How do you chart/plot...?
- Thread starter inkblue
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irate][:-viking]- Joined
- Mar 3, 2006
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Laptop + Haicom GPS + Memory Map Navigator + NDI ENC's. Cost = $0.00 It's all slightly older second hand equipment but it works great. Meets our needs.
Being old fashioned (and paranoid) everything is on a paper chart or a chartbook AND on the chart plotter AND on the backup GPS. Having struggled for years with star sights, DR's, coastal piloting, bottom contour charts, etc. I almost feel guilty getting a positon from a GPS (almost). It's still kind of fun to keep track on the charts and also satisfies that need to verify (brought on by years when running aground meant the end of a career!) Luck. Dale
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- Jan 1, 2000
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A triple whammmy: paper charts, GPS chartplotter, and backup handheld GPS. Oh yeah, twin depth finders also. Best way to find your way home in fog? It can be the depth finders, as you merely follow the right bottom contour.
For serious navigation like you have to use in the western end of Lake Erie, I start with paper charts. I plot a course that is free of any chance of hitting a reef/island, I establish safe waypoints, I copy down the course to the waypoints, the distance to the waypoints, the depth to expect. I then program my GPS with the waypoints, I take the GPS, the list of the courses to the flybridge. I use my compass, speed, depth finder and watch to take the courses I charted. I use the GPS as a check, if anything is not in reasonable agreement we stop and determine where it went wrong.
If I was boating in water that is free and clear of reefs/islands I would use the GPS but I would still review the paper charts before I left the dock, and track courses and distances made good. I don't want to be "lost" if/when the GPS and visibility go bad.
If I was boating in water that is free and clear of reefs/islands I would use the GPS but I would still review the paper charts before I left the dock, and track courses and distances made good. I don't want to be "lost" if/when the GPS and visibility go bad.
As a newboater (2 yrs), I was and still am amazed at the accuracy of my Raymarine GPS Chart Plotter. I also have paper charts for backup. I was awed that I could set waypoints near (not too close to) markers and bouys and then watch them appear as I cruised by. I relied on the GPS chart to keep me in the channel of the nearly 5 mile creek leading in and out to my home dock. All was fine until I entered a new creek with a very narrow channel. I saw the markers but my GPS indicated that I was too near the edge of the channel. I moved over and immediately ran aground. . . $500 Towboat US to get me off approx 5 feet.
Lesson learned. . .GPS is great but confirm with chart as you go and follow the markers in tight spots.
Lesson learned. . .GPS is great but confirm with chart as you go and follow the markers in tight spots.
ccdjoe, I have 30 years experience, I still do it the right way, always will. Time after time on Lake Erie you hear of sometimes see it, people running aground because of using GPS instead of paper charts for basic navigation. The only thing I rely on the GPS/Chartplotter is arrival timing on the drawbridge opening, otherwise it is just used it as reference, and as I said above if it doesn't agree with where I think I am then we stop and find out what went wrong. Several people are dead because they used GPS only, there will be more dead next year.
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- Sep 10, 2006
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This is the direction I'm headed. Currently paper charts and digital chartplotter.
I always have my paper charts out if traveling new water , so I refer to GPS chartplotter and the paper charts. I always leave track setting visible on the plotter so I can just follow track when returning. Sometimes I think it would be easier if I could just turn the plotter upside down when returning. If I am not mistaken in Canada it is law to have the correct navigation charts with you.
This seems to be vague about whether it can be in electronic form or not.
This seems to be vague about whether it can be in electronic form or not.
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2000
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- 790
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- 372
I'm old-fashioned too; paper charts are plotted first for any new voyage, then waypoints are transferred to the GPS. When underway I have the paper chart at the helm and use the GPS to record the track to my destination. I do rely on my GPS to "backtrack" the way home if we want to re-trace the route. Of course, the sounders and radar are on to confirm our location and keep us out of trouble.
Capt. Bill1
Active member
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- Jan 1, 2000
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- 2017
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"paper chart/map, digital (pc/mac/plotter)"
All of the above.
All of the above.
It is not about being old-fashioned, it's about seamanship, and doing it the right way. If you are out and the GPS goes tits up, you better know where you are and how to use a chart. Most boaters don't have good enough or enough backup to reply only on electronics. Those that try it might someday pay the price happens all the time on the lake.
