How do you use your chart-plotter

I am interested in getting comments from recreational boat users on how they use their chart-plotters. The reason for this is I want to suggest some software changes to a marine electronics maker that would make their equipment more user friendly.

Your comments are greatly appreciated and will be used to support my recommendations.

Thanks in advance for helping me compile this data.

Specifically:

1. Do you use the routing feature of your chart-plotter, i.e. do you create a route and then use your chart-plotter to navigate via several waypoints to a destination?

2. Do you have the capability of displaying data on the chart plotter page such as time or distance to the next waypoint, time or distance to destination, depth, etc?

3. If you do have this capability what data do you display on the chart-plotter page? Can you display this data on the page you normally use to navigate, ie the chart plotter page or do you have to go to a different page to display this data?

4. If you use the routing feature of your chart-plotter are there any limits to the number of waypoints than can be used to create your route? If there are limits do you find this an issue you would like corrected?

5. Who manufactures your chart-plotter and what software changes would you recommend? Have you been using your chart-plotter so long that you’ve just gotten used to it but would like to see some changes?
Again thanks in advance, any comments will help me in suggesting upgrades.

All the time and none of the above. Never plotted a course on my chart plotter.

And I use my i-pad w Navimatics to scout ahead.

All of the above on my Garmin chart plotter. Would like to interphase with my A/P but it's an old unit with no "brains." Since my A/P controls are below, I have to leave the fly-bridge to reset the A/P to make up for set/drift.

timjet said:

1. Do you use the routing feature of your chart-plotter, i.e. do you create a route and then use your chart-plotter to navigate via several waypoints to a destination? No

2. Do you have the capability of displaying data on the chart plotter page such as time or distance to the next waypoint, time or distance to destination, depth, etc? Yes

3. If you do have this capability what data do you display on the chart-plotter page? Can you display this data on the page you normally use to navigate, ie the chart plotter page or do you have to go to a different page to display this data? Displayed on the navigate page

4. If you use the routing feature of your chart-plotter are there any limits to the number of waypoints than can be used to create your route? If there are limits do you find this an issue you would like corrected? No

5. Who manufactures your chart-plotter (Simrad) and what software changes would you recommend? Have you been using your chart-plotter so long that you’ve just gotten used to it but would like to see some changes? Yes

Click to expand...

The new Simrads & Garmins have just about all the info anyone could want or use.

timjet said:

1. Do you use the routing feature of your chart-plotter, i.e. do you create a route and then use your chart-plotter to navigate via several waypoints to a destination? Yes sometimes

2. Do you have the capability of displaying data on the chart plotter page such as time or distance to the next waypoint, time or distance to destination, depth, etc? No, wish I did, I have to change pages

3. If you do have this capability what data do you display on the chart-plotter page? Can you display this data on the page you normally use to navigate, ie the chart plotter page or do you have to go to a different page to display this data? I like to know distance and time to the next waypoint

4. If you use the routing feature of your chart-plotter are there any limits to the number of waypoints than can be used to create your route? If there are limits do you find this an issue you would like corrected? There are limits but they do not limit me right now

5. Who manufactures your chart-plotter and what software changes would you recommend? It's an older (2007) Garmin. I would like it to automatically display the tide chart for the nearest location to me. Now I have to search for a location and that is a PIA.
Have you been using your chart-plotter so long that you’ve just gotten used to it but would like to see some changes?
Again thanks in advance, any comments will help me in suggesting upgrades.

Click to expand...

There is probably more, I'll have to think abouot it and maybe add some more comments.

timjet said:

I am interested in getting comments from recreational boat users on how they use their chart-plotters. The reason for this is I want to suggest some software changes to a marine electronics maker that would make their equipment more user friendly.

Your comments are greatly appreciated and will be used to support my recommendations.

Thanks in advance for helping me compile this data.

Specifically:

1. Do you use the routing feature of your chart-plotter, i.e. do you create a route and then use your chart-plotter to navigate via several waypoints to a destination?

Occasionally. Primarily to plan arrival times at tidal passes.

2. Do you have the capability of displaying data on the chart plotter page such as time or distance to the next waypoint, time or distance to destination, depth, etc?

Yes

3. If you do have this capability what data do you display on the chart-plotter page? Can you display this data on the page you normally use to navigate, ie the chart plotter page or do you have to go to a different page to display this data?

ETA, SOG, COG, lat/long of current position, depth. On the current page

4. If you use the routing feature of your chart-plotter are there any limits to the number of waypoints than can be used to create your route? If there are limits do you find this an issue you would like corrected?

