off course alarm when single handing

[rpackard]

While I am single handing the Inside passage this summer, it is not unimaginable that I might doze off at the wheel and the auto pilot might decide to also doze. Is there any navigation iPad app that has a loud off course alarm.

Please don't respond with dumb comments like "don't fall asleep at the helm". That is not useful.

Richard

 

[sunchaser]

Given the amount of debris that occurs in BC and lower AK, dozing with the vessel on AP set course is pretty risky. Last year there was an extremely high tide in Ketchikan area. This normally debris free stretch was a rigorous eyes wide open few hours. Then the crab pots

 

[sjisailor]

I don't know of an off course alert as such, but one possibility would be to set a shallow water alarm based on water depth (an option at least on Garmin) and of course obstacles. I don't recall all the details but am guessing there is an audio alert option.

If I planned to go in a channel 500' deep, I might set it for 400', presumably a few minutes before hitting land (assuming it will go that high. Or whatever the max is.) Just a thought!

 

[magna 6882]

I have wondered the same thing. I have found on my boat with garmin the shadow drive would take over setting the boat on a heading and running off course until i noticed the error. i think the shadow drive should be turned off in my case if following a course but i do like your question of off course alarms.

 

[RedRascal]

The flip side of this could be a motion sensor to see if you stop moving such as sleeping. However this probably isn't the best because to it needs some form of delay to make it practical. You want to be able to sit in one place without moving for a few minutes or more without an alarm always going off. Being off course for a few minutes in some places would land you on the rocks. It would probably only take 10-20 seconds to get into trouble in Grenville Channel if your auto pilot decided to go hard to port or starboard. While this could work in open water I don't think it would be the best when you're around hazards.

 

[tpbrady]

I would put the AP on Route sent from the chart plotter. Then insert way points at 5 minute intervals that must be acknowledged. The AP should make enough noise to wake you up. My Raymarine does.

Tom

 

[O C Diver]

I use to have a Furuno GPS that would give you a steer line but may not have been designed to run an autopilot. My recollection is that on the "cross track display" page, there was an adjustable cross track error alarm. It might be worth looking through the MFD alarms and the navigation page to see if there is that alarm. Also, check your autopilot. If I shift into neutral, without disengaging the autopilot, it will eventually alarm as the boat isn't responding to the course correction commands.

Ted

 

[Spinner]

It’s good to consider the possibilities, but this is one I would absolutely avoid. As a single operator, if I ever felt that sleepy, the best course is to find a place to drop the anchor. Or, alter my cruising plans for shorter days.

Open any doors, hatches, windows, get that fresh air! I have autopilot but wouldn’t ever depend on an alarm to wake me. As mentioned, there is a lot of debris, not to mention other boats!! Look up video of an incident with a boat named Nap Time, which collided with a ferry near Seattle a few years ago in a similar situation.

 

[mvweebles]

Richard - what you are looking for is a "cross track error" alarm (XTE). I don't remember exactly, but I think it may be a setting in most modern A/Ps in our class of boat. But I just don't remember exactly.

OpenCPN apparently has it as a feature. Unfortunately, I've never really bonded with OpenCPN. But here's a description.

https://opencpn.org/flyspray/index.php?do=details&task_id=1327

Here's something on setting various alarms.

https://www.rayglass.co.nz/logbook/...-installing-useful-alarms-on-your-simrad-mfd/

Good luck.

Peter

Edit. Unfortunately, the second article I linked is pretty lame. I'm on my phone and search is difficult. But I'm fairly certain XTE alarm is an option in many MFDs (of you have one)

 

[mvweebles]

Richard - I looked at my instance of Coastal Explorer (PC). Under "Alerts," CE has an XTE alarm setting. See attached screenshot. Not sure what type of nav software you're using or if you're only looking at external Apps, but the alarm you're looking at is probably out there somewhere.

Peter

 

[Comodave]

I just put in a new suite of Raymarine equipment on our boat. One of the things I installed was an alarm unit. It was simple as plugging it into the backbone and screwing it down. There are a bazillion alarm settings but I haven’t launched yet so I haven’t been able to test it out yet.

 

[magna 6882]

It’s good to consider the possibilities, but this is one I would absolutely avoid. As a single operator, if I ever felt that sleepy, the best course is to find a place to drop the anchor. Or, alter my cruising plans for shorter days.

Open any doors, hatches, windows, get that fresh air! I have autopilot but wouldn’t ever depend on an alarm to wake me. As mentioned, there is a lot of debris, not to mention other boats!! Look up video of an incident with a boat named Nap Time, which collided with a ferry near Seattle a few years ago in a similar situation.

I dont believe the op is wanting to sleep but just another level of safty. when i am out and needing to watch for debris and pots and traffic i am not staring at my plotter. I glance now and then at depth and radar.

