By Sandy.Herbert - 19 Nov 2024
I want to replace my existing navigation hardware and I am looking for advice on the state of the art.
My present system is 12 years old. It consists of two Garmin GPSmap 4008s, one at the chart table and one on the binnacle. They are networked and both can be used to display maps, follow routes, display AIS targets, control and display the radar and all the other stuff they do like display tides, show wind graphs etc. etc.
I use a PC and OpenCPN or Homeport to do routing and transfer the routes using SD cards ( no WiFi on these old systems). Up till now I have used a sat phone to connect to the Internet and to download grib files using Sailmail or similar. I use the PC and OpenCPN to display the grib files. I have a Vesper AIS which is also my WiFi hub.
This system does everything I want and has served me well.
However the GPSmaps are getting old and are classed as legacy devices by Garmin. I managed to update the OS recently which has prolonged their lives but I can see the end coming. The plotters don't support the most recent Garmin maps and can't read any other format. Also Garmin maps are fantastically expensive.
I am a bit out of the cruising network and I would like to know what people are installing now for long distance offshore cruising. Ideally I would like a system not based on a dedicated plotter. However, I do want a reliable system and if this means a brand plotter so be it. I would also like to know what people are installing for satellite communications and weather. Answers from real experience please rather than speculation.
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By simoncurrin - 19 Nov 2024
Sandy,
We did a similar upgrade last year and can share the mistake we made!
We decided to save a few pennies by opting for two touchscreen Raymarine MFD’s (Axiom). The one at the nav station is fine but the one at the helm goes crazy when it is raining as the rain drops trigger MoB’s and all sorts of nonsense. This is easily overcome by switching off the touchscreen but we then have no way of interacting with the device when the screen is wet. We have had to buy networked remote controls which was rather more expensive than buying an MFD with in-built manual knobs and buttons.
With the above caveat the new network is a vast improvement on what we had before.
As for satellite / weather the combination of PredictWind and Starlink is very powerful and substantially cheaper than Iridium or installing SSB. We found PredictWind’s ‘over the horizon AIS’ a great tool for various niche reasons I won’t bore you with.
Simon
+xI want to replace my existing navigation hardware and I am looking for advice on the state of the art. My present system is 12 years old. It consists of two Garmin GPSmap 4008s, one at the chart table and one on the binnacle. They are networked and both can be used to display maps, follow routes, display AIS targets, control and display the radar and all the other stuff they do like display tides, show wind graphs etc. etc. I use a PC and OpenCPN or Homeport to do routing and transfer the routes using SD cards ( no WiFi on these old systems). Up till now I have used a sat phone to connect to the Internet and to download grib files using Sailmail or similar. I use the PC and OpenCPN to display the grib files. I have a Vesper AIS which is also my WiFi hub. This system does everything I want and has served me well. However the GPSmaps are getting old and are classed as legacy devices by Garmin. I managed to update the OS recently which has prolonged their lives but I can see the end coming. The plotters don't support the most recent Garmin maps and can't read any other format. Also Garmin maps are fantastically expensive. I am a bit out of the cruising network and I would like to know what people are installing now for long distance offshore cruising. Ideally I would like a system not based on a dedicated plotter. However, I do want a reliable system and if this means a brand plotter so be it. I would also like to know what people are installing for satellite communications and weather. Answers from real experience please rather than speculation.
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By Dick - 21 Nov 2024
+xSandy, We did a similar upgrade last year and can share the mistake we made! We decided to save a few pennies by opting for two touchscreen Raymarine MFD’s (Axiom). The one at the nav station is fine but the one at the helm goes crazy when it is raining as the rain drops trigger MoB’s and all sorts of nonsense. This is easily overcome by switching off the touchscreen but we then have no way of interacting with the device when the screen is wet. We have had to buy networked remote controls which was rather more expensive than buying an MFD with in-built manual knobs and buttons. With the above caveat the new network is a vast improvement on what we had before. As for satellite / weather the combination of PredictWind and Starlink is very powerful and substantially cheaper than Iridium or installing SSB. We found PredictWind’s ‘over the horizon AIS’ a great tool for various niche reasons I won’t bore you with. Simon +xI want to replace my existing navigation hardware and I am looking for advice on the state of the art. My present system is 12 years old. It consists of two Garmin GPSmap 4008s, one at the chart table and one on the binnacle. They are networked and both can be used to display maps, follow routes, display AIS targets, control and display the radar and all the other stuff they do like display tides, show wind graphs etc. etc. I use a PC and OpenCPN or Homeport to do routing and transfer the routes using SD cards ( no WiFi on these old systems). Up till now I have used a sat phone to connect to the Internet and to download grib files using Sailmail or similar. I use the PC and OpenCPN to display the grib files. I have a Vesper AIS which is also my WiFi hub. This system does everything I want and has served me well. However the GPSmaps are getting old and are classed as legacy devices by Garmin. I managed to update the OS recently which has prolonged their lives but I can see the end coming. The plotters don't support the most recent Garmin maps and can't read any other format. Also Garmin maps are fantastically expensive. I am a bit out of the cruising network and I would like to know what people are installing now for long distance offshore cruising. Ideally I would like a system not based on a dedicated plotter. However, I do want a reliable system and if this means a brand plotter so be it. I would also like to know what people are installing for satellite communications and weather. Answers from real experience please rather than speculation. Hi Sandy,
I have 10+ years with the following system and lots of miles and lots of countries. It has met all my needs, but I have not followed advances in the industry.
Primary navigation is done on a laptop using MaxSea software and is done at the nav station safely down below. It talks to a Furuno chart plotter (ethernet) under the dodger easily seen from the helm.
All navigation could be done on the CP, but is far easier to do on the computer. For our needs, it is very nice to have nav info in the cockpit as well radar display and controls: especially for the radar. There is also a full package of Furuno wind/depth/GPS/radar and ICOM AIS transponder.
Having a visual on the chart plotter under the dodger has been very nice and has enhanced safety on many occasions. We can see it easily from the helm, but prefer it under the dodger as we are rarely at the helm. We also want anyone on the helm (when going into anchorages, for example) to maintain situational awareness (and perhaps night vision) by not manipulating a chart plotter (sort of like using a phone to sending a text or calling while driving).
Over the decades we have gotten weather primarily from SSB, (Ham and marine), and more recently Iridium sat phone (data and voice). But this seems likely to change with Starlink in the budget for next season.
The only hesitation I have with the above is a wish that the radar was stand-alone with its own display: I am largely not a fan of integration with gear that is important for safety. (Similarly, my ICOM AIS transponder does have output to the CP and laptop MaxSea navigation programs, but also has its own display, albeit small, but quite usable.
Come back with questions.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy
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By Sandy.Herbert - 21 Nov 2024
+xSandy, We did a similar upgrade last year and can share the mistake we made! We decided to save a few pennies by opting for two touchscreen Raymarine MFD’s (Axiom). The one at the nav station is fine but the one at the helm goes crazy when it is raining as the rain drops trigger MoB’s and all sorts of nonsense. This is easily overcome by switching off the touchscreen but we then have no way of interacting with the device when the screen is wet. We have had to buy networked remote controls which was rather more expensive than buying an MFD with in-built manual knobs and buttons. With the above caveat the new network is a vast improvement on what we had before. As for satellite / weather the combination of PredictWind and Starlink is very powerful and substantially cheaper than Iridium or installing SSB. We found PredictWind’s ‘over the horizon AIS’ a great tool for various niche reasons I won’t bore you with. Simon +xI want to replace my existing navigation hardware and I am looking for advice on the state of the art. My present system is 12 years old. It consists of two Garmin GPSmap 4008s, one at the chart table and one on the binnacle. They are networked and both can be used to display maps, follow routes, display AIS targets, control and display the radar and all the other stuff they do like display tides, show wind graphs etc. etc. I use a PC and OpenCPN or Homeport to do routing and transfer the routes using SD cards ( no WiFi on these old systems). Up till now I have used a sat phone to connect to the Internet and to download grib files using Sailmail or similar. I use the PC and OpenCPN to display the grib files. I have a Vesper AIS which is also my WiFi hub. This system does everything I want and has served me well. However the GPSmaps are getting old and are classed as legacy devices by Garmin. I managed to update the OS recently which has prolonged their lives but I can see the end coming. The plotters don't support the most recent Garmin maps and can't read any other format. Also Garmin maps are fantastically expensive. I am a bit out of the cruising network and I would like to know what people are installing now for long distance offshore cruising. Ideally I would like a system not based on a dedicated plotter. However, I do want a reliable system and if this means a brand plotter so be it. I would also like to know what people are installing for satellite communications and weather. Answers from real experience please rather than speculation.