Last summer two brand new boaters, they were computer techs, so they thought they would just go with chart plotters and the heck with a chart, so they did not even buy one. They were docked in Toledo and were going to take their new boat on the trip, a couple of days at Cedar Point, the best roller coaster park in the world. They had bought a book with popular way point listed, one of which was the Sandusky Bay light. So they punched that it and took off. If they would have checked a chart and known what they were looking at, they would have seen you can't get there in a straight line. How they made it across the reefs I'll never know, but they were lucky, vis was good so when they were going to run into an island they figured something was wrong. Later the same year someone else did the same thing, this time it was dark and the go fast boat ran up on the shore killing 2 people on board. Getting back to the story. I observed them because besides doing the nav all wrong they also cut me off, they were headed east (my left) I was going north, so they didn't know the rules of the road either. Well they did get to Cedar Point because that's where we were going too, after a pizza at Frosty's at PIB. I ended up docking behind them, after getting the boat docked and pluged in electric and water, I went over to see them. I asked if they had any training and they said they had just taken delivery of their boats the day before, in Toledo. That's when they asked me to check thier chart plotter because it was going to take them through the island, the island was shown on the plotter, the reefs were too, but poorly marked. That's when it hit me, they just put one waypoint in and charged off. I asked to see their chart and they didn't have one, so I got mine and was showing them the error of their ways when the wifes showed up. I made a point of explaining to them that they all could have been killed, going the speed they were and hitting a reef. I also told the wifes that I'd call someone to come and get them to drive them home before I'd go out again with those guys without charts and some training. I also told them I'd help them using their new charts. We ended up being friends but no one forgot the bad mistake they made.
Last summer two brand new boaters, they were computer techs, so they thought they would just go with chart plotters and the heck with a chart, so they did not even buy one. They were docked in Toledo and were going to take their new boat on the trip, a couple of days at Cedar Point, the best roller coaster park in the world. They had bought a book with popular way point listed, one of which was the Sandusky Bay light. So they punched that it and took off. If they would have checked a chart and known what they were looking at, they would have seen you can't get there in a straight line. How they made it across the reefs I'll never know, but they were lucky, vis was good so when they were going to run into an island they figured something was wrong. Later the same year someone else did the same thing, this time it was dark and the go fast boat ran up on the shore killing 2 people on board. Getting back to the story. I observed them because besides doing the nav all wrong they also cut me off, they were headed east (my left) I was going north, so they didn't know the rules of the road either. Well they did get to Cedar Point because that's where we were going too, after a pizza at Frosty's at PIB. I ended up docking behind them, after getting the boat docked and pluged in electric and water, I went over to see them. I asked if they had any training and they said they had just taken delivery of their boats the day before, in Toledo. That's when they asked me to check thier chart plotter because it was going to take them through the island, the island was shown on the plotter, the reefs were too, but poorly marked. That's when it hit me, they just put one waypoint in and charged off. I asked to see their chart and they didn't have one, so I got mine and was showing them the error of their ways when the wifes showed up. I made a point of explaining to them that they all could have been killed, going the speed they were and hitting a reef. I also told the wifes that I'd call someone to come and get them to drive them home before I'd go out again with those guys without charts and some training. I also told them I'd help them using their new charts. We ended up being friends but no one forgot the bad mistake they made.
computer to set up coarse, then transfer info to gps. print oyt coarse on computer and save
i use maptech to plot my coarse thats www.maptech.com great programs and maps if you have a gps use it but like i said keep the print out of buoy markers on boat allso cant go wrong
i use maptech to plot my coarse thats www.maptech.com great programs and maps if you have a gps use it but like i said keep the print out of buoy markers on boat allso cant go wrong
wannasail, not the right way. GOOD LUCK, I have stopped trying to save people who don't do it right. Hope the computers don't go tits up. Sounds to me you are taking error after error, add them all up and you might be 20% off.
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2001
- RO Number
- 3813
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Familiarize yourself with the area you will be transiting, using paper charts. Plot a course and make sure you are staying in sufficient water. Ask questions of someone who has local knowledge.
Know where buoys and day markers are, when you pass them, compare to your charts and GPS waypoints.
It's always comforting to know that you are where you think you are.
Using radar and depth finders is also advisable.
There is no simple answer,
Know where buoys and day markers are, when you pass them, compare to your charts and GPS waypoints.
It's always comforting to know that you are where you think you are.
Using radar and depth finders is also advisable.
There is no simple answer,