There is an ultimate limit, but it is way beyond what I need.

5. Who manufactures your chart-plotter and what software changes would you recommend? Have you been using your chart-plotter so long that you’ve just gotten used to it but would like to see some changes?

Furuno Navnet2 (2011).

Tidal points closer to the boat's location.

We have just purchased a different boat, and it has a new Simrad NSE12 plotter but we haven't used it enough to really say how we will use it. It does have tidal points close to the boat though.

Two things I would like to see on a plotter:

1) Tidal points include currents.
2) Routing that automatically (as per your own parameters) takes into account land masses & other hazards. This would significantly reduce the number of waypoints required. Garmin has this feature, and I think it would be useful once in a while.
Again thanks in advance, any comments will help me in suggesting upgrades.

Click to expand...

Interesting survey.

1. Do you use the routing feature of your chart-plotter, i.e. do you create a route and then use your chart-plotter to navigate via several waypoints to a destination? I prepare all my routs and save them on my plotter

2. Do you have the capability of displaying data on the chart plotter page such as time or distance to the next waypoint, time or distance to destination, depth, etc? yes

3. If you do have this capability what data do you display on the chart-plotter page? Can you display this data on the page you normally use to navigate, ie the chart plotter page or do you have to go to a different page to display this data?

My plotter displays, COG, ETA to next way point, and to all way points in route, cross track error, plus numerous other data points, depends on personal configuration.

4. If you use the routing feature of your chart-plotter are there any limits to the number of waypoints than can be used to create your route? If there are limits do you find this an issue you would like corrected?
Being PC based No.
5. Who manufactures your chart-plotter and what software changes would you recommend? Have you been using your chart-plotter so long that you’ve just gotten used to it but would like to see some changes? I am using Nobeltec VNS.They are stopping support for this in the future and concentrating on Time Zero.
They change platforms way to often for my liking and may go back to TMQ C Plot or Max Sea some time in the future.

Cheers
Benn

timjet said:

I am interested in getting comments from recreational boat users on how they use their chart-plotters. The reason for this is I want to suggest some software changes to a marine electronics maker that would make their equipment more user friendly.

Your comments are greatly appreciated and will be used to support my recommendations.

Thanks in advance for helping me compile this data.

Specifically:

1. Do you use the routing feature of your chart-plotter, i.e. do you create a route and then use your chart-plotter to navigate via several waypoints to a destination?
Yes, basic requirement.

2. Do you have the capability of displaying data on the chart plotter page such as time or distance to the next waypoint, time or distance to destination, depth, etc?
Yes, many options to display. I typically have SOG, COG, BTW, ETA next wpt, ETA at dest, Dist Remaining

3. If you do have this capability what data do you display on the chart-plotter page? Can you display this data on the page you normally use to navigate, ie the chart plotter page or do you have to go to a different page to display this data?
See above, all on the main chart page.

4. If you use the routing feature of your chart-plotter are there any limits to the number of waypoints than can be used to create your route? If there are limits do you find this an issue you would like corrected?
No limit I have found. I would not want a limit.

5. Who manufactures your chart-plotter and what software changes would you recommend? Have you been using your chart-plotter so long that you’ve just gotten used to it but would like to see some changes?
Again thanks in advance, any comments will help me in suggesting upgrades.

Click to expand...

I use iNavX on my iPad. I also have an older Raymarine SL70C radar/ chart plotter that I really just use for radar. Adding an autopilot in next few weeks. Have been considering a new Raymarine C or E series unit, but hard to justify given how great iNavx works and your description of limited basic features. Thanks for the heads up, I surely will not buy a new Raymarine if these features are not added before.

ancora said:

All of the above on my Garmin chart plotter. Would like to interphase with my A/P but it's an old unit with no "brains." Since my A/P controls are below, I have to leave the fly-bridge to reset the A/P to make up for set/drift.

Click to expand...

Same here except our Raymarine AP is interfaced with our Garmin plotters.

(Now if all this electronic stuff could make me a drink, cook me a meal and massage my back and...)