Thanks for this reply. What do you do for routing and weather? Do you do it directly on the plotters?
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By simoncurrin - 21 Nov 2024
Sandy,
I’m afraid to say I say we all weather on an iPhone (courtesy of PredictWind) which works very well for us but I know traditionalists would not approve. Connections is via to Starlink with Iridium as a backup - though we may dispense with the latter next season given it’s cost.
Simon
+x+xSandy, We did a similar upgrade last year and can share the mistake we made! We decided to save a few pennies by opting for two touchscreen Raymarine MFD’s (Axiom). The one at the nav station is fine but the one at the helm goes crazy when it is raining as the rain drops trigger MoB’s and all sorts of nonsense. This is easily overcome by switching off the touchscreen but we then have no way of interacting with the device when the screen is wet. We have had to buy networked remote controls which was rather more expensive than buying an MFD with in-built manual knobs and buttons. With the above caveat the new network is a vast improvement on what we had before. As for satellite / weather the combination of PredictWind and Starlink is very powerful and substantially cheaper than Iridium or installing SSB. We found PredictWind’s ‘over the horizon AIS’ a great tool for various niche reasons I won’t bore you with. Simon +xI want to replace my existing navigation hardware and I am looking for advice on the state of the art. My present system is 12 years old. It consists of two Garmin GPSmap 4008s, one at the chart table and one on the binnacle. They are networked and both can be used to display maps, follow routes, display AIS targets, control and display the radar and all the other stuff they do like display tides, show wind graphs etc. etc. I use a PC and OpenCPN or Homeport to do routing and transfer the routes using SD cards ( no WiFi on these old systems). Up till now I have used a sat phone to connect to the Internet and to download grib files using Sailmail or similar. I use the PC and OpenCPN to display the grib files. I have a Vesper AIS which is also my WiFi hub. This system does everything I want and has served me well. However the GPSmaps are getting old and are classed as legacy devices by Garmin. I managed to update the OS recently which has prolonged their lives but I can see the end coming. The plotters don't support the most recent Garmin maps and can't read any other format. Also Garmin maps are fantastically expensive. I am a bit out of the cruising network and I would like to know what people are installing now for long distance offshore cruising. Ideally I would like a system not based on a dedicated plotter. However, I do want a reliable system and if this means a brand plotter so be it. I would also like to know what people are installing for satellite communications and weather. Answers from real experience please rather than speculation. Thanks for this reply. What do you do for routing and weather? Do you do it directly on the plotters?
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By Dick - 21 Nov 2024
+xSandy, I’m afraid to say I say we all weather on an iPhone (courtesy of PredictWind) which works very well for us but I know traditionalists would not approve. Connections is via to Starlink with Iridium as a backup - though we may dispense with the latter next season given it’s cost. Simon +x+xSandy, We did a similar upgrade last year and can share the mistake we made! We decided to save a few pennies by opting for two touchscreen Raymarine MFD’s (Axiom). The one at the nav station is fine but the one at the helm goes crazy when it is raining as the rain drops trigger MoB’s and all sorts of nonsense. This is easily overcome by switching off the touchscreen but we then have no way of interacting with the device when the screen is wet. We have had to buy networked remote controls which was rather more expensive than buying an MFD with in-built manual knobs and buttons. With the above caveat the new network is a vast improvement on what we had before. As for satellite / weather the combination of PredictWind and Starlink is very powerful and substantially cheaper than Iridium or installing SSB. We found PredictWind’s ‘over the horizon AIS’ a great tool for various niche reasons I won’t bore you with. Simon +xI want to replace my existing navigation hardware and I am looking for advice on the state of the art. My present system is 12 years old. It consists of two Garmin GPSmap 4008s, one at the chart table and one on the binnacle. They are networked and both can be used to display maps, follow routes, display AIS targets, control and display the radar and all the other stuff they do like display tides, show wind graphs etc. etc. I use a PC and OpenCPN or Homeport to do routing and transfer the routes using SD cards ( no WiFi on these old systems). Up till now I have used a sat phone to connect to the Internet and to download grib files using Sailmail or similar. I use the PC and OpenCPN to display the grib files. I have a Vesper AIS which is also my WiFi hub. This system does everything I want and has served me well. However the GPSmaps are getting old and are classed as legacy devices by Garmin. I managed to update the OS recently which has prolonged their lives but I can see the end coming. The plotters don't support the most recent Garmin maps and can't read any other format. Also Garmin maps are fantastically expensive. I am a bit out of the cruising network and I would like to know what people are installing now for long distance offshore cruising. Ideally I would like a system not based on a dedicated plotter. However, I do want a reliable system and if this means a brand plotter so be it. I would also like to know what people are installing for satellite communications and weather. Answers from real experience please rather than speculation. Thanks for this reply. What do you do for routing and weather? Do you do it directly on the plotters?
Hi Sandy,
I have used a paid router only a few times, but always generated my own routing out 3 days using existing weather forecasts including wind/wave. I then take the paid for route and compare. If similar, I am happy: any discrepancies, I ask the router why.
For example, I used a router from Iceland to Greenland. He had me going farther S than I had worked out. He said he had kept me S as there was a low lurking in Canada and coming my way 3-5 days out. It was forecast to stay N of rhumb line and not be a bother, but if it tracked a more southerly route, it could bring significant headwinds and some ugly weather. So, he had me going S and added a few miles but meant I might have greater options if the low tracked S.
I have never used a computer-generated route program, but have heard they exist. I would do the same as above and try to figure out why if significant discrepancies occur.
One of the benefits of generating your own route is that you have much greater situational awareness if/when weather does not unfold as forecast. This means you are already up-to-speed on the whole picture and able to respond without going back to the drawing-board.
It helps greatly write down a day-by-day anticipation of the passage. For example: day three, noon, winds SSE at 15kn T, bar xyz inches, cloudy, wind expected to veer, rain possible. You do this pretty much when doing route planning, but written down you notice things like a low approaching faster than anticipated by the bar pressure dropping earlier or the wind is doing something which needs explaining.
As the passage proceeds, I am always revising the route daily out at least 3 days as the forecast changes.
Come back with questions.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy
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By Sandy.Herbert - 21 Nov 2024
+x+xSandy, We did a similar upgrade last year and can share the mistake we made! We decided to save a few pennies by opting for two touchscreen Raymarine MFD’s (Axiom). The one at the nav station is fine but the one at the helm goes crazy when it is raining as the rain drops trigger MoB’s and all sorts of nonsense. This is easily overcome by switching off the touchscreen but we then have no way of interacting with the device when the screen is wet. We have had to buy networked remote controls which was rather more expensive than buying an MFD with in-built manual knobs and buttons. With the above caveat the new network is a vast improvement on what we had before. As for satellite / weather the combination of PredictWind and Starlink is very powerful and substantially cheaper than Iridium or installing SSB. We found PredictWind’s ‘over the horizon AIS’ a great tool for various niche reasons I won’t bore you with. Simon +xI want to replace my existing navigation hardware and I am looking for advice on the state of the art. My present system is 12 years old. It consists of two Garmin GPSmap 4008s, one at the chart table and one on the binnacle. They are networked and both can be used to display maps, follow routes, display AIS targets, control and display the radar and all the other stuff they do like display tides, show wind graphs etc. etc. I use a PC and OpenCPN or Homeport to do routing and transfer the routes using SD cards ( no WiFi on these old systems). Up till now I have used a sat phone to connect to the Internet and to download grib files using Sailmail or similar. I use the PC and OpenCPN to display the grib files. I have a Vesper AIS which is also my WiFi hub. This system does everything I want and has served me well. However the GPSmaps are getting old and are classed as legacy devices by Garmin. I managed to update the OS recently which has prolonged their lives but I can see the end coming. The plotters don't support the most recent Garmin maps and can't read any other format. Also Garmin maps are fantastically expensive. I am a bit out of the cruising network and I would like to know what people are installing now for long distance offshore cruising. Ideally I would like a system not based on a dedicated plotter. However, I do want a reliable system and if this means a brand plotter so be it. I would also like to know what people are installing for satellite communications and weather. Answers from real experience please rather than speculation. Hi Sandy, I have 10+ years with the following system and lots of miles and lots of countries. It has met all my needs, but I have not followed advances in the industry. Primary navigation is done on a laptop using MaxSea software and is done at the nav station safely down below. It talks to a Furuno chart plotter (ethernet) under the dodger easily seen from the helm. All navigation could be done on the CP, but is far easier to do on the computer. For our needs, it is very nice to have nav info in the cockpit as well radar display and controls: especially for the radar. There is also a full package of Furuno wind/depth/GPS/radar and ICOM AIS transponder. Having a visual on the chart plotter under the dodger has been very nice and has enhanced safety on many occasions. We can see it easily from the helm, but prefer it under the dodger as we are rarely at the helm. We also want anyone on the helm (when going into anchorages, for example) to maintain situational awareness (and perhaps night vision) by not manipulating a chart plotter (sort of like using a phone to sending a text or calling while driving). Over the decades we have gotten weather primarily from SSB, (Ham and marine), and more recently Iridium sat phone (data and voice). But this seems likely to change with Starlink in the budget for next season. The only hesitation I have with the above is a wish that the radar was stand-alone with its own display: I am largely not a fan of integration with gear that is important for safety. (Similarly, my ICOM AIS transponder does have output to the CP and laptop MaxSea navigation programs, but also has its own display, albeit small, but quite usable. Come back with questions. My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy
Thanks for your reply.
