Portable chart plotter

Propnut · Mar 2, 2017

I'm ferrying an old trawler from Maine to North Carolina in May. The boat has a JCR 1800 radar/ chart plotter that I was told works, but I'm looking to invest in a good stand alone backup. What's my best solution? I'd like to have charts and active captain.

Thanks

Jeffrey S · Mar 2, 2017

Get an iPad and a couple of good navigation apps. Nothing beats the iPad as a backup navigation device. Plus, there'll be so many other uses through weather apps, car navigation apps, web browsing, and many other things.

gaston · Mar 2, 2017

My preference would be a iPad and navtronics app

dhays · Mar 2, 2017

I would agree. I have good plotters but do have the iPad with a gps dongle running iSailor. Seems to work great for me.

gaston · Mar 2, 2017

dhays said:
I would agree. I have good plotters but do have the iPad with a gps dongle running iSailor. Seems to work great for me.

iPad with a gps dongle ???

dhays · Mar 2, 2017

gaston said:
iPad with a gps dongle ???

My iPad doesn't have an internal gps. I use a gps reciever that plugs into the iPad.

Jeffrey S · Mar 2, 2017

Neither the Navionics app nor iSailor have ActiveCaptain, one of the OP's original requirements.

There's no need to have a GPS dongle. Get a cellular iPad and you're all done. Having a cellular iPad, even without a cellular plan, has the most advantages.

ktdtx · Mar 2, 2017

Or a laptop with Coastal Explorer...which I use as my primary navigation.

HenryD · Mar 2, 2017

Both - Coastal Explorer on a laptop with a USB GPS
AND an iPad with the Garmin Blue Chart (connected and using Active Captain)

dhays · Mar 2, 2017

Jeffrey S said:
Neither the Navionics app nor iSailor have ActiveCaptain, one of the OP's original requirements.

There's no need to have a GPS dongle. Get a cellular iPad and you're all done. Having a cellular iPad, even without a cellular plan, has the most advantages.

Good point Jeffrey. That is why I also have SEAiQ on my iPad since it does have Active Captain.

So what are the other advantages to having a cellular iPad besides the internal gps if you don't intend to have a cellular account enabled on an iPad.

kchace · Mar 2, 2017

I also have SEAiq and I like it very much.

Ken

Jeffrey S · Mar 2, 2017

dhays said:
So what are the other advantages to having a cellular iPad besides the internal gps if you don't intend to have a cellular account enabled on an iPad.

None. That one advantage pays for itself and gives you a built-in GPS that you don't have to power, find, or hang off the port getting knocked around.

And of course, you can add a SIM to it and be online with it if needed when away from WiFi. Then it can also act as a hotspot.

mbevins · Mar 2, 2017

I see that SEAiq is available on Android as well. Doesn't look like a lot of downloads. $64 fee. Which is no big deal if it's as good as the iOS version that everyone says.

wwestman · Mar 2, 2017

MAIB: Experienced Launch Skipper Relied on iPad Navigation App Prior to Collision – gCaptain

Check out this article about using ipads for navigation. Might not work as you expect or need.

Jeffrey S · Mar 3, 2017

wwestman said:
MAIB: Experienced Launch Skipper Relied on iPad Navigation App Prior to Collision – gCaptain

Check out this article about using ipads for navigation. Might not work as you expect or need.

You really should read the article. These yahoos went out in fog with an iPad they had never used. The app relied on getting the display over WiFi. They didn't notice that the WiFi dropped out. I have a feeling, the iPad didn't have a GPS in it either.

Their failure had nothing to do with the iPad. They weren't qualified to drive a canoe.

wwestman · Mar 3, 2017

I agree. But the guy driving the small boat was an off duty ship pilot. Comedy of errors. Just shows how relying on electronics can get you into trouble.

Britannia · Mar 3, 2017

Propnut said:
I'm ferrying an old trawler from Maine to North Carolina in May. The boat has a JCR 1800 radar/ chart plotter that I was told works, but I'm looking to invest in a good stand alone backup. What's my best solution? I'd like to have charts and active captain.

Thanks

Two years ago, when I purchased my Krogen 54 in Ketchikan, AK, I skippered the delivery to her new home port in San Francisco Bay. To be confident with the navigation options I bought Coastal Explorer and an AIS transceiver that I configured on a Windows laptop. I was able to plan the route and become familiar with the software before the delivery. A temporary installation on my new boat was quick and easy. The AIS provided the GPS for Coastal Explorer.

I couldn't have been happier with my decision. The combination worked flawlessly. Having the AIS was very useful on many occasions - especially when we ran into some very nasty conditions on Chatham Sound. The Canadian CG could see us, as could a tug who gave us advice on how best to approach Prince Rupert Island in those conditions. I am still using this "temporary" set up today.

Although I didn't use it, I understand Active Captain is well supported with Coastal Explorer.

I would use the same approach if I had another delivery on an unfamiliar boat with untested (by me) navigation equipment. Other systems may work well too - I just know this worked for me.

Richard

ranger58sb · Mar 3, 2017

Jeffrey S said:
Get an iPad and a couple of good navigation apps. Nothing beats the iPad as a backup navigation device. Plus, there'll be so many other uses through weather apps, car navigation apps, web browsing, and many other things.

Or almost any Android tablet, with same or similar nav apps.

-Chris

kchace · Mar 3, 2017

mbevins said:
I see that SEAiq is available on Android as well. Doesn't look like a lot of downloads. $64 fee. Which is no big deal if it's as good as the iOS version that everyone says.

They have a version that is "free" but after 7 days about half the features shut off. $24.99 to permanently enable the premium features. The app works really well for me, chart downloads from the government are free, it will run in raster or vector mode, and it loads Active Captain data also for free.