I am the same as Benn above except i use Open CPN with C Map charts on my private boat now

I also have a Furuno plotter that used C Map

I was operating barges in Northern Australia a few years ago and had a furuno Gps driving through a computer using Seafarer Software
This was in turn hooked to the auto pilot
This setup drove the barge everywhere in and out of islands and reefs and was that good it would drive the barge right onto the ramp if i had let it
I always ran my routes in daylight before i used them at night with confidence and this practice saved me one dark and stormy night
I keep a book with all my waypoints written down and a list of routes with the waypoints used
This saved my bacon once when the system lost the data on one occasion and saved a lot of chart work to re enter from scratch

Allan

I have Furuno plotter, radar and depth. I can have only 2 of the 3 on at any one time, so i generally keep plotter and depth on the screen. Only when traveling long distances in open water will I plot a course. I pan out so i can see the whole area, pick the spot i want to go, set the AP for that course and go. When I get to that point I do the same routine for the next location. The PO told me the plotter would work with the AP if I plotted multiple courses. I never tried it and don't think i would. I don't want the boat changing course by itself. When in fog and in deep water I overlay the radar onto the plotter. This has been done only rarely as I don't usually run in fog. Radar will pick up larger slow moving vessels, but I don't trust it to pick up smaller boats
John

The biggest hurdle i found when i went to electronic navigation was trust
Once i got over these issues and trusted the equipment which took about two weeks i found that it could do the job better than me in most cases
That does not releive you of watchkeeping duties but it does releive fatigue issues

Allan

1. Do you use the routing feature of your chart-plotter, i.e. do you create a route and then use your chart-plotter to navigate via several waypoints to a destination?

Yes. I make up routes in advance on a laptop and load them to the plotter.

2. Do you have the capability of displaying data on the chart plotter page such as time or distance to the next waypoint, time or distance to destination, depth, etc?

Yes.

3. If you do have this capability what data do you display on the chart-plotter page? Can you display this data on the page you normally use to navigate, ie the chart plotter page or do you have to go to a different page to display this data?

Each unit is different. I try to get all I can onto the main navigation page. Priorities are typically: Course and distance to next waypoint. Speed. ETA and miles to finish. Time (now).

4. If you use the routing feature of your chart-plotter are there any limits to the number of waypoints than can be used to create your route? If there are limits do you find this an issue you would like corrected?

I've never hit such a limit. I like routes to be manageable (and re-usable) "chunks", not a whole multi-day trip.

5. Who manufactures your chart-plotter and what software changes would you recommend? Have you been using your chart-plotter so long that you’ve just gotten used to it but would like to see some changes?

I've used just about all of them.

The worst is when the data is just plain wrong, like the JRC that didn't correct time of tide for DST, even though everything else it displayed did have the correction. After that, it's the difficulties in using the menu system on a moving boat, or having to go too many levels into the menu system to do basic functions.

One annoyance is when the boat has to "drive" almost to the edge of the screen before the chart updates. Always centered and having the chart scroll underneath is better, but I'd really like an offset mode (like many of the radars have) so that you see more of the area AHEAD of you. You rarely have to worry about what's behind you.

Many of the newer units do all this, I'm thinking more of the currently installed base out there today.

I am 1,446 miles into my Great Loop at an average speed of 7.6 miles per hour according to my Garmin 5212 chart plotter. (Note, the Inter Coastal Waterway,ICW, is marked in miles rather than knots so I have the 5212 set up accordingly.

I also have the Garmin Bluecharts app running on my GPS enabled iPad. The Bluecharts app has Active Captain (unbelievably useful tool), tide and currents, weather, and search capabilities built in. All of my routing and planning is done using the Bluecharts app.

Although I haven't set it up, the Bluechart app will upload routes and waypoints to the chart plotter. I haven't felt the need for this because my routes are mostly on narrow canals/waterways with hundreds of turns each day. However there may be times where this becomes useful and it is nice to know I can do this.

So rather than have the chart plotter drive the autopilot, I tend to steer to a heading.

I display GPS heading, GPS speed, time of day and location. The 5212 keeps track of trip distance, speed, estimated fuel on board, etc. I have another older GPS/plotter that interfaces with the VHS for distress position.

Both the 5212 and the Bluechart app provide tracking and I utilize that feature all the time on the 5212 and occasionally on the iPad.

I have both the 5212 and the iPad with me at whichever helm I am using.

Since I go into a new marina or anchorage almost every day, I also use Google maps on the iPad. With that I can zoom in and get a birds eye view of the marina and my position as I approach. Very usefull.

I also display radar on the 5212 either as an overlay of the chart or in a side by side display. This is particularly useful when I am steering from the lower helm with limited visibility aft.

By the way, I am running single handed so I rely heavily on these tools.

Arch

all of the above on Garmin 4012. Need to interface with all autopilots in NMEA 2000. NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED!

OK, thanks guys for all your input and please keep the replies coming.

What interests me is the many different ways people use there nav equipment.

