# Chartplotters for sailing



## jhlnh (Apr 18, 2011)

There are a lot of chartplotters out there for around $400-700. I’m getting a headache reading about them. Most (except for B&G) focus on the fish finder component. I don’t fish and do mostly coastal cruising on a 34’ sailboat. Any recommendations?


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

If you have a smartphone, there are many apps. I use MX Mariner (~$10) on my Android. Free chart updates.


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## mikel1 (Oct 19, 2008)

Of course depends on use of the individual . . . .I get along just fine with my I-pad and the Navionics app . . . . free for basic app and an extra $50 or so for the extras . . .with obvious limitation it does'nt get any cheaper . . .


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## jhlnh (Apr 18, 2011)

That’s what I’ve been using as well. I’m looking for something to hook to the power system so I don’t run out of power. It happened a few times last summer.


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## heading168 (Sep 27, 2017)

On my boat I have 5 chart plotter capability Computer, raymarine 120, hand held GPS, iPhone, iPad with a wireless gps and Inreach. If you are solely navigating in day time visually in well marked no hazardous waters the gps on iPhone and iPad are "okay" but have noticed it can be as much as a 1/4 mile off. If you are doing anymore than that get something that at least has a waas enabled gps. Charts I find I like the garmin over the Naviconics but both can get a little clutter with icons of points of interest and such you have to be able to turn that stuff off.
That I think would be a minimum of what I'd look for as far as features in a mfd. 
Oh I just realizes I have 6 not 5 .


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## jhlnh (Apr 18, 2011)

Thanks, I’ve been using an iPad for years but have run out of power and it’s also difficult to read in the sun. I’m looking for something to connect to the power system.


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## BarryL (Aug 21, 2003)

Hey,

Do you have any other instruments (wind, speed, DSC, etc.) that you want to connect to the plotter? If so, selecting the same brand for the plotter MAY make it easier to connect them.

Garmin, B&G, Lowrance, Simrad, all make good products. I currently have a B&G Vulcan. I like it because I easily interfaced my other instruments. It has 'Sailsteer' and other sailing specific functions that I like. Prior to the Vulcan I had a Garmin unit. That also worked well.

Personally I prefer a fixed plotter over and Ipad. Better screen, easier to see in the sun, no worry about battery power, etc.

Good luck,
Barry


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## rpludwig (Mar 13, 2017)

navionics, open cpn free on laptop/ipad, along w/Lowrance Hook 5 in cockpit here....we sail rivers & sound, so showing current location relative to upcoming depth changes AND current depth are important to us relative to heading....plenty good ones to chose from, esp w/black Friday discounts....you can get under $300 WITH software...fwiw


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## jhlnh (Apr 18, 2011)

Just bought a Vulcan 7FS. Thanks for your input.


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## SanderO (Jul 12, 2007)

I have been reluctant to go the route of touch screen. However I do need to replace my aging Ray C80 below decks. I have a B&G T7 in the cockpit... but I find the interface clumsy (touch aspect)... I use it basically to see where I am on a chart while in the cockpit... zoom in and out... but no waypoints or interfaces.

My below decks MFD is the one I program with a waypoint and it repeats data to the cockpit displays (NMEA183) which is sort of useful for navigation.... CTW, TTG, SOG, COG and so forth. Radar is below decks and that's not optimal. But the T7 is "portable" and set up by simply plugging in its power chord into a cockpit dash cig plug12v outlet.

If the interface for entering a waypoint and easily getting at them (again) once they are used I could consider a touch screen technology... and May be able to eventually port the radar into to the T7.... if it's via N2K system... not a fat radar cable... or even better... wifi.

Any comments or suggestions?


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## Lazerbrains (Oct 25, 2015)

All the major brand ones work well. The main differences are how easy/difficult they are to navigate the menus.
Best thing you can do is go to a West Marine where they have them all set up, and play with each one, going through the menus.
On my last boat I did that and ended up with a Garmin. My current boat came with a beautiful Raymarine, but I don't care for the menu system on it as much.


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

I use a Lowrance HDS-7, which also displays my Lowrance 3G radar and Lowrance AIS VFH radio as chart overlays. It also displays the depth very accurately using a hockey puck transducer that shoots through a very thick hull, battery voltage, time, lat/lon, SOG, and I can split the screen to display navigation information while still providing an excellent chart view. 

There are too many locations where I do not have cellular connection to use my smart phone for anything this important.

Gary


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## RocketScience (Sep 8, 2008)

jhlnh said:


> ...Any recommendations?


Have you considered used? You can get a lot of bang for your <$700 bucks on eBay. I bought a Furuno MFD8 store display model on eBay at a 50% discount.

eBay - Used Chasrtplotters


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## flyingriki (Sep 27, 2012)

Does a newish Garmin Chartplotter talk to older Autohelm instruments?


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

Much of this depends upon the model. Most of the handhelds will not, while he vast majority of the console mounts will.

