# Minimum electronics for coastal cruising



## seaner97 (May 15, 2011)

Thought this would be fun and informative.
What is the minimum that you would have on your boat for coastal cruising?


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## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

On my first trip around the Delmarva the GPS pack it in the first day (not so waterproof). Since many of the inner passage areas I was going weren't correctly charted, I didn't care; there are always compass, DR, and eyeballs.

I understand the purpose for VHF, but so far I've been able to call the CG on a cell phone when needed (medical, reporting ATN off station). The best purpose so far, has been listening, not talking. A lot of life is like that.

The rest? Heck, I usually leave them all off anyway.


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## aloof (Dec 21, 2014)

Bilge pumps are not "electronics", typically. I would not voluntarily go coastal cruising without an autopilot.


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## seaner97 (May 15, 2011)

aloof said:


> Bilge pumps are not "electronics", typically. I would not voluntarily go coastal cruising without an autopilot.


I was obviously referring to the electric ones. Obviously the manual ones aren't. And I think if it works off anything other than muscle, it's electronic.


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## aloof (Dec 21, 2014)

From the OED: "The branch of physics and technology concerned with the design of circuits using transistors and microchips, and with the behavior and movement of electrons in a semiconductor, conductor, vacuum, or gas."

Pumps, lights, fans, and all that are "electrical" devices. The West Marine catalog agrees with me, and that's the bible, no?


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## seaner97 (May 15, 2011)

I'll give you the OED. Using west marine as a resource for anything is weak.


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## seaner97 (May 15, 2011)

And I've got a water witch, which might just make them electronic.


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## Brent Swain (Jan 16, 2012)

Hand held GPS and depth sounder are all you need, but depth sounder , one of the most important , is not on the list.


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## seaner97 (May 15, 2011)

Doh. How could I have missed depth sounder and windex as options?


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## capt jgwinks (Sep 24, 2013)

I've been teaching navigation in one form another for most of my adult life so I pride myself in being able to navigate without any electronics. But I use them anyway. Depth sounder, Speedo, GPS plotter, autopilot and radar.


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

Depth sounder, chart plotter, and a VHF. Nothing more.


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## Omatako (Sep 14, 2003)

My boat is set up for voyaging so is not representative of the poll.

Having said that, if I were to replace with a coastal cruiser, I would have:

- hand held GPS
- depth
- speed and log (needed for pilotage/dead reckoning if you haven't got a plotter),
- a simple radar (especially if you're amongst islands or plan on doing night approaches).
- VHF for comms with CG and family/friends

The rest of available electronics are nice-to-haves but are not critically required.

I have found that an auto-pilot in close navigation can make one nervous because course adjustments "out there" are not really noticeable but when you're close to shore or amongst boats, they seem to be exaggerated and a little scary. I found myself switching the thing on and off all the time and it took me a while to ignore these adjustments and let the thing get on with it's job.

PS I didn't vote.


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## Gust14882 (Nov 30, 2010)

For sailing the Santa Barbara Channel & Channel Islands on a 22' Catalina: Small chart plotter w/ depth sounder, handheld VHF, and auto-pilot for now. Planning on adding a fixed mount VHF with built-in AIS. The GPS gets me there and back. The AIS will help me avoid shipping in the lanes and the fixed mount VHF will give me more range with the antenna at the top of the mast. Power hungry radar isn't practical on a boat this small. And yes, paper charts and traditional navigation for trip planning and to back up the GPS, just in case. Most used navigational instruments: old-fashion magnetic compass and eyeball.


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## gptyk (Mar 20, 2013)

pfffffft. Depth sounder? If it reads shallow here, you're on the rocks. Difference from east coast to west coast. Old adage "two kinds of sailors, those that have been aground and those that lie about it." Well, I've never been aground, and if I was it would have sunk the boat (where I sail). 

Minimum? You need to know where you are, and where you can go. Paper charts and bearings. Maybe a chartplotter. Maybe a depthsounder. Whatever. I use 2 GPS's and.... well... that's pretty much it as my compass is about 10 deg out. Depth is gone, STW is gone, wind instruments are gone. Just the GPS is there. Works well enough.


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## seaner97 (May 15, 2011)

Despite my boof of not including depth and wind in the poll, this has been quite interesting.


