keeping a few on board for range finding.
__________________
Eric
North Western Washington State USA
|
|
|
02-05-2014, 01:57 PM
|
#11
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 460
|
Before I drop the anchor I figure out if my swing will be a factor by eyeball. I drop an anchor watch on my backup laptop running PolarView, but absolutely nothing beats the peace of mind when using the free phone app Drag Queen. Start it up, tell it to set the location, set your alarm distance and leave it running. It used to run the battery down because it uses location services constantly, but something changed because now I run it 10 hours without plugging in the phone. It's probably heresy to admit this, but the past 3 nights we anchored out I never got up to check the laptop... I just looked at my phone and saw we were within 50 feet of the anchor and went back to sleep.
Dave
__________________
Barnegat Light NJ or Nantucket MA
|
|
|
02-05-2014, 03:36 PM
|
#12
|
Veteran Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 83
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by psneeld
|
Ha! That was how towboaters found their way around the Fraser River in the fog before Radar became common - a bucket of rocks and a deck hand on the bow.
|
|
|
02-05-2014, 04:12 PM
|
#13
|
Senior Member
City: North Port, FL
Vessel Name: Seven Tenths (sold)
Vessel Model: Mirage / Great Harbour 47
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 477
|
I think I am in the minority but yes, I have a laser rangefinder at the helm. I try to get range to 2-3 objects - Front, Right, Left and I note it in the daily helm log. This has been very helpful when I have wanted to shutdown the nav systems. It also is a great reference when we go back to the anchorage to get to the same spot approximately.
|
|
|
02-05-2014, 04:21 PM
|
#14
|
Guru
City: North Charleston, SC
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 4,870
|
I have a rangefinder on the boat. I'm not sure why I bought it but I've had it for a long time. I've never thought of using it for anchoring or an anchor drag indication (I have a chart plotter for that) but I have used it to make sure I'm the required distance from a military ship or other restricted place.
If I didn't have it, I don't think I would be in a rush to go out and buy one.
|
|
|
02-05-2014, 06:02 PM
|
#15
|
Guru
City: Gooding ID/Wrangell AK
Vessel Name: Silver Bay
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 42-002
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,040
|
I have one on board and use it to verify my visual guess at distance. It's kind of like hunting practice. I have used it on rare occasions to check distance to other boats and shore since it takes so long for the radar to be ready to use.
|
|
|
02-05-2014, 06:02 PM
|
#16
|
Guru
City: Powell River, BC
Vessel Name: Northern Spy
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 26
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,075
|
Dang. I feel so inadequate. I use a Plastimo iris 50 compass and shoot a couple of bearings. I have some Fujinon binoculars with a compass that I've used as well. Never thought of using a range finder. Cool idea.
Yes. I do have GPS anchor dragging APS and software, but never leave them on overnight.
|
|
|
02-05-2014, 08:55 PM
|
#17
|
Guru
City: Pender Harbour, BC
Vessel Name: Gwaii Haanas
Vessel Model: Custom Aluminum 52
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 3,791
|
Drag Queen is not killing your battery because you have not set the alarm!
|
|
|
02-05-2014, 11:52 PM
|
#18
|
Guru
City: Powell River, BC
Vessel Name: Northern Spy
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 26
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,075
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xsbank
Drag Queen is not killing your battery because you have not set the alarm!
|
Yeah. I've got drag queen.
But it still isn't the same as eyeballing a tree out of a port at 3:00 am in the morning.
|
|
|
02-06-2014, 04:14 AM
|
#19
|
Guru
City: Mooloolaba
Vessel Name: Flora
Vessel Model: Timber southern cray boat
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,859
|
I use Drag Queen, my plotter and before anchoring if I am near land take a few bearings off my radar.
Cheers
Benn
__________________
"When I die I hope my wife doesn't sell my toys for what I told her I paid for them"
Money: It's made round to go round , not flat to stack.
"Get out and do it"
|
|
|
02-06-2014, 04:44 AM
|
#20
|
Guru
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 22,553
|
We usually set a stern anchor , with a small ball, so minor boat movement is easy to spot.
|
|
|
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Trawler Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|