Anchor alarm

https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/d...pn_user_manual:advanced_features:anchor_watch
I was out last weekend wondering how to set an anchor watch on OpenCPN.

I also installed AnchorWatch and DragQueen for android.

Using the android app is nice in that you can shut down the nav program PC.

Ted

That's a fantastic idea I never thought, I can set the Garmin unit to display the important items to being anchored at night.

Thanks.

Bacchus said:

Dont forget to set it where you drop anchor NOT after let out scope & set anchor (as many do).
You can be more precise w allowed error band if you consider wind shifts and / or tides.
Draw some diagrams w error circles if not convinced.

Click to expand...

Don,
Seems so elementry I almost posted that. Thanks.

Does anyone have experience as to which of the cell phone/IPAD anchor alarms is better for when you are off the boat. I am looking for software I can install on a phone I will leave on the boat when I am ashore and which can text me if the boat drifts.

I am perfectly happy with my anchor alarm system when I am on the boat and will not use the cell phone app when I am on the boat.

I am planning on downloading both Anchor Watch and Drag Queen to see how they work. There are also a couple of non-free apps available which look promising.

Bay Pelican said:

Does anyone have experience as to which of the cell phone/IPAD anchor alarms is better for when you are off the boat. I am looking for software I can install on a phone I will leave on the boat when I am ashore and which can text me if the boat drifts.

I am perfectly happy with my anchor alarm system when I am on the boat and will not use the cell phone app when I am on the boat.

I am planning on downloading both Anchor Watch and Drag Queen to see how they work. There are also a couple of non-free apps available which look promising.

Click to expand...

Yes.
PM sent.

Hi Oliver

Don't keep it a secret, others may be interested.

Thanks.

That's pretty cool, I like the addition of depth and wind speed.

O C Diver said:

I mounted a Garmin GMI20 display in my stateroom. It's powered by the nmea2000 network and will display most of the information traveling across the network. So I leave the network on without the MFDs. The display has an anchor drag alarm, but also tells me water depth (think tide watch), wind speed and direction, and also shows boat heading. The displays scroll through and there is also a digital clock. It can be dimmed to almost dark. Like the idea of the accuracy of my network GPS, knowing how much water is under the boat, and if the wind has changed.

Ted

Click to expand...

O C Diver said:

I mounted a Garmin GMI20 display in my stateroom...

Click to expand...

I loved the idea... until I saw the price!

One of the cool things about the Vesper XB8000 AIS is that it can broadcast NMEA data over WiFi. It also has a very robust built-in anchor alarm. More and more marine electronic devices are coming with both of these abilities.

If I'm going to leave the NMEA 2K bus powered anyway, I might as well power the Vesper too, and use my existing smart phone to display all the other NMEA data. There are a number of apps that can do this.

One of the nice things about this solution is that you can also leave a chartplotter app running, zoomed in on a waypoint where you dropped your anchor. This gives an instant visual about where you are, and if you leave a track line, a bit of history about where you've been swinging.

In practice, I usually use just the chartplotter app, without alarms or NMEA data, and check it each time I wake up. I tend to wake up a lot if there's any doubt about the holding. I keep promising myself I'll go through the hassle of setting an alarm one of these days.

for those that use the alarm in your plotter; is it common to leave your chart plotter powered on all night? we've been on a friends' boat where they do not necessarily leave everything up at the helm running all night....

Hamrow said:

for those that use the alarm in your plotter; is it common to leave your chart plotter powered on all night? we've been on a friends' boat where they do not necessarily leave everything up at the helm running all night....

Click to expand...

Even though I use Drag Queen for my anchor alarm, I leave my charting software (Coastal Explorer) with GPS powered up all night. I keep my radar on standby. If I wake up in the middle of the night to an emergency I want charting and radar available immediately. Depth finder is powered up too for the same reason.

Richard

When using any of these - set it when and where you drop the anchor - not after you let out the scope. You are measuring the anchor movements - not swinging on the line!

Hamrow

Yes, I turn the brightness down to barely visible, I want it ready when I need it. I also use Dragqueen on an iPad and iPhone .