Ken

Propnut · Mar 4, 2017

Thanks for the information. I've got the ActiveCaptain app and the Seaiq app.
I've downloaded the charts but can't seem to get any information on the charts like anchorages, hazards, or any other information provided by other members. What am I doing wrong?

sunchaser · Mar 4, 2017

Jeffrey S said:
None. That one advantage pays for itself and gives you a built-in GPS that you don't have to power, find, or hang off the port getting knocked around.

And of course, you can add a SIM to it and be online with it if needed when away from WiFi. Then it can also act as a hotspot.

What Jeffrey says. We do not have a cellular account for our IPad and it works fine as a navigation device with the imbedded GPS and Navionics.

Delivery Captains often have their own laptop with installed navigation hardware. This convenience avoids the issue of poorly functioning on board plotters on said delivery vessel.

Cigatoo · Mar 4, 2017

ranger42c said:
Or almost any Android tablet, with same or similar nav apps.

Is there anyone out there that has used an Android and an IPad for navigating that would be willing to make a comparison? Any large pluses / minuses or just a matter of familiarity?

Jeffrey S · Mar 4, 2017

Propnut said:
Thanks for the information. I've got the ActiveCaptain app and the Seaiq app.
I've downloaded the charts but can't seem to get any information on the charts like anchorages, hazards, or any other information provided by other members. What am I doing wrong?

Concentrate on Seaiq - you don't need any ActiveCaptain app.

Within Seaiq, you need to log into ActiveCaptain with your account email/password. Then download the data and do an update every week or so and especially before heading out. That'll update with any data that changed.

Propnut · Mar 4, 2017

I think I may have figured it out. I'll let everyone know.

kchace · Mar 4, 2017

Propnut said:
Thanks for the information. I've got the ActiveCaptain app and the Seaiq app.
I've downloaded the charts but can't seem to get any information on the charts like anchorages, hazards, or any other information provided by other members. What am I doing wrong?

You have to set up Active Captain INSIDE the Seaiq app.

Go into the Seaiq app "Settings" and turn on Active Captain slider.
Then tap on the Active Captain "line" and it will take you to a setup screen that you have to fill in.
Then "login and Synchronize Database". Then everything will show up in Seaiq.

Ken

Propnut · Mar 4, 2017

When I go ActiveCaptain, then go to Map/Tile Download and open that screen it brings up a map where you select a map/tile to download. When I select a Tile to download and tap to download it, I get an network error message. ??????? I'm lost??

ranger58sb · Mar 4, 2017

Jeffrey S said:
Concentrate on Seaiq - you don't need any ActiveCaptain app.

Within Seaiq, you need to log into ActiveCaptain with your account email/password. Then download the data and do an update every week or so and especially before heading out. That'll update with any data that changed.

Propnut said:
When I go ActiveCaptain, then go to Map/Tile Download and open that screen it brings up a map where you select a map/tile to download. When I select a Tile to download and tap to download it, I get an network error message. ??????? I'm lost??

I think Jeffrey is saying don't go to the AC app at all.

Go directly to SeaIQ. Once there, log into AC, then download AC data to the device. Then always look at AC data within SeaIQ. (Refresh AC data within SeaIQ occasionally.)

-Chris

ranger58sb · Mar 4, 2017

Easting said:
ranger42c said:

Or almost any Android tablet, with same or similar nav apps.

Is there anyone out there that has used an Android and an IPad for navigating that would be willing to make a comparison? Any large pluses / minuses or just a matter of familiarity?

Click to expand...

Don't know whether many will have both iThings and A-things... to compare apps side by side...

I would imagine apps that are available on both platforms (e.g., Plan2Nav) work pretty much the same, with pretty much the same degree of accuracy.

I can at least say Plan2Nav works well on our A-Things, and location accuracy seems to be comparable without two Furuno GPS units. The C-Map vector charts within Plan2Nav seem to be comparable in chart accuracy -- at least in our area -- to the NOAA S57 vector charts we use on the Furuno chartplotter.

-Chris

Jeffrey S · Mar 4, 2017

Propnut said:
When I go ActiveCaptain, then go to Map/Tile Download and open that screen it brings up a map where you select a map/tile to download. When I select a Tile to download and tap to download it, I get an network error message. ??????? I'm lost??

Delete that app - it's no longer supported or available. Use one of the real navigation apps with ActiveCaptain inside.

Jeffrey S · Mar 4, 2017

ranger42c said:
Easting said:

Don't know whether many will have both iThings and A-things... to compare apps side by side...

Click to expand...

I do. And I'm a developer for both platforms.

In general:

- If only one platform is supported, it will be iOS (there are some rare exceptions for boating apps).

- If the same app is available on both platforms, the iOS one will be more advanced and have more capabilities; the Android version will eventually get those capabilities but sometimes not.

- The better apps are the iOS ones. This goes outside boating apps too.

If you're only going to get one type of tablet, it is better to get an iPad. Even outside boating, the apps are just better. The people who don't follow that are typically trying to spend less money (and getting less capabilities) or have some bizarre dislike for Apple's unbelievable success. Owners of iPads often give up their laptops and will fight before giving up the iPad once they've had it for a year. Android tablet owners never feel that way. Android ownership is significantly skewed to phone ownership too over tablet ownership.

For what it's worth, I like Android a lot and I write for both platforms whenever I write anything. When I give talks at rendezvous, etc, I often ask for an Android/iOS split. It's usually 60%:40%, iOS:Android today. It used to be more tilted to iOS but all my boating/developer friends except 1 still write for iOS first because they make more money there. iOS users tend to buy apps much more than Android users.

And it can't be said enough - if you get an iPad for use on a boat, always get a cellular one so you'll have a real GPS inside it.

Portable chart plotter

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