Gary


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## Towguy (May 8, 2016)

Can anyone tell me good or bad on the Lowrance hook9 ??can,t seem to find any info ... cabellas in edmtn has it sale listed at 599.00 ( list 1400 ish)... Ralph


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## fallard (Nov 30, 2009)

SanderO said:


> I have been reluctant to go the route of touch screen. However I do need to replace my aging Ray C80 below decks. I have a B&G T7 in the cockpit... but I find the interface clumsy (touch aspect)... I use it basically to see where I am on a chart while in the cockpit... zoom in and out... but no waypoints or interfaces.
> 
> My below decks MFD is the one I program with a waypoint and it repeats data to the cockpit displays (NMEA183) which is sort of useful for navigation.... CTW, TTG, SOG, COG and so forth. Radar is below decks and that's not optimal. But the T7 is "portable" and set up by simply plugging in its power chord into a cockpit dash cig plug12v outlet.
> 
> ...


IMHO, when the going gets rough and you are rocking and rolling, you really want your electronics at the helm to be bolted down and you don't need the added challenge of trying to keep a steady hand on a touch screen MFD. I carrry an iPad with Garmin Bluechart as a tertiary backup, but hope I never have to use it at the helm under snotty conditions.


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## chuck5499 (Aug 31, 2003)

We have been underway for 10 years and run RayMarine and it has been great. We are not fans of touch screen as at times when we need to zoom in I far to busy to focus on it and just a reach and click takes me in on the zoom - example in '16 we were in the Black Sea and had a bit of a blow hit us with big short steep seas on a very close interval and a lot of wind on our nose - we were just a few miles from safe harbor behind a breakwater but it's entrance was facing the seas but there was a lot rocks piled outside the entrance to break the seas - so I had to go directly at the rocks and turn across the winds and seas that I knew would lift and take us sideways toward the end of the breakwater - I needed to keep the plotter out so I could judge the distance I was from both rocks and breakwater and once I decided to make the turn we did get picked up and taken sideways before I got her all the way around and once around we were surfing into an unknown harbor at 8k+ and I needed to zoom in a quick punch and I had what I needed as my concentration was trying to steer the boat in and away from the breakwater on one side and land and rocks on the other - 

We do fish but do not have the necessary transducer to see fish and could care less - 

As a backup we have been running OpenCPN for 10 years and actually do use it on occasion just because - 

Of course a lot depends on where you are going to cruise and sail -


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## SanderO (Jul 12, 2007)

The T7 is mounted in a winch under the dodger and it's very secure except in a roll. It has a rotary dial which I believe can zoom or button presses... can't recall actually. I don't usually get caught in severely challenging land falls as Chuck describes... But sailing in Maine at night, with fog approaches that level of uncertainty. I rarely drive from the helm... but of course with nasty short steep waves I would do better than the AP... But I don't think I would be looking at a plotter screen to thread the needle in those conditions. Anything is possible of course.

I do not have a place for and so fixed mount in the cockpit is not happening. The present location works great... and would support a larger screen.. but sitting right next to it... it works perfectly well.

BTW a most useful feature is the course / heading line which shows where the boat is going assuming no current change. In the attached I was headed for Port Jef and simply tweak the AP to get the course/heading line to intersect the entry buoy. I can pretty much navigate like this without bothering to enter a way point. That simply generates numbers... course to waypoint, distance to waypoint and time to go to waypoint.


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## Totuma (Jul 27, 2017)

For anyone thinking about going the iPad route but concerned about cell range or built-in GPS accuracy, know that for under $100 you can purchase a GPS 'puck' that bluetooth tethers to tablet or phone and provides excellent GPS capability regardless of cell service availability. We've occasionally uses our 'Bad Elf' (mostly backpacking remote areas, but sometimes sailing) and it works great.


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

Cell service is needed only if you don't have the maps loaded onto your phone or tablet. Most apps should give you the option to download to your device or get them as needed via cell signal.


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## Ajax_MD (Nov 24, 2009)

I'm in the process of building a dedicated navigation computer out of a Raspberry Pi processor which will run OpenCPN.
The total cost will be a little over $200 and have a 15.6" monitor. It will have Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS. Eventually, I'll tie it into my GX2200 radio so that AIS will overlay onto the display. The entire package will draw about 3 amps when running hard. The iPad and GPS draw about the same when plugged in so the power budget is the same.

There are pro's and con's and this solution is not for everyone. In fact, I can already hear most of you banging away on your keyboard as to why this won't work, or why it's a bad idea. Suffice it to say that I'm aware of the limitations.

It's not marinized against the elements and not intended for use in the cockpit. I want a large screen navigation tool at the navigator's desk down in my cabin. I use an old Raymarine C80 chartplotter at the helm that was a gift from a friend who upgraded. I'll design my routes on at the desk and upload them onto a memory card which I will plug into the C80. 

The monitor will be on a RAM mount so I'll be able to swivel it to be viewable from the cockpit but it will live down in the cabin and again, it's primary purpose is not navigation from the helm.

My point- It's an inexpensive solution for a navigation tool and easily done with a bit of internet research.


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## fallard (Nov 30, 2009)

SanderO said:


> I don't usually get caught in severely challenging land falls as Chuck describes... But sailing in Maine at night, with fog approaches that level of uncertainty. I rarely drive from the helm... but of course with nasty short steep waves I would do better than the AP... But I don't think I would be looking at a plotter screen to thread the needle in those