Several replies indicate they use computer based naviagation. I see the advantage on a boat that can handle this. In my case there is no room on the helm for a computer. I'm glad those folks replied. They indicated the information available and the presentation was very good. It seems the computer based nav folks were the happiest.

Many folks don't plan a route to their destination and it seems create way points on the fly or retrieve them from a stored data base. This surprised me. From some of the replies I got on another web site this is common.
For me personally, I don't move the boat without following a route I created generally on my laptop. The reason; I hate running aground. Most of my boating is within the ICW and any deviation out of the channel could create a grounding situation. My nav equipment helps keep me in the channel without having to worry about which side of the marker I'm suppose to pass. This may sound over-cautions but remember when you head north on the GICW the red markers are always on the starboard side. Of course heading south the reverse is true. In my cruising I may head north and south a couple of times in a day, so the plotter helps keep me situationally aware.

Another surprise is the importance of a plotter to display data blocks on the chart page and what data the user can choose to display. Several replies indicated they were able to display ETA and distance to the next waypoint which would seem as basic as one could get but only a couple of users said they display time and distance to their destination. Of course a route would have to be created and followed for this information to be available. This is an important piece of data for me and I was surprised my new Raymarine unit would not display this as my Garmin unit does. Please don't feel that I'm endorsing one unit over the other I'm not, I'm trying to get information that I can use to encourage the software developers at Raymarine to perhaps make their units more user friendly. My Garmin is a more basic unit than the Raymarine unit but is the same vintage. Both are good units with the Raymarine containing many more features due to it's higher price.

I requested your input on the importance you put on the number of waypts a route can contain. Most (all) folks seem satisfied with that part of their plotter. Just for info: Garmin = 100, Raymarine = 50.

Thanks again.

I have a newly installed Garmin 740s. Just started using it. Wish I knew how to plan routes at home and take to the boat on a data card.

Anyone know how to do this easily?

If not, I guess I'll just have to read the dang manual!

timjet said:

I am interested in getting comments from recreational boat users on how they use their chart-plotters. The reason for this is I want to suggest some software changes to a marine electronics maker that would make their equipment more user friendly.

Your comments are greatly appreciated and will be used to support my recommendations.

Thanks in advance for helping me compile this data.

Specifically:

1. Do you use the routing feature of your chart-plotter, i.e. do you create a route and then use your chart-plotter to navigate via several waypoints to a destination? SOMETIMES

2. Do you have the capability of displaying data on the chart plotter page such as time or distance to the next waypoint, time or distance to destination, depth, etc? YES

3. If you do have this capability what data do you display on the chart-plotter page? LAT-LONG, SPEED, DEPTH, DISTANCE/TIME TO WAYPOINT Can you display this data on the page you normally use to navigate, ie the chart plotter page or do you have to go to a different page to display this data? YES

4. If you use the routing feature of your chart-plotter are there any limits to the number of waypoints than can be used to create your route? If there are limits do you find this an issue you would like corrected? NEVER ENCOUNTERED LIMITS.

5. Who manufactures your chart-plotter and what software changes would you recommend? GARMIN 5215. ALLOW ACCESS TO WAYPOINTS FROM CHART PAGE ABILITY TO RESTART TRACK AFTER WANDERING OFF COURSE Have you been using your chart-plotter so long that you’ve just gotten used to it but would like to see some changes? AS NOTED.

I like the Garmin with Garmin autopilot. When you enter a route, it asks if you'd like the autopilot to steer to the waypoint - No need to go to the autopilot itself to engage.

I tend to either be using the autopilot full time or the nav mode following a course. Only when maneuvering or changing course do I manually steer.

Again thanks in advance, any comments will help me in suggesting upgrades.

Click to expand...

All my comments are above.

Ben said:

I have a newly installed Garmin 740s. Just started using it. Wish I knew how to plan routes at home and take to the boat on a data card.

Anyone know how to do this easily?

If not, I guess I'll just have to read the dang manual!

Click to expand...

Yes you should..... You know the Garmin PC Software "HomePort" ?? Thats the road to go.....

But read your manuals....

Cees

Ben said:

I have a newly installed Garmin 740s. Just started using it. Wish I knew how to plan routes at home and take to the boat on a data card.

Anyone know how to do this easily?

If not, I guess I'll just have to read the dang manual!

Click to expand...

Ben,

Buy Garmin's Homeport and install it on your PC. The 740s has excellent built in maps useful for navigation. These internal maps can be transferred to an SD card for use at home with your computer with the Homeport software. You do not have to transfer the map every time, but you DO have to have the SD card plugged into your computer to use Homeport.