Does the Maxsea software on the laptop share the same charts as the plotter?
Do the Maxsea charts have some sort of licensing system which allows them to be installed on multiple devices or something like that?
You say you send your routes to the plotter via an ethernet network. Does the plotter appear on the PC just like any device where you can copy paste to it? ( I ask because some of the systems for sending routes to a plotter appear to require you to mail it. No joke.)
I have to do most of my route planning on an old discontinued piece of Garmin software called Homeport which does read the same charts. However I have to physically take the SD card with the chart on it out of the plotter and put it in the laptop, then transfer the route onto an SD card and put that in the plotter then put the SD card with the chart on it back in the plotter. One day I'm going to drop an SD card into the bilge and then I will be stuck.
The current Garmin route planning software appears to assume that you will always be in network range so that you can load your charts from the web. As I understand it, you are still not allowed to keep copies of charts on multiple devices.
Are you aware of any new systems which don't run on dedicated plotters? I have ideas of going to a PC based system but I can't find a solution yet for an interactive device in the cockpit.
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By Sandy.Herbert - 21 Nov 2024
+xSandy, I’m afraid to say I say we all weather on an iPhone (courtesy of PredictWind) which works very well for us but I know traditionalists would not approve. Connections is via to Starlink with Iridium as a backup - though we may dispense with the latter next season given it’s cost. Simon +x+xSandy, We did a similar upgrade last year and can share the mistake we made! We decided to save a few pennies by opting for two touchscreen Raymarine MFD’s (Axiom). The one at the nav station is fine but the one at the helm goes crazy when it is raining as the rain drops trigger MoB’s and all sorts of nonsense. This is easily overcome by switching off the touchscreen but we then have no way of interacting with the device when the screen is wet. We have had to buy networked remote controls which was rather more expensive than buying an MFD with in-built manual knobs and buttons. With the above caveat the new network is a vast improvement on what we had before. As for satellite / weather the combination of PredictWind and Starlink is very powerful and substantially cheaper than Iridium or installing SSB. We found PredictWind’s ‘over the horizon AIS’ a great tool for various niche reasons I won’t bore you with. Simon +xI want to replace my existing navigation hardware and I am looking for advice on the state of the art. My present system is 12 years old. It consists of two Garmin GPSmap 4008s, one at the chart table and one on the binnacle. They are networked and both can be used to display maps, follow routes, display AIS targets, control and display the radar and all the other stuff they do like display tides, show wind graphs etc. etc. I use a PC and OpenCPN or Homeport to do routing and transfer the routes using SD cards ( no WiFi on these old systems). Up till now I have used a sat phone to connect to the Internet and to download grib files using Sailmail or similar. I use the PC and OpenCPN to display the grib files. I have a Vesper AIS which is also my WiFi hub. This system does everything I want and has served me well. However the GPSmaps are getting old and are classed as legacy devices by Garmin. I managed to update the OS recently which has prolonged their lives but I can see the end coming. The plotters don't support the most recent Garmin maps and can't read any other format. Also Garmin maps are fantastically expensive. I am a bit out of the cruising network and I would like to know what people are installing now for long distance offshore cruising. Ideally I would like a system not based on a dedicated plotter. However, I do want a reliable system and if this means a brand plotter so be it. I would also like to know what people are installing for satellite communications and weather. Answers from real experience please rather than speculation. Thanks for this reply. What do you do for routing and weather? Do you do it directly on the plotters?
I guess I am still thinking in terms of grib files. I find Windy and such OK for short passages but for offshore sailing I like to be able to plot the grib files on the chart and plan my route accordingly.
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By simoncurrin - 21 Nov 2024
But that’s exactly what PredictWind does. It’s a multiday routing tool comparing projections basted on all the GRIB models. Windy also has a similar routing tool.
Simon
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By Sandy.Herbert - 21 Nov 2024
+x+xSandy, I’m afraid to say I say we all weather on an iPhone (courtesy of PredictWind) which works very well for us but I know traditionalists would not approve. Connections is via to Starlink with Iridium as a backup - though we may dispense with the latter next season given it’s cost. Simon +x+xSandy, We did a similar upgrade last year and can share the mistake we made! We decided to save a few pennies by opting for two touchscreen Raymarine MFD’s (Axiom). The one at the nav station is fine but the one at the helm goes crazy when it is raining as the rain drops trigger MoB’s and all sorts of nonsense. This is easily overcome by switching off the touchscreen but we then have no way of interacting with the device when the screen is wet. We have had to buy networked remote controls which was rather more expensive than buying an MFD with in-built manual knobs and buttons. With the above caveat the new network is a vast improvement on what we had before. As for satellite / weather the combination of PredictWind and Starlink is very powerful and substantially cheaper than Iridium or installing SSB. We found PredictWind’s ‘over the horizon AIS’ a great tool for various niche reasons I won’t bore you with. Simon +xI want to replace my existing navigation hardware and I am looking for advice on the state of the art. My present system is 12 years old. It consists of two Garmin GPSmap 4008s, one at the chart table and one on the binnacle. They are networked and both can be used to display maps, follow routes, display AIS targets, control and display the radar and all the other stuff they do like display tides, show wind graphs etc. etc. I use a PC and OpenCPN or Homeport to do routing and transfer the routes using SD cards ( no WiFi on these old systems). Up till now I have used a sat phone to connect to the Internet and to download grib files using Sailmail or similar. I use the PC and OpenCPN to display the grib files. I have a Vesper AIS which is also my WiFi hub. This system does everything I want and has served me well. However the GPSmaps are getting old and are classed as legacy devices by Garmin. I managed to update the OS recently which has prolonged their lives but I can see the end coming. The plotters don't support the most recent Garmin maps and can't read any other format. Also Garmin maps are fantastically expensive. I am a bit out of the cruising network and I would like to know what people are installing now for long distance offshore cruising. Ideally I would like a system not based on a dedicated plotter. However, I do want a reliable system and if this means a brand plotter so be it. I would also like to know what people are installing for satellite communications and weather. Answers from real experience please rather than speculation. Thanks for this reply. What do you do for routing and weather? Do you do it directly on the plotters? Hi Sandy, I have used a paid router only a few times, but always generated my own routing out 3 days using existing weather forecasts including wind/wave. I then take the paid for route and compare. If similar, I am happy: any discrepancies, I ask the router why. For example, I used a router from Iceland to Greenland. He had me going farther S than I had worked out. He said he had kept me S as there was a low lurking in Canada and coming my way 3-5 days out. It was forecast to stay N of rhumb line and not be a bother, but if it tracked a more southerly route, it could bring significant headwinds and some ugly weather. So, he had me going S and added a few miles but meant I might have greater options if the low tracked S. I have never used a computer-generated route program, but have heard they exist. I would do the same as above and try to figure out why if significant discrepancies occur. One of the benefits of generating your own route is that you have much greater situational awareness if/when weather does not unfold as forecast. This means you are already up-to-speed on the whole picture and able to respond without going back to the drawing-board. It helps greatly write down a day-by-day anticipation of the passage. For example: day three, noon, winds SSE at 15kn T, bar xyz inches, cloudy, wind expected to veer, rain possible. You do this pretty much when doing route planning, but written down you notice things like a low approaching faster than anticipated by the bar pressure dropping earlier or the wind is doing something which needs explaining. As the passage proceeds, I am always revising the route daily out at least 3 days as the forecast changes. Come back with questions. My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy
The only time I have used someone to help me with timing and weather was for the passage between Madagascar and Richards Bay in South Africa. Everyone including me seemed to be terrified of the South African coast and it was a great comfort to have the advice of someone who knew the area well.