 

[SteveK]

Smartphones have a timer feature. Set a countdown time say 5 minutes. If you are awake reset it before the alarm sounds, again and again. Or eta to waypoint.

 

[Inbreaker]

Smartphones have a timer feature. Set a countdown time say 5 minutes. If you are awake reset it before the alarm sounds, again and again. Or eta to waypoint.

The dead man switch of our times. Sort of.

 

[GoneDiving]

The dead man switch of our times. Sort of.

Clearly no one saw Dealiest Catch when Sig gave a greenhorn a 15 minute kitchen/oven timer for a night watch then gave him a royal bollocking when it went off. ?

 

[bowball]

Im pretty sure my Furuno tz3 can do that but with the autopilot it won’t ever get to that hand. It does sound a course deviation alarm when I temporarily override it.

 

[Inbreaker]

Or, there is this old-fashioned but effective technique-
Back in the day, the old man would not allow a stool in the wheelhouse. When you stood watch, you literally stood watch.
Slightly less of an issue with a full long line or seine crew, at least when travelling.
Just remove that Stidd chair, and try not trip over the base.

 

[BandB]

While I am single handing the Inside passage this summer, it is not unimaginable that I might doze off at the wheel and the auto pilot might decide to also doze. Is there any navigation iPad app that has a loud off course alarm.

Please don't respond with dumb comments like "don't fall asleep at the helm". That is not useful.

Richard

I'm not going to look the other way from your basic "it is not unimaginable that I might doze off at the wheel."

I don't know why you say that. Most of us have driven autos and boats hundreds of thousands of miles and never done that. If you have a condition that makes that not unimaginable, then I feel for you and hope you address that. The problem to be addressed isn't the boat off course. That is a separate issue and the solutions mentioned are even good when wide awake. However, if you're inclined to fall asleep, you need medical intervention and also some form of alarm to wake you, attached to you and your body. Perhaps some of the watches or trackers can alarm. Otherwise, like the timer mentioned, perhaps set your phone to alarm every five minutes or a wrist alarm which might vibrate you awake.

Perhaps you just need to pull aside and rest regularly. When I use to travel alone by car, I made a point of taking a break every two hours. I'd get out and walk around. You can do similar on the boat. Just stop and walk around it, do your engine checks.

I'm hoping this is just you expressing extreme precaution but if you have a real concern about falling asleep at the wheel, please address that. I know you don't want to hear this concern, but I feel I would be irresponsible to not express it. You are clearly free to ignore it. Spinner gave excellent advice.

 

[Rufus]

I used the alarm on cell phone a few times crossing Lake Michigan...11 hour trip mostly in the dark. Checked the radar and scanned for lights between 10 minute snooze segments. Nothing but a few ore carriers out there in the middle of the night in September. Thirty minutes was enough to tide me over. Better that than nodding off unexpectedly.

 

[Finnegus]

My Raymarine e series has an off course alarm that I cannot figure out how to turn off! between it and the AIS alarm on the radio there is little chance of anybody sleeping underway!

 

[Capt Ray]

While I am single handing the Inside passage this summer, it is not unimaginable that I might doze off at the wheel and the auto pilot might decide to also doze. Is there any navigation iPad app that has a loud off course alarm.

Please don't respond with dumb comments like "don't fall asleep at the helm". That is not useful.

Richard

My bilge's high water alarm covers me for just about any accident that causes me to start to sink due to falling asleep at the helm. So, I think I've got this one covered.

Seriously though: redundancy is not a bad thing. e.g. I have two (totally) independent depth indicators each with their own transducers. A second [less expensive] chart plotter that can import / export routes with my primary one would be my second idea to share to address your criteria.

 

[rgano]

Is there any navigation iPad app that has a loud off course alarm.
Richard

So far I have not seen anybody directly answer Richard's question. It's like we fired a shotgun with all the pellets hitting in a donut pattern. He does not ask for an XTE alarm, but rather and OFF COURSE alarm, which is entirely different than a cross track alarm, although related.

I confess to NOT having the answer.

 

[eagle419]

So far I have not seen anybody directly answer Richard's question. It's like we fired a shotgun with all the pellets hitting in a donut pattern. He does not ask for an XTE alarm, but rather and OFF COURSE alarm, which is entirely different than a cross track alarm, although related.

I confess to NOT having the answer.

While I am single handing the Inside passage this summer, it is not unimaginable that I might doze off at the wheel and the auto pilot might decide to also doze. Is there any navigation iPad app that has a loud off course alarm.

Please don't respond with dumb comments like "don't fall asleep at the helm". That is not useful.

Richard

I use another approach to the helm-dozing risk.

We have a watch alarm with adjustable periods installed at the nav desk, so you have to get out of the helm chair to reset.

The alarm begins gently with a flashing light, then a buzzer and finally a very loud siren.

It works when solo, but also with crew there is strong motivation to avoid stirring the sleeping off-watch with a siren.