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## wristwister (Mar 20, 2013)

Depending on where this cruising is taking place, might want to add AIS to the list. Up here in the Puget Sound, my AIS has been indispensable in gauging all the ferry and shipping traffic, especially when a surprise fog rolls in. Yes, radar would be better, but for the econo-cruiser that may not be practical.


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

For me I wouldn't go without an automatic bilge pump (I'm a recovering wooden boat owner) and a depth sounder. A handheld GPS and Radar are both in a fuzzy area for me between "nice to have" and "need to have". Everything else is in the nice to have realm and until recently I never had anything else.

MedSailor


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## seaner97 (May 15, 2011)

MedSailor said:


> Everything else is in the nice to have realm and until recently I never had anything else.
> 
> MedSailor


Including a Sauna. I'd be jealous if I liked Saunas. Big shower with endless hot fresh water- now that'd make me jealous.


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## Don L (Aug 8, 2008)

You don't NEED any electronics!!! Now I'm sure people aren't going to agree, but remember that people have been coastal cruising longer than we even knew about electricity.

But far I'm concerned the nice to have in order of importance is:
1 - depth gauge
2- chartplotter
3 - all others


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## misfits (Dec 9, 2011)

Truth is all you really need is a compass, depth sounder, paper charts & binoculars. Makes me wonder how many people actually have paper charts on their boats anymore??


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

Don0190 said:


> You don't NEED any electronics!!! Now I'm sure people aren't going to agree, but remember that people have been coastal cruising longer than we even knew about electricity.
> 
> But far I'm concerned the nice to have in order of importance is:
> 1 - depth gauge
> ...


I really must be one of the last paper chart guys. My new boat even came with a _backup_ chart plotter and the regular one has displays above and below decks. Both don't work and they're really low on my priority list to fix. I am enjoying my full size nav table though. 

MedSailor


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## Tbone (Apr 3, 2015)

Though I haven't "cruised" yet really, sailing the Chesapeake Bay for day trips, weekends, and week long trips, I've always used paper charts. I've never had a nice chart plotter with multifunction display, radar, or anything like that. I use a handheld GPS on occasion, but mostly, paper charts and binoculars. I have two sets of binoculars. And of course the compass. I know only the handheld GPS is an electronic device, but I've never thought I needed more. Though when I do plan to cruise, I'd like to have a chart plotter, but that will be brand new to me and will depend on my finances. I only turn on the VHF if I'm in a high traffic area or if I'm curious about weather conditions. If I'm all alone or if the next boat is a five miles from me, I don't use the VHF. But like I said, I haven't done extensive cruising.


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## cheoah (Jul 5, 2011)

Interesting to see people prioritize a depth sounder. That's really low on my list, I'm only concerned about VHF and chartplotter/gps. I'd rather have AIS than a depth sounder. Of course I have all the above, but went years without depth on current boat. No necessary offshore and not necessary if you're in the channel. With a 4'6" draft I should say. 

I'd want a handheld and ships radio. I'm surprised to see this is not on other skippers' short list. 




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## misfits (Dec 9, 2011)

cheoah said:


> Interesting to see people prioritize a depth sounder. That's really low on my list, I'm only concerned about VHF and chartplotter/gps.
> 
> 
> > I find this thread interesting on how many people today relay on electronics for their navigation. I'm not saying it's a bad thing but the tool box in the garage has many tools in it, each for a different task. Coming from a sport fishing environment a depth contour is/can be important for a successful day. For coastal cruising it can bring you home @ night or help you navigate in a fog. How many times have we all heard about someone who had a GPS assisted grounding. If they had their depth sounder on, just saying.


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## seaner97 (May 15, 2011)

This originally started out of a conversation with an "older salt" who was loaded for bear when I pointed out that I had, but barely used any electronics. I've found that a good paper chart and my binnacle compass is really all I need. But I do keep my vhf (handheld and ship board) always on to respond to mayday or securite or other distress. I turn on my depth, speed and windex, but they are really just ornamental or supplementary.


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## hellsop (Jun 3, 2014)

eherlihy said:


> Depth sounder, chart plotter, and a VHF. Nothing more.


I'm about here for "minimum for peace of mind". A wind pack would be really nice. AIS would be nice. I could probably learn how to work radar into a essential piece of the pie, but it's harder to imagine. A Wirie rig I can imagine.