Otherwise for offshore stuff I downloaded grib files using Sailmail and overlaid them on the chart and planned my route accordingly. I guess this is already getting to be old technology though.
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By Sandy.Herbert - 21 Nov 2024
+xBut that’s exactly what PredictWind does. It’s a multiday routing tool comparing projections basted on all the GRIB models. Windy also has a similar routing tool.Simon
But on an iphone? How does that work? I tried to use the PC version of Windy to do routing on my last outing in the Med this spring. I was disgusted to find that you needed to pay for it.
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By Sandy.Herbert - 21 Nov 2024
+xBut that’s exactly what PredictWind does. It’s a multiday routing tool comparing projections basted on all the GRIB models. Windy also has a similar routing tool.Simon
When I tried to use Windy for route planning the way I understood it worked is that you had to import a route into Windy in some neutral format (that was the bit it wouldn't let me do for free I think), it would then do the routing and you had to export the route in neutral format and read it back into your chart plotter. For me with my antiquated system it would have involved many intermediate steps as well.
Have you used this in anger?
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By Joerg.Esdorn - 21 Nov 2024
+xI want to replace my existing navigation hardware and I am looking for advice on the state of the art. My present system is 12 years old. It consists of two Garmin GPSmap 4008s, one at the chart table and one on the binnacle. They are networked and both can be used to display maps, follow routes, display AIS targets, control and display the radar and all the other stuff they do like display tides, show wind graphs etc. etc. I use a PC and OpenCPN or Homeport to do routing and transfer the routes using SD cards ( no WiFi on these old systems). Up till now I have used a sat phone to connect to the Internet and to download grib files using Sailmail or similar. I use the PC and OpenCPN to display the grib files. I have a Vesper AIS which is also my WiFi hub. This system does everything I want and has served me well. However the GPSmaps are getting old and are classed as legacy devices by Garmin. I managed to update the OS recently which has prolonged their lives but I can see the end coming. The plotters don't support the most recent Garmin maps and can't read any other format. Also Garmin maps are fantastically expensive. I am a bit out of the cruising network and I would like to know what people are installing now for long distance offshore cruising. Ideally I would like a system not based on a dedicated plotter. However, I do want a reliable system and if this means a brand plotter so be it. I would also like to know what people are installing for satellite communications and weather. Answers from real experience please rather than speculation.
Hi Sandy, my system is about 8 years old but I'm very happy with it so let me tell you what I have. Like Simon, I'm doing all my navigating and weather routing on a PC. There's just no comparison between using a mouse and using your fingers on a touch screen. The PC runs the successor program to MaxSea which was bought by Furuno. Furuno calls it TZ Professional. It interfaces with my Furuno TZ Touch plotter in the cockpit so that I can send all the routes (and changes to them as I go) to the plotter at the press of a button. It also shares the same C Map charts as the plotter - so I don't have to pay for one more set of charts. AIS comes into the plotter and the laptop from a Furuno FA75 (not sure - I just replaced it because the old on malfunctioned). I can also look at the radar picture on the laptop - which works great in tense situations where someone in the cockpit is watching the plotter and another person is paying careful attention to radar targets down below at the chart table.
I also have a set of H5000 B&G instruments which cover the basics such as wind, speed, depth, etc and are fully interfaced with the Furuno plotter/laptop combo via the NMEA 2000 backbone. I also have an Echopilot forward looking sonar which has been very helpful in uncharted areas.
In terms of weather routing, I use the Expedition program written by Nick White who is a famous navigator from NZ who wrote his own program for the first Whitbread race a gazillion years ago. The program is difficult to learn and probably overkill for the normal cruiser but I learned to love it many years ago when I was into ocean racing. All ocean racers either use Expedition or if they speak French, Adrena. One key thing it does it enables you to perfect your polars which you use for doing the routing. I've tried the Predict Wind routing a few years ago but I didn't think it was comparable. I'm aware that they are logging data now to create polars but I'm not sure how good that is. But from all I'm hearing, Predict Wind is doing good work for many cruisers so it's definitely an option you should consider.
I hope that helps in your decision!
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By Joerg.Esdorn - 21 Nov 2024
+x+xI want to replace my existing navigation hardware and I am looking for advice on the state of the art. My present system is 12 years old. It consists of two Garmin GPSmap 4008s, one at the chart table and one on the binnacle. They are networked and both can be used to display maps, follow routes, display AIS targets, control and display the radar and all the other stuff they do like display tides, show wind graphs etc. etc. I use a PC and OpenCPN or Homeport to do routing and transfer the routes using SD cards ( no WiFi on these old systems). Up till now I have used a sat phone to connect to the Internet and to download grib files using Sailmail or similar. I use the PC and OpenCPN to display the grib files. I have a Vesper AIS which is also my WiFi hub. This system does everything I want and has served me well. However the GPSmaps are getting old and are classed as legacy devices by Garmin. I managed to update the OS recently which has prolonged their lives but I can see the end coming. The plotters don't support the most recent Garmin maps and can't read any other format. Also Garmin maps are fantastically expensive. I am a bit out of the cruising network and I would like to know what people are installing now for long distance offshore cruising. Ideally I would like a system not based on a dedicated plotter. However, I do want a reliable system and if this means a brand plotter so be it. I would also like to know what people are installing for satellite communications and weather. Answers from real experience please rather than speculation. Hi Sandy, my system is about 8 years old but I'm very happy with it so let me tell you what I have. Like Simon, I'm doing all my navigating and weather routing on a PC. There's just no comparison between using a mouse and using your fingers on a touch screen. The PC runs the successor program to MaxSea which was bought by Furuno. Furuno calls it TZ Professional. It interfaces with my Furuno TZ Touch plotter in the cockpit so that I can send all the routes (and changes to them as I go) to the plotter at the press of a button. It also shares the same C Map charts as the plotter - so I don't have to pay for one more set of charts. AIS comes into the plotter and the laptop from a Furuno FA75 (not sure - I just replaced it because the old on malfunctioned). I can also look at the radar picture on the laptop - which works great in tense situations where someone in the cockpit is watching the plotter and another person is paying careful attention to radar targets down below at the chart table. I also have a set of H5000 B&G instruments which cover the basics such as wind, speed, depth, etc and are fully interfaced with the Furuno plotter/laptop combo via the NMEA 2000 backbone. I also have an Echopilot forward looking sonar which has been very helpful in uncharted areas. In terms of weather routing, I use the Expedition program written by Nick White who is a famous navigator from NZ who wrote his own program for the first Whitbread race a gazillion years ago. The program is difficult to learn and probably overkill for the normal cruiser but I learned to love it many years ago when I was into ocean racing. All ocean racers either use Expedition or if they speak French, Adrena. One key thing it does it enables you to perfect your polars which you use for doing the routing. I've tried the Predict Wind routing a few years ago but I didn't think it was comparable. I'm aware that they are logging data now to create polars but I'm not sure how good that is. But from all I'm hearing, Predict Wind is doing good work for many cruisers so it's definitely an option you should consider. I hope that helps in your decision!
Oh one more thing. I just bought a cheap Microsoft Surface tablet on which I run Open PCN. The plan is to keep that at the helm with KAP charts and satellite pictures running as I'm approaching atolls in the Pacific. I've also used an ipad with the fabulous Antares charts in the Hebrides. I have a Bluetooth GPS that fees those separate devices.
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By simoncurrin - 21 Nov 2024
Sandy,
No you do not import the Route into Windy. Use the Windy Hub App and it functions more like PredictWind.
I have just recorded a webinar with PredictWind and will post the recording here tomorrow. It was more of a Q&A webinar.
Simon
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By simoncurrin - 21 Nov 2024
Joerg,
For coral heads I highly recommend streaming the satellite layer of Aquamaps as there appears to be global coverage and you have all the functionality of a chart plotter software rather than google earth. A bit more heresy but I suspect once you have used Aquamaps / Starlink on your iPad you won’t bother with .KAP files .
