Avoiding a peril of GPS plotters

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Tell me about it. . . We were crossing over the Cascade Mtns at Stampede Pass a few weeks ago and had a little red Champ pop up through a thin overcast at our 11 o'clock. At 180 knots we covered that 100 yards in a flash. :facepalm:
 
Fly'in where others usually don't bought me some safety but flying over farm fields or other places where one could land safely was 95% of the safety I did have and good maintenance of my airframe was also top priority. I frequently flew 50 to 75 miles and I spent a lot of time aloft evaluating potential landing fields. Farm fields basically gave me license to fly. Without farm fields I never would'a flown ultralights. Wind and weather was the biggie for hang gliding. I flew literally by my armpits like Lilienthal the aviation pioneer but that was only several feet off the ground.

Safely operating our boats is in many ways like flying. Both have extremely fear filled moments and long hours of relative boredom. Both move via engines and propellers and both live in a liquid environment and crash onto hard ground on occasion. But I have no problem w close passing as long as if the boat makes a wake I'll want to turn into I'll have more room.

Edelweiss,
It seems pilots have a fondness for Californians.
 
Last edited:
manyboats said:
Edelweiss,
It seems pilots have a fondness for Californians.
Click to expand...

1. Pilots are cheap. Don't know why, but every pilot I know can't pass up a free anything! Californians are also relatively cheap...a good pilot match up!

2. Most Californians have twin engines. Pilots like redundancy.

3. Californians are stout hulls that, with enough power, can be made to plane. Pilots like strong things going fast. (my boat is an exception....but it was cheap!)

That's my theory and I'm sticking to it!
 
img_243262_0_b583ead3334197d87a46c80c5102f688.jpg
 
With all the gear I had in my last vessel the best nav aide I had was my wife. She is fantastic at reading the water, spotting navigation aides and vessels that were unlit at night.
Bill
 
I have to admit that I use my plotter and autopilot constantly. I am solo much of the time and it frees me to post a proper watch, navigate and communicate without the drudgery of minding the wheel. With 5 turns lock to lock, that equates to a lot of hand steering in my boat.

For convenience, I have laid out routes to my common destinations. When plotting these routes, I center them in any channels that form a part of the route. I use a Garmin GPSMAP 740S that allows you to select an offset when selecting and following a route. I set the offset according to the width of the channel, and where I would like to be in relation to the center when following the route. I then hand steer the boat (both directions) using the GPS steering mode and make adjustments for any un-charted objects or GPS plotting anomalies.

Next, I engage the autopilot, a Simrad AP20 with latest firmware, upgraded rate compass and new pump. I again carefully follow the progress and make further adjustments to the route. Cross-track error with the autopilot engaged is typically no more than 30' worst case, normally less than 6' or so. After a few passes, I have a high degree of confidence that I can rely upon these verified routes when the going gets bad.

No matter how convenient this gear is is though, I am always mindful to keep my head on 'full swivel' and look around for other traffic, situations and conditions. The GPS and autopilot while helpful and reliable, are completely blind, and human eyes are the only thing that will prevent them from steering you right into another boat, a freighter, the rocks . . . . . you get it.

Larry
M/V Boomarang
 
psneeld said:
Thanks...the real story is that from 0-3000 feet is a free for all...especially around coasts, non-controlled airports, places of interest....etc...
Click to expand...

Roger that!! Fly high. . . fly long :thumb:

FlyWright said:
1. Pilots are cheap. Don't know why, but every pilot I know can't pass up a free anything! Californians are also relatively cheap...a good pilot match up!
2. Most Californians have twin engines. Pilots like redundancy.
3. Californians are stout hulls that, with enough power, can be made to plane. Pilots like strong things going fast. (my boat is an exception....but it was cheap!)
Click to expand...

Now that's hurtful !!

But that's the reason I own the boat and my cousin owns the plane. I've got him convinced that cost verses miles traveled makes the boat much more expensive. He's an engineer so that make sense to him!! Now is that being cheap? Works for me! :angel:
 
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LarryM said:
I have to admit that I use my plotter and autopilot constantly. I am solo much of the time and it frees me to post a proper watch, navigate and communicate without the drudgery of minding the wheel. With 5 turns lock to lock, that equates to a lot of hand steering in my boat.