In addition to the built in maps, you can purchase a G2 Vision card which is more detailed than the built in maps and provides additional features. THIS card must be plugged into the chart plotter at all times that you are using it (if you want the better charts). THIS card may be copied to another SD card to use with your computer at home with Homeport software. The copied card may NOT be used in your chartplotter or any other chartplotter because of encryption, but works just fine in your computer with Homeport.

IN ADDITION you may use any SD card to transfer routes, waypoints, ect. to and from your chartplotter/computer. If you have a G2 Vision card, DO NOT use it to transfer user data between the 740s and your computer. YOU WILL DAMAGE IT.

That should get you pointed in the right direction.

Good luck.

Larry
m/v Boomarang

1. Do you use the routing feature of your chart-plotter, i.e. do you create a route and then use your chart-plotter to navigate via several waypoints to a destination? Yes

2. Do you have the capability of displaying data on the chart plotter page such as time or distance to the next waypoint, time or distance to destination, depth, etc? Yes

3. If you do have this capability what data do you display on the chart-plotter page? Can you display this data on the page you normally use to navigate, ie the chart plotter page or do you have to go to a different page to display this data? I change pages to check tidal info, but its easy as the nearest station comes up by default. Most everything else can be on the one page or a split page. I add/remove detail as required to avoid making the relatively small screen too busy.

4. If you use the routing feature of your chart-plotter are there any limits to the number of waypoints than can be used to create your route? If there are limits do you find this an issue you would like corrected?
Haven't encountered a limit yet, but I think there is a max.

5. Who manufactures your chart-plotter and what software changes would you recommend? Have you been using your chart-plotter so long that you’ve just gotten used to it but would like to see some changes?
Garmin 740s, new so still learning on it. It has plenty of capability for future tie-ins. My only concerns are with mapping and the lack of depth detail closer to shore where it is required for pleasure boaters. I guess the soundings on the maps are more for commercial shipping with lots of detail in the 20-50 feet range, but not in the 2-10 foot range.

Larry - IMMENSELY useful. I was not aware of Homeport. Only G2 at significantly more cost. Thanks a bundle!

Cees - I spent a good part of Friday digging the pathway from my fly bridge to my transducer location and the weekend enjoying the new toy.

About 50 foot of cable, drilling, and squirming in tight spaces, not to mention using power tools in close proximity to salt water. The manual will be a relaxing diversion.

Now I CAN sit back with the manual and learn in detail. Thanks for Homeport as well.

Ben I think you'll like the Garmin 740. I have the 1st version w/o the sonar. It has no video capability but you can connect a Garmin radar. It also comes loaded with charts that include tide and currents. It has 2 NMEA inputs/outputs so you can display AIS targets if you have an AIS receiver.

For the price I found it hard to beat, it is however a little small for radar display IMHO. I use homeport, Garmin's PC interface to create routes and load them into the plotter.

AusCan said:

Garmin 740s, new so still learning on it. It has plenty of capability for future tie-ins. My only concerns are with mapping and the lack of depth detail closer to shore where it is required for pleasure boaters. I guess the soundings on the maps are more for commercial shipping with lots of detail in the 20-50 feet range, but not in the 2-10 foot range.

Click to expand...

I haven't found that to be a problem, and I think there is a setting that allows you to set a "danger" depth. I'm guessing but the problem may be the charts in your area are not as detailed.

Interesting thread. Where we boat the waterways can be narrow and often with the deviation/ error / whatever on the GPS the plotter thinks we're on land. So trying to plot a course and set waypoints is useless. We do use the plotter to watch our depth and figure out our route to avoid the shallow spots and "emergent vegetation" but we have to figure out where we really are versus where the GPS says we are, if that makes sense.

With regards to the travelling overland
This can sometimes be resolved by using the offset function on the plotter
This will be determined by the charts you use
I am not sure about US or other charts but the Australian charts have written on the charts it an offset is required or that the charts are set up for satellite

Allan

AllanY said:

With regards to the travelling overland
This can sometimes be resolved by using the offset function on the plotter
This will be determined by the charts you use
I am not sure about US or other charts but the Australian charts have written on the charts it an offset is required or that the charts are set up for satellite

Allan

Click to expand...

Hmm that seems reasonable but the error seems inconsistent. Like we're in the same place in the river but occasionally the plotter shows us being on land and usually it doesn't. Very mysterious. Maybe we've occasionally done something to turn on or off an offset but we don't usually fiddle with much so not sure what we could be doing. Certainly won't rule out user error though.