Simon
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By Joerg.Esdorn - 21 Nov 2024
Interesting, Simon. I‘ve not used Aqua Maps. Navionics has satellite overlays as well - have you tried that? In Navionics its not clear where the satellite images come from - does Aqua Maps show that?
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By simoncurrin - 22 Nov 2024
The Navionics satellite coverage is incomplete as you will find when you venture into the eastern part of Raroia’s lagoon (Eastern Tuamotu). That’s where we switched from Navionics to Aquamap.
Not too sure where Aquamaps source their imagery but they must be composite images as cloudless - unlike Google Earth. We first used KAP files in East Greenland and had to wade back through the historical image slider on google earth to find cloudless images which was quite laborious .
Simon
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By Joerg.Esdorn - 22 Nov 2024
+xThe Navionics satellite coverage is incomplete as you will find when you venture into the eastern part of Raroia’s lagoon (Eastern Tuamotu). That’s where we switched from Navionics to Aquamap. Not too sure where Aquamaps source their imagery but they must be composite images as cloudless - unlike Google Earth. We first used KAP files in East Greenland and had to wade back through the historical image slider on google earth to find cloudless images which was quite laborious . Simon
Thank you, Simon.
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By Sandy.Herbert - 22 Nov 2024
+x+xI want to replace my existing navigation hardware and I am looking for advice on the state of the art. My present system is 12 years old. It consists of two Garmin GPSmap 4008s, one at the chart table and one on the binnacle. They are networked and both can be used to display maps, follow routes, display AIS targets, control and display the radar and all the other stuff they do like display tides, show wind graphs etc. etc. I use a PC and OpenCPN or Homeport to do routing and transfer the routes using SD cards ( no WiFi on these old systems). Up till now I have used a sat phone to connect to the Internet and to download grib files using Sailmail or similar. I use the PC and OpenCPN to display the grib files. I have a Vesper AIS which is also my WiFi hub. This system does everything I want and has served me well. However the GPSmaps are getting old and are classed as legacy devices by Garmin. I managed to update the OS recently which has prolonged their lives but I can see the end coming. The plotters don't support the most recent Garmin maps and can't read any other format. Also Garmin maps are fantastically expensive. I am a bit out of the cruising network and I would like to know what people are installing now for long distance offshore cruising. Ideally I would like a system not based on a dedicated plotter. However, I do want a reliable system and if this means a brand plotter so be it. I would also like to know what people are installing for satellite communications and weather. Answers from real experience please rather than speculation. Hi Sandy, my system is about 8 years old but I'm very happy with it so let me tell you what I have. Like Simon, I'm doing all my navigating and weather routing on a PC. There's just no comparison between using a mouse and using your fingers on a touch screen. The PC runs the successor program to MaxSea which was bought by Furuno. Furuno calls it TZ Professional. It interfaces with my Furuno TZ Touch plotter in the cockpit so that I can send all the routes (and changes to them as I go) to the plotter at the press of a button. It also shares the same C Map charts as the plotter - so I don't have to pay for one more set of charts. AIS comes into the plotter and the laptop from a Furuno FA75 (not sure - I just replaced it because the old on malfunctioned). I can also look at the radar picture on the laptop - which works great in tense situations where someone in the cockpit is watching the plotter and another person is paying careful attention to radar targets down below at the chart table. I also have a set of H5000 B&G instruments which cover the basics such as wind, speed, depth, etc and are fully interfaced with the Furuno plotter/laptop combo via the NMEA 2000 backbone. I also have an Echopilot forward looking sonar which has been very helpful in uncharted areas. In terms of weather routing, I use the Expedition program written by Nick White who is a famous navigator from NZ who wrote his own program for the first Whitbread race a gazillion years ago. The program is difficult to learn and probably overkill for the normal cruiser but I learned to love it many years ago when I was into ocean racing. All ocean racers either use Expedition or if they speak French, Adrena. One key thing it does it enables you to perfect your polars which you use for doing the routing. I've tried the Predict Wind routing a few years ago but I didn't think it was comparable. I'm aware that they are logging data now to create polars but I'm not sure how good that is. But from all I'm hearing, Predict Wind is doing good work for many cruisers so it's definitely an option you should consider. I hope that helps in your decision!
Thanks for this reply.That sounds like the kind of thing I am looking for. Can you use TX professional as your nav station at the chart table?
If it's not a rude or delicate question where did you buy TX professional and your charts?
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By Sandy.Herbert - 22 Nov 2024
+x+x+xI want to replace my existing navigation hardware and I am looking for advice on the state of the art. My present system is 12 years old. It consists of two Garmin GPSmap 4008s, one at the chart table and one on the binnacle. They are networked and both can be used to display maps, follow routes, display AIS targets, control and display the radar and all the other stuff they do like display tides, show wind graphs etc. etc. I use a PC and OpenCPN or Homeport to do routing and transfer the routes using SD cards ( no WiFi on these old systems). Up till now I have used a sat phone to connect to the Internet and to download grib files using Sailmail or similar. I use the PC and OpenCPN to display the grib files. I have a Vesper AIS which is also my WiFi hub. This system does everything I want and has served me well. However the GPSmaps are getting old and are classed as legacy devices by Garmin. I managed to update the OS recently which has prolonged their lives but I can see the end coming. The plotters don't support the most recent Garmin maps and can't read any other format. Also Garmin maps are fantastically expensive. I am a bit out of the cruising network and I would like to know what people are installing now for long distance offshore cruising. Ideally I would like a system not based on a dedicated plotter. However, I do want a reliable system and if this means a brand plotter so be it. I would also like to know what people are installing for satellite communications and weather. Answers from real experience please rather than speculation. Hi Sandy, my system is about 8 years old but I'm very happy with it so let me tell you what I have. Like Simon, I'm doing all my navigating and weather routing on a PC. There's just no comparison between using a mouse and using your fingers on a touch screen. The PC runs the successor program to MaxSea which was bought by Furuno. Furuno calls it TZ Professional. It interfaces with my Furuno TZ Touch plotter in the cockpit so that I can send all the routes (and changes to them as I go) to the plotter at the press of a button. It also shares the same C Map charts as the plotter - so I don't have to pay for one more set of charts. AIS comes into the plotter and the laptop from a Furuno FA75 (not sure - I just replaced it because the old on malfunctioned). I can also look at the radar picture on the laptop - which works great in tense situations where someone in the cockpit is watching the plotter and another person is paying careful attention to radar targets down below at the chart table. I also have a set of H5000 B&G instruments which cover the basics such as wind, speed, depth, etc and are fully interfaced with the Furuno plotter/laptop combo via the NMEA 2000 backbone. I also have an Echopilot forward looking sonar which has been very helpful in uncharted areas. In terms of weather routing, I use the Expedition program written by Nick White who is a famous navigator from NZ who wrote his own program for the first Whitbread race a gazillion years ago. The program is difficult to learn and probably overkill for the normal cruiser but I learned to love it many years ago when I was into ocean racing. All ocean racers either use Expedition or if they speak French, Adrena. One key thing it does it enables you to perfect your polars which you use for doing the routing. I've tried the Predict Wind routing a few years ago but I didn't think it was comparable. I'm aware that they are logging data now to create polars but I'm not sure how good that is. But from all I'm hearing, Predict Wind is doing good work for many cruisers so it's definitely an option you should consider. I hope that helps in your decision! Thanks for this reply.That sounds like the kind of thing I am looking for. Can you use TX professional as your nav station at the chart table? If it's not a rude or delicate question where did you buy TX professional and your charts?
By nav station I reallly mean, can you use it instead of a plotter at the chart table. I currently have two plotters, one at the chart table and one in the cockpit.