 

[mvweebles]

So far I have not seen anybody directly answer Richard's question. It's like we fired a shotgun with all the pellets hitting in a donut pattern. He does not ask for an XTE alarm, but rather and OFF COURSE alarm, which is entirely different than a cross track alarm, although related.



I confess to NOT having the answer.

I gotta ask, what's the difference? Maybe a distinction without a difference?

That said, I sort of agree that OPs question isn't really answered - I think he was looking for an App, not a function on a MFD based system.

Peter

PS - I liked the shotgun blast / donut hole analogy.

 

[Portage_Bay]

I use another approach to the helm-dozing risk.



We have a watch alarm with adjustable periods installed at the nav desk, so you have to get out of the helm chair to reset.



The alarm begins gently with a flashing light, then a buzzer and finally a very loud siren.



It works when solo, but also with crew there is strong motivation to avoid stirring the sleeping off-watch with a siren.

I used to have a similar system on the work boat. It was a function built into the autopilot. There was no turning it off. The only choice the watch could make was 5 min or 10 min. If it wasn't reset before the time expired the alarm sounded. As with yours getting louder until it sounded in the captain's room.

 

[HTurner]

Is falling asleep and staying on course less dangerous than falling asleep and straying off course? Silly question I know if in a channel....

 

[fractalphreak]

While I agree with others that dozing prevention is key to safety of the boat, here is some more info on a possible answer to the OPs question:


We use the PC version of Coastal Explorer. As mentioned by weebles it does have a XTE (cross track error) alert. This alert is configurable by distance, IE how far off course you are in whatever your preferred units are. Its the closest thing to an off course alarm I've seen. They do now have an Ipad version of Coastal Explorer, but I am not familiar with it. I can't see they would eliminate a basic function like that.

If my Garmin chartplotters have a XTE alarm, I am not familiar with it.

To successfully use an app on your Ipad for warning of XTE, I would think you would need to be using that app and your Ipad for driving your autopilot, otherwise you would be faced with duplicating the course on the Ipad and your primary nav device (IE chartplotter.) We use a physical device to connect wires from the computer to wires to the autopilot, I don't know how that looks with CE on the Ipad.

We don't rely on the XTE alert and keep it set at .25 mile as well, since in the inland waters we navigate we are always intentionally going off course to allow for crossing situations and debris/hazards in the water.

The XTE alert in CE is as loud as the speaker capability of your device. As mentioned, I don't really use the XTE alert, but did have it go off this weekend when we intentionally manually took ourselves off course to go do a bit of whale watching. Its the same alert sound that CE uses with its boundary alarms, which we use for anchor watch. Since our computer is bluetooth, I have it set up to go over the boats bluetooth equipped stereo system, so we can hear that alert/alarm go off anywhere in the salon or aft cabin. At night we leave the PC and monitor running in night mode. The alert woke us up last month when we were out and the wind came up from an unexpected direction, causing our anchor to reset. The reset took us just beyond the radius of our anchor alert zone, and set the alert off.

 

[eagle419]

Is falling asleep and staying on course less dangerous than falling asleep and straying off course? Silly question I know if in a channel....

Excellent question HT!

 

[rgano]

Here's another angle. Let's say you have an off-course alarm but the vessel never goes off course or cross track enough to activate whatever wake-up siren one manages to connect to the system. Who is watching for the floating debris or other vessels during this extended snooze time? A radar with watch zone also equipped with AIS which also can generate an alarm on a closing contact also connectd to that noisy siren as well as the off-course/XTE alarm would be a start, except for debris in the water.

All this said, I realize Richard's question really only applies to some bit of temporary tiredness and that he has no desire to take a prolonged nap underway. There are numerous options to that scenario like just going dead in the water for a bit.

 

[Hippocampus]

Have given up on autorouting to run the AP. Yes have it’s generated line shows on the screen but want me or any other helmsman to run waypoint to waypoint not only for the OP concern. Want the helmsman engaged in the activity but also reviewing the situation. Not infrequently there’s a good reason to not follow the course. Fish,lobster, crab pots/traps or traffic density or commercial trawlers or whatever. Also some times autoroute is just plain wrong. I want the helmsman to review the next leg. Not only for depth but also in terms of comfort/safety of the next leg. Sometimes changing course as little as 15 degrees increases comfort with no detriment to VMG or improves VMG.
Folks get screen hypnosis or become screen slaves. Both are bad. Sleep deprivation is as bad for performance as intoxication driving or running a boat. With respect if nodding off is a chronic issue go see a sleep physician. Sleepiness is dangerous not just when boating. If it’s a rare thing just use xte and go waypoint to waypoint.
For other reasons I don’t sit constantly. Helps keeps you in the game to get up limber up, scan a 360 with your own eyes. In a small slow boat think it’s as important to look behind you as in front. Even now not everyone has AIS.