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## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

Simple hand held GPS [ Garmin 72 ] + paper charts Nauticat you are not alone!
VHF
Depth Sounder
Autopilot

Little point in radar where I sail and as for chart plotters several times a year I assist in helping people get their boats off reefs when they have blindly followed the little arrow instead of using the mark one eyeball.


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## Scotty C-M (Aug 14, 2013)

I take the view that more is better. 

A paper chart and a compass gets you through most situations. Nobody else has mentioned a good coastal pilot book - I use mine whenever I'm outside of my normal grounds. But, electronics make things so much easier, and when used properly, so much more accurate. A depth sounder adds a layer of safety. Put on a full chart-plotter GPS and you have a lot of ease and redundancy. Radar make the suite, well, sweet. AIS is really getting serious. I'll take every tool I can get when it comes to navigation. 

I really don't understand why anyone would not want a GPS Plotter. They are so cheap now, and are so handy. I know that you can get into trouble by over-relying on them. Get you head up out of the screen. But they sure are nice.

VHS is more of a safety tool for me than navigation. It just seems stupid not to have one. I've been in lots of dead cell areas that have VHF coverage. I have three separate VHS systems on my boat. If anyone on your boat ever had a heart attack (for example) you'll wish you had one. That's why we are required by law to monitor 16 if we have a radio. It's part of the tradition - and law - of the sea of comming to the assistance of other sailors.

I love my autopilot. Can't say enough.

I'm looking into what to get for emergency electronics. EPIRB, Spot, Satphone? Don't know yet, but I'm thinking that some type of emergency gizmo might be on my shopping list.


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

As an ex-commercial lobsterman I used to navigate primarily by depth alone and in fog add a compass & paper as a adjunct navigation devices. Today I still cross check depth with paper in the fog just out of habit.

However, times have changed dramatically and for me coastal cruising Maine you could not pay me to be out there without radar. I know some people still cruise Maine in the fog with no radar and I think they are flat out insane to do so. Not because of _you_ but because of the other knuckleheads out there with you guided by only GPS doing 30+ knots in pea soup....

The advent of GPS plotters has sent far to many idiots out into the fog who would NEVER be there otherwise. Radar for me is my safety net against the morons who have no place being in the fog to begin with. If those knuckleheads were not out there I would still happily cruise this coast with no radar. The sad reality is, due to GPS, they are now out in fog and they really have no place being there.

Course if you have radar you actually need to know how to use radar.....

The reality is _where you sail_ matters greatly to what you use for navigation. Maine is ideal for using at least depth and radar. I'd give up my plotter before radar on this coast...


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

hellsop said:


> > Quote:
> > Originally Posted by eherlihy
> > Depth sounder, chart plotter, and a VHF. Nothing more.
> 
> ...


You asked about the MINIMUM electronics were, so that's what i gave ya.

If you want to know what I would like, here is the list;

Garmin 741xs MFD / Chart Plotter with depth sounder
Garmin GMR 24 Radome
Garmin GHP 12 Autopilot
Vesper Marine XB-8000 AIS Transponder
iCom M506 N2K VHF
FLIR Ocean Scout 320 Infrared Camera
Total cost (with ancillary cables, connectors, and battery bank upgrade) ~$10K

Unfortunately, what I have is _a lot_ closer to the minimum than what I would like.


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## capt jgwinks (Sep 24, 2013)

Don0190 said:


> You don't NEED any electronics!!! Now I'm sure people aren't going to agree, but remember that people have been coastal cruising longer than we even knew about electricity.
> 
> But far I'm concerned the nice to have in order of importance is:
> 1 - depth gauge
> ...


We could make the argument that Columbus sailed to the New World with nothing but a primitive compass. But keep on mind, he was not the first to cross the Atlantic, he was the first to survive it and return to tell the tale. He was lucky. Today we expect to be a bit safer.


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## seaner97 (May 15, 2011)

capt jgwinks said:


> We could make the argument that Columbus sailed to the New World with nothing but a primitive compass. But keep on mind, he was not the first to cross the Atlantic, he was the first to survive it and return to tell the tale. He was lucky. Today we expect to be a bit safer.


He also didn't need to deal with steel tankers flying along or powerboats blowing through the fog with their nose in their chartplotters.


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