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By Sandy.Herbert - 22 Nov 2024
+xSandy,No you do not import the Route into Windy. Use the Windy Hub App and it functions more like PredictWind.I have just recorded a webinar with PredictWind and will post the recording here tomorrow. It was more of a Q&A webinar.Simon
Thanks. I saw the webinar on the events list but I was too late to participate
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By Sandy.Herbert - 22 Nov 2024
+x+xI want to replace my existing navigation hardware and I am looking for advice on the state of the art. My present system is 12 years old. It consists of two Garmin GPSmap 4008s, one at the chart table and one on the binnacle. They are networked and both can be used to display maps, follow routes, display AIS targets, control and display the radar and all the other stuff they do like display tides, show wind graphs etc. etc. I use a PC and OpenCPN or Homeport to do routing and transfer the routes using SD cards ( no WiFi on these old systems). Up till now I have used a sat phone to connect to the Internet and to download grib files using Sailmail or similar. I use the PC and OpenCPN to display the grib files. I have a Vesper AIS which is also my WiFi hub. This system does everything I want and has served me well. However the GPSmaps are getting old and are classed as legacy devices by Garmin. I managed to update the OS recently which has prolonged their lives but I can see the end coming. The plotters don't support the most recent Garmin maps and can't read any other format. Also Garmin maps are fantastically expensive. I am a bit out of the cruising network and I would like to know what people are installing now for long distance offshore cruising. Ideally I would like a system not based on a dedicated plotter. However, I do want a reliable system and if this means a brand plotter so be it. I would also like to know what people are installing for satellite communications and weather. Answers from real experience please rather than speculation. Hi Sandy, my system is about 8 years old but I'm very happy with it so let me tell you what I have. Like Simon, I'm doing all my navigating and weather routing on a PC. There's just no comparison between using a mouse and using your fingers on a touch screen. The PC runs the successor program to MaxSea which was bought by Furuno. Furuno calls it TZ Professional. It interfaces with my Furuno TZ Touch plotter in the cockpit so that I can send all the routes (and changes to them as I go) to the plotter at the press of a button. It also shares the same C Map charts as the plotter - so I don't have to pay for one more set of charts. AIS comes into the plotter and the laptop from a Furuno FA75 (not sure - I just replaced it because the old on malfunctioned). I can also look at the radar picture on the laptop - which works great in tense situations where someone in the cockpit is watching the plotter and another person is paying careful attention to radar targets down below at the chart table. I also have a set of H5000 B&G instruments which cover the basics such as wind, speed, depth, etc and are fully interfaced with the Furuno plotter/laptop combo via the NMEA 2000 backbone. I also have an Echopilot forward looking sonar which has been very helpful in uncharted areas. In terms of weather routing, I use the Expedition program written by Nick White who is a famous navigator from NZ who wrote his own program for the first Whitbread race a gazillion years ago. The program is difficult to learn and probably overkill for the normal cruiser but I learned to love it many years ago when I was into ocean racing. All ocean racers either use Expedition or if they speak French, Adrena. One key thing it does it enables you to perfect your polars which you use for doing the routing. I've tried the Predict Wind routing a few years ago but I didn't think it was comparable. I'm aware that they are logging data now to create polars but I'm not sure how good that is. But from all I'm hearing, Predict Wind is doing good work for many cruisers so it's definitely an option you should consider. I hope that helps in your decision!
Sorry to keep bugging you. I have a Garmin radar which is currently controlled and displayed on either of the plotters with the possibility to overlay the radar display on the chart or bring AIS targets onto the radar display. Mostly I use it for tracking squalls. Do you have any idea if the Furuno plotter would interface with a Garmin radar? I am usually single handed and it is useful to have the maximum of stuff duplicated at the wheel and at the chart table.
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By Joerg.Esdorn - 23 Nov 2024
+x+x+xI want to replace my existing navigation hardware and I am looking for advice on the state of the art. My present system is 12 years old. It consists of two Garmin GPSmap 4008s, one at the chart table and one on the binnacle. They are networked and both can be used to display maps, follow routes, display AIS targets, control and display the radar and all the other stuff they do like display tides, show wind graphs etc. etc. I use a PC and OpenCPN or Homeport to do routing and transfer the routes using SD cards ( no WiFi on these old systems). Up till now I have used a sat phone to connect to the Internet and to download grib files using Sailmail or similar. I use the PC and OpenCPN to display the grib files. I have a Vesper AIS which is also my WiFi hub. This system does everything I want and has served me well. However the GPSmaps are getting old and are classed as legacy devices by Garmin. I managed to update the OS recently which has prolonged their lives but I can see the end coming. The plotters don't support the most recent Garmin maps and can't read any other format. Also Garmin maps are fantastically expensive. I am a bit out of the cruising network and I would like to know what people are installing now for long distance offshore cruising. Ideally I would like a system not based on a dedicated plotter. However, I do want a reliable system and if this means a brand plotter so be it. I would also like to know what people are installing for satellite communications and weather. Answers from real experience please rather than speculation. Hi Sandy, my system is about 8 years old but I'm very happy with it so let me tell you what I have. Like Simon, I'm doing all my navigating and weather routing on a PC. There's just no comparison between using a mouse and using your fingers on a touch screen. The PC runs the successor program to MaxSea which was bought by Furuno. Furuno calls it TZ Professional. It interfaces with my Furuno TZ Touch plotter in the cockpit so that I can send all the routes (and changes to them as I go) to the plotter at the press of a button. It also shares the same C Map charts as the plotter - so I don't have to pay for one more set of charts. AIS comes into the plotter and the laptop from a Furuno FA75 (not sure - I just replaced it because the old on malfunctioned). I can also look at the radar picture on the laptop - which works great in tense situations where someone in the cockpit is watching the plotter and another person is paying careful attention to radar targets down below at the chart table. I also have a set of H5000 B&G instruments which cover the basics such as wind, speed, depth, etc and are fully interfaced with the Furuno plotter/laptop combo via the NMEA 2000 backbone. I also have an Echopilot forward looking sonar which has been very helpful in uncharted areas. In terms of weather routing, I use the Expedition program written by Nick White who is a famous navigator from NZ who wrote his own program for the first Whitbread race a gazillion years ago. The program is difficult to learn and probably overkill for the normal cruiser but I learned to love it many years ago when I was into ocean racing. All ocean racers either use Expedition or if they speak French, Adrena. One key thing it does it enables you to perfect your polars which you use for doing the routing. I've tried the Predict Wind routing a few years ago but I didn't think it was comparable. I'm aware that they are logging data now to create polars but I'm not sure how good that is. But from all I'm hearing, Predict Wind is doing good work for many cruisers so it's definitely an option you should consider. I hope that helps in your decision! Thanks for this reply.That sounds like the kind of thing I am looking for. Can you use TX professional as your nav station at the chart table? If it's not a rude or delicate question where did you buy TX professional and your charts?
Sorry for the delay, Herbert. I didn't realize you were replying to me. Yes, the TZ Professional is on a big Windows laptop at my nav station and I do all the navigating and weather routing from there. Recently, I've bought the charts from Digital Yacht, a fellow by the name of Nick Hayes. nick@digitalyacht.co.uk. He's more an agent for TZ professional than Furuno so you have to make it clear to him that you want all the install codes for both.
You also asked about what communications system I use. I have had Starlink for a good year and it works great except for the occasional drop outs. I have converted it to 24V DC operation and immobilized the antenna so it is flat at all times. The Starlink feed comes into a Redbox router which distributes it over the boat via WIFI. The Redbox has the advantage that you can firewall all the gadgets on board from the Starlink, letting only certain data through. Now that Starlink's plan charges by the GB in many places it is important to have that capability in your router. With 5 people on board we used 150 GB on a 16 day transatlantic last year - no doubt because everybody was watching videos, downloading large files and Windows and every other program and app on every device was happily downloading updates in the background, all at $2.20 per GB! This year, I will limit the Redbox to Whatsapp and weather files and satellite email (limited to 50KB) when we are on a metered connection. I expect it to make a dramatic difference.
As a backup I use an Iridium Extreme sat phone which can download emails over the Redbox. Same slow speed as an Iridium Go. It doubles up as emergency comms in the life raft. I also have an Iridium Pilot but I haven't used that since I've had Starlink. The cost per MB is more than 5 times the cost per GB on Starlink! I hope that helps!
