+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