For convenience, I have laid out routes to my common destinations. When plotting these routes, I center them in any channels that form a part of the route. I use a Garmin GPSMAP 740S that allows you to select an offset when selecting and following a route. I set the offset according to the width of the channel, and where I would like to be in relation to the center when following the route. I then hand steer the boat (both directions) using the GPS steering mode and make adjustments for any un-charted objects or GPS plotting anomalies.

Next, I engage the autopilot, a Simrad AP20 with latest firmware, upgraded rate compass and new pump. I again carefully follow the progress and make further adjustments to the route. Cross-track error with the autopilot engaged is typically no more than 30' worst case, normally less than 6' or so. After a few passes, I have a high degree of confidence that I can rely upon these verified routes when the going gets bad.

No matter how convenient this gear is is though, I am always mindful to keep my head on 'full swivel' and look around for other traffic, situations and conditions. The GPS and autopilot while helpful and reliable, are completely blind, and human eyes are the only thing that will prevent them from steering you right into another boat, a freighter, the rocks . . . . . you get it.

Larry
M/V Boomarang
Click to expand...

Sound like what a lot of experienced operators do with slight variations.

I also set a very narrow pie wedge guard zone on my RADAR for right in front of me just in case (off set to compensate for COG versus heading)...sometimes buoys are off station or another temp structure that's hard to see may be in my offset and the RADAR warns me a fair bit out.
 
psneeld said:
Sound like what a lot of experienced operators do with slight variations.

I also set a very narrow pie wedge guard zone on my RADAR for right in front of me just in case (off set to compensate for COG versus heading)...sometimes buoys are off station or another temp structure that's hard to see may be in my offset and the RADAR warns me a fair bit out.
Click to expand...

Updating my SOP immediately with that one. Brilliant, yet so obvious!:thumb:

Larry
 
Billylll said:
What class do Ultralights operate in with regards to the FAA Psneed?
Thanks,
Bill
Click to expand...

I haven't owned or flown an ultralight since 1986. So what I'm saying is from very old rules and very old recall.

Back then, an ultralight was subject to all FAA rules. just because you didn't have a license didn't mean you were exempt from FAA rules/laws. Ultralights had an additional rule/law which stated that they were not allowed to fly over crowds and other populated areas. 'Crowds' being things, like school parks, sporting events (even small ones in school parks), parades, etc. I also believe we were not allowed to fly in controlled air space.

You would be wise to look this stuff up. Like I said, just because you don't need a license does not mean you don't have rules.

BTW, my ultra light was my most fun toy ever. I used to have a small tent and minimal supplies strapped under my seat. And yes, even back then, a long streaming scarf trailing behind you was a very bad idea. :whistling:

The most fun was flying as high as I cared to and dead stick my way back down. The most nerve wracking was those damned white cattle egrets following me a good amount of time.

Stay safe and have a blast.
 
We are currently heading through the Erie Canal and our GPS shows us on land more than in the water, crazily enough there are still boaters who will put their boats in crazy places just to keep the GPS icon in the water on their charts.

Follow the markers was and will always be the best idea to stay off the bottom.
 
Well guys, I have on the old boat the Garmin GHC 10 system with the V2 Chip through a Garmin 4210. The plotter tells the auto pilot where to go and thereby goes the boat. Makes all way points like a blood hound. I can clear the basin and she will take me to sea, turns and all w/o touching the wheel. She will not run u aground....Just as advertised.
Now..I let her do it, BUT.... I never leave the bridge un manned. When I am not up there it is only for a head break. She WILL run over nav aids, other boats and so forth. New boat will have a pricey GHP 20 after the old boat is gone. The 4210 came with me but a 740s replaced it. I used the 740 and it is nice too. After tens of thousands of miles manually steering a destroyer I like being Officer of the Deck and having my helmsman (Garmin) following orders.
 
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