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By Joerg.Esdorn - 23 Nov 2024
+x+x+xI want to replace my existing navigation hardware and I am looking for advice on the state of the art. My present system is 12 years old. It consists of two Garmin GPSmap 4008s, one at the chart table and one on the binnacle. They are networked and both can be used to display maps, follow routes, display AIS targets, control and display the radar and all the other stuff they do like display tides, show wind graphs etc. etc. I use a PC and OpenCPN or Homeport to do routing and transfer the routes using SD cards ( no WiFi on these old systems). Up till now I have used a sat phone to connect to the Internet and to download grib files using Sailmail or similar. I use the PC and OpenCPN to display the grib files. I have a Vesper AIS which is also my WiFi hub. This system does everything I want and has served me well. However the GPSmaps are getting old and are classed as legacy devices by Garmin. I managed to update the OS recently which has prolonged their lives but I can see the end coming. The plotters don't support the most recent Garmin maps and can't read any other format. Also Garmin maps are fantastically expensive. I am a bit out of the cruising network and I would like to know what people are installing now for long distance offshore cruising. Ideally I would like a system not based on a dedicated plotter. However, I do want a reliable system and if this means a brand plotter so be it. I would also like to know what people are installing for satellite communications and weather. Answers from real experience please rather than speculation. Hi Sandy, my system is about 8 years old but I'm very happy with it so let me tell you what I have. Like Simon, I'm doing all my navigating and weather routing on a PC. There's just no comparison between using a mouse and using your fingers on a touch screen. The PC runs the successor program to MaxSea which was bought by Furuno. Furuno calls it TZ Professional. It interfaces with my Furuno TZ Touch plotter in the cockpit so that I can send all the routes (and changes to them as I go) to the plotter at the press of a button. It also shares the same C Map charts as the plotter - so I don't have to pay for one more set of charts. AIS comes into the plotter and the laptop from a Furuno FA75 (not sure - I just replaced it because the old on malfunctioned). I can also look at the radar picture on the laptop - which works great in tense situations where someone in the cockpit is watching the plotter and another person is paying careful attention to radar targets down below at the chart table. I also have a set of H5000 B&G instruments which cover the basics such as wind, speed, depth, etc and are fully interfaced with the Furuno plotter/laptop combo via the NMEA 2000 backbone. I also have an Echopilot forward looking sonar which has been very helpful in uncharted areas. In terms of weather routing, I use the Expedition program written by Nick White who is a famous navigator from NZ who wrote his own program for the first Whitbread race a gazillion years ago. The program is difficult to learn and probably overkill for the normal cruiser but I learned to love it many years ago when I was into ocean racing. All ocean racers either use Expedition or if they speak French, Adrena. One key thing it does it enables you to perfect your polars which you use for doing the routing. I've tried the Predict Wind routing a few years ago but I didn't think it was comparable. I'm aware that they are logging data now to create polars but I'm not sure how good that is. But from all I'm hearing, Predict Wind is doing good work for many cruisers so it's definitely an option you should consider. I hope that helps in your decision! Sorry to keep bugging you. I have a Garmin radar which is currently controlled and displayed on either of the plotters with the possibility to overlay the radar display on the chart or bring AIS targets onto the radar display. Mostly I use it for tracking squalls. Do you have any idea if the Furuno plotter would interface with a Garmin radar? I am usually single handed and it is useful to have the maximum of stuff duplicated at the wheel and at the chart table.
No problem at all, Herbert. The disadvantage of the Furuno integrated system is that plotter, Furuno radar and TZ Professional software on the laptop talk over a proprietary protocol via ethernet. So I doubt that you can interface the Furuno with a Garmin radar except to the extent what you are showing comes into the plotter by NMEA 2000. Don't think that' the case with radar pictures but I'm not an expert in this kind of stuff. You may want to post the question on one of the Furuno or Garmin technical forums but I can guess what the answer is: can't be done. I think you should plan on replacing the entire system or going with a stand alone radar. I would never go with a separate radar as it's so convenient to have a display both down at the chart table and at the helm station.
Whatever you do it is very important you try out the system you are planning on buying. I spent a week on a friend's boat this summer and both my friend and I were struggling a lot with creating simple routes on a B&G Vulcan plotter. The software is very complex and frustrating to me (and my friend). Furuno is easy peasy by comparison. I love a lot of things about the B&G system because it's much more oriented toward sailboats than Furuno. But easy of use is a big thing for me.
I hope that helps. Cheers Joerg
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By Sandy.Herbert - 23 Nov 2024
+x+x+x+xI want to replace my existing navigation hardware and I am looking for advice on the state of the art. My present system is 12 years old. It consists of two Garmin GPSmap 4008s, one at the chart table and one on the binnacle. They are networked and both can be used to display maps, follow routes, display AIS targets, control and display the radar and all the other stuff they do like display tides, show wind graphs etc. etc. I use a PC and OpenCPN or Homeport to do routing and transfer the routes using SD cards ( no WiFi on these old systems). Up till now I have used a sat phone to connect to the Internet and to download grib files using Sailmail or similar. I use the PC and OpenCPN to display the grib files. I have a Vesper AIS which is also my WiFi hub. This system does everything I want and has served me well. However the GPSmaps are getting old and are classed as legacy devices by Garmin. I managed to update the OS recently which has prolonged their lives but I can see the end coming. The plotters don't support the most recent Garmin maps and can't read any other format. Also Garmin maps are fantastically expensive. I am a bit out of the cruising network and I would like to know what people are installing now for long distance offshore cruising. Ideally I would like a system not based on a dedicated plotter. However, I do want a reliable system and if this means a brand plotter so be it. I would also like to know what people are installing for satellite communications and weather. Answers from real experience please rather than speculation. Hi Sandy, my system is about 8 years old but I'm very happy with it so let me tell you what I have. Like Simon, I'm doing all my navigating and weather routing on a PC. There's just no comparison between using a mouse and using your fingers on a touch screen. The PC runs the successor program to MaxSea which was bought by Furuno. Furuno calls it TZ Professional. It interfaces with my Furuno TZ Touch plotter in the cockpit so that I can send all the routes (and changes to them as I go) to the plotter at the press of a button. It also shares the same C Map charts as the plotter - so I don't have to pay for one more set of charts. AIS comes into the plotter and the laptop from a Furuno FA75 (not sure - I just replaced it because the old on malfunctioned). I can also look at the radar picture on the laptop - which works great in tense situations where someone in the cockpit is watching the plotter and another person is paying careful attention to radar targets down below at the chart table. I also have a set of H5000 B&G instruments which cover the basics such as wind, speed, depth, etc and are fully interfaced with the Furuno plotter/laptop combo via the NMEA 2000 backbone. I also have an Echopilot forward looking sonar which has been very helpful in uncharted areas. In terms of weather routing, I use the Expedition program written by Nick White who is a famous navigator from NZ who wrote his own program for the first Whitbread race a gazillion years ago. The program is difficult to learn and probably overkill for the normal cruiser but I learned to love it many years ago when I was into ocean racing. All ocean racers either use Expedition or if they speak French, Adrena. One key thing it does it enables you to perfect your polars which you use for doing the routing. I've tried the Predict Wind routing a few years ago but I didn't think it was comparable. I'm aware that they are logging data now to create polars but I'm not sure how good that is. But from all I'm hearing, Predict Wind is doing good work for many cruisers so it's definitely an option you should consider. I hope that helps in your decision! Sorry to keep bugging you. I have a Garmin radar which is currently controlled and displayed on either of the plotters with the possibility to overlay the radar display on the chart or bring AIS targets onto the radar display. Mostly I use it for tracking squalls. Do you have any idea if the Furuno plotter would interface with a Garmin radar? I am usually single handed and it is useful to have the maximum of stuff duplicated at the wheel and at the chart table. No problem at all, Herbert. The disadvantage of the Furuno integrated system is that plotter, Furuno radar and TZ Professional software on the laptop talk over a proprietary protocol via ethernet. So I doubt that you can interface the Furuno with a Garmin radar except to the extent what you are showing comes into the plotter by NMEA 2000. Don't think that' the case with radar pictures but I'm not an expert in this kind of stuff. You may want to post the question on one of the Furuno or Garmin technical forums but I can guess what the answer is: can't be done. I think you should plan on replacing the entire system or going with a stand alone radar. I would never go with a separate radar as it's so convenient to have a display both down at the chart table and at the helm station. Whatever you do it is very important you try out the system you are planning on buying. I spent a week on a friend's boat this summer and both my friend and I were struggling a lot with creating simple routes on a B&G Vulcan plotter. The software is very complex and frustrating to me (and my friend). Furuno is easy peasy by comparison. I love a lot of things about the B&G system because it's much more oriented toward sailboats than Furuno. But easy of use is a big thing for me. I hope that helps. Cheers Joerg
Thanks Joerg that is very useful. There is always some drawback with each system so the choice is never absolute. I'll ask Furuno and Garmin about the radar. I think it might be a problem because all the radar controls are on the Garmin plotters.
I was surprised to hear that people were still using Iridium Go. I have an Iridium phone which I used on my circumnavigation. Very slow and expensive. People were getting Iridium Go's. I was going to get one but something happened. Iridium stopped supporting it or you couldn't get the software for the PC or something but basically people stopped selling them. This was around 2013 2014. I didn't get one and I assumed they had died long ago. Strange to hear they are still in use.
Thanks again for your replies.
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By Sandy.Herbert - 23 Nov 2024
+x+xSandy,No you do not import the Route into Windy. Use the Windy Hub App and it functions more like PredictWind.I have just recorded a webinar with PredictWind and will post the recording here tomorrow. It was more of a Q&A webinar.Simon Thanks. I saw the webinar on the events list but I was too late to participate
I just listened to the webinar. Thanks for that. Very good. Predictwind sounds like a good system but the voices of cruisers was music to my ears
The Kiwis do some impressive stuff. I have a Vesper AIS. The help was brilliant though I haven't really needed much since I installed it. Sadly Vesper belongs to Garmin now.
I was surprised to hear people were still using Iridium Gos I have an Iridium phone I used during my circumnavigation between 2012 and 2017. Very slow and expensive. Some people were getting Gos. I was interested but something happened around 2013, 2014. Iridium stopped supporting it or maybe you couldn't get the software for Windows but whatever, suppliers stopped selling them and I never got one. I thought they had died long ago.
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By simoncurrin - 23 Nov 2024
Sandy,
From memory the IridiumGo only got launched in 2015 and overcame the expensive data issue by bringing with it an unlimited data subscription. It is still used but, as discussed in the PredictWind Webinar, it has been superseded by Starlink. We have retained ours as a tracking device and as an emergency Liferaft communicator but we only subscribe to the cheapest Iridium subscription to use it.
Iridium brought out the successor to the IridiumGo a year ago called the Iridium Exec with a data speed of 20x the IridiumGo. Obviously, this is still much slower than Starlink and the hardware cost is approx 3x Starlink. It will be great when we have a device and network to compete with Starlink.
Simon
+x+x+xSandy,No you do not import the Route into Windy. Use the Windy Hub App and it functions more like PredictWind.I have just recorded a webinar with PredictWind and will post the recording here tomorrow. It was more of a Q&A webinar.Simon Thanks. I saw the webinar on the events list but I was too late to participate I just listened to the webinar. Thanks for that. Very good. Predictwind sounds like a good system but the voices of cruisers was music to my ears The Kiwis do some impressive stuff. I have a Vesper AIS. The help was brilliant though I haven't really needed much since I installed it. Sadly Vesper belongs to Garmin now. I was surprised to hear people were still using Iridium Gos I have an Iridium phone I used during my circumnavigation between 2012 and 2017. Very slow and expensive. Some people were getting Gos. I was interested but something happened around 2013, 2014. Iridium stopped supporting it or maybe you couldn't get the software for Windows but whatever, suppliers stopped selling them and I never got one. I thought they had died long ago.
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By Sandy.Herbert - 24 Nov 2024
+xSandy, From memory the IridiumGo only got launched in 2015 and overcame the expensive data issue by bringing with it an unlimited data subscription. It is still used but, as discussed in the PredictWind Webinar, it has been superseded by Starlink. We have retained ours as a tracking device and as an emergency Liferaft communicator but we only subscribe to the cheapest Iridium subscription to use it. Iridium brought out the successor to the IridiumGo a year ago called the Iridium Exec with a data speed of 20x the IridiumGo. Obviously, this is still much slower than Starlink and the hardware cost is approx 3x Starlink. It will be great when we have a device and network to compete with Starlink. Simon +x+x+xSandy,No you do not import the Route into Windy. Use the Windy Hub App and it functions more like PredictWind.I have just recorded a webinar with PredictWind and will post the recording here tomorrow. It was more of a Q&A webinar.Simon Thanks. I saw the webinar on the events list but I was too late to participate I just listened to the webinar. Thanks for that. Very good. Predictwind sounds like a good system but the voices of cruisers was music to my ears The Kiwis do some impressive stuff. I have a Vesper AIS. The help was brilliant though I haven't really needed much since I installed it. Sadly Vesper belongs to Garmin now. I was surprised to hear people were still using Iridium Gos I have an Iridium phone I used during my circumnavigation between 2012 and 2017. Very slow and expensive. Some people were getting Gos. I was interested but something happened around 2013, 2014. Iridium stopped supporting it or maybe you couldn't get the software for Windows but whatever, suppliers stopped selling them and I never got one. I thought they had died long ago.
I must have got my wires crossed with the GO.
Do you have enough experience with Starlink to comment on the coverage?
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By simoncurrin - 24 Nov 2024
Sandy,
I’ve been using Starlink since October’ ‘22 and it has worked flawlessly and continuously between Annapolis and Tahiti. It also worked well for OCC boats in the North West Passage this summer although I think it struggles beyond 80 degrees north.
Simon
+x+xSandy, From memory the IridiumGo only got launched in 2015 and overcame the expensive data issue by bringing with it an unlimited data subscription. It is still used but, as discussed in the PredictWind Webinar, it has been superseded by Starlink. We have retained ours as a tracking device and as an emergency Liferaft communicator but we only subscribe to the cheapest Iridium subscription to use it. Iridium brought out the successor to the IridiumGo a year ago called the Iridium Exec with a data speed of 20x the IridiumGo. Obviously, this is still much slower than Starlink and the hardware cost is approx 3x Starlink. It will be great when we have a device and network to compete with Starlink. Simon +x+x+xSandy,No you do not import the Route into Windy. Use the Windy Hub App and it functions more like PredictWind.I have just recorded a webinar with PredictWind and will post the recording here tomorrow. It was more of a Q&A webinar.Simon Thanks. I saw the webinar on the events list but I was too late to participate I just listened to the webinar. Thanks for that. Very good. Predictwind sounds like a good system but the voices of cruisers was music to my ears The Kiwis do some impressive stuff. I have a Vesper AIS. The help was brilliant though I haven't really needed much since I installed it. Sadly Vesper belongs to Garmin now. I was surprised to hear people were still using Iridium Gos I have an Iridium phone I used during my circumnavigation between 2012 and 2017. Very slow and expensive. Some people were getting Gos. I was interested but something happened around 2013, 2014. Iridium stopped supporting it or maybe you couldn't get the software for Windows but whatever, suppliers stopped selling them and I never got one. I thought they had died long ago. I must have got my wires crossed with the GO. Do you have enough experience with Starlink to comment on the coverage?
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By Sandy.Herbert - 25 Nov 2024
+xSandy, I’ve been using Starlink since October’ ‘22 and it has worked flawlessly and continuously between Annapolis and Tahiti. It also worked well for OCC boats in the North West Passage this summer although I think it struggles beyond 80 degrees north. Simon +x+xSandy, From memory the IridiumGo only got launched in 2015 and overcame the expensive data issue by bringing with it an unlimited data subscription. It is still used but, as discussed in the PredictWind Webinar, it has been superseded by Starlink. We have retained ours as a tracking device and as an emergency Liferaft communicator but we only subscribe to the cheapest Iridium subscription to use it. Iridium brought out the successor to the IridiumGo a year ago called the Iridium Exec with a data speed of 20x the IridiumGo. Obviously, this is still much slower than Starlink and the hardware cost is approx 3x Starlink. It will be great when we have a device and network to compete with Starlink. Simon +x+x+xSandy,No you do not import the Route into Windy. Use the Windy Hub App and it functions more like PredictWind.I have just recorded a webinar with PredictWind and will post the recording here tomorrow. It was more of a Q&A webinar.Simon Thanks. I saw the webinar on the events list but I was too late to participate I just listened to the webinar. Thanks for that. Very good. Predictwind sounds like a good system but the voices of cruisers was music to my ears The Kiwis do some impressive stuff. I have a Vesper AIS. The help was brilliant though I haven't really needed much since I installed it. Sadly Vesper belongs to Garmin now. I was surprised to hear people were still using Iridium Gos I have an Iridium phone I used during my circumnavigation between 2012 and 2017. Very slow and expensive. Some people were getting Gos. I was interested but something happened around 2013, 2014. Iridium stopped supporting it or maybe you couldn't get the software for Windows but whatever, suppliers stopped selling them and I never got one. I thought they had died long ago. I must have got my wires crossed with the GO. Do you have enough experience with Starlink to comment on the coverage?
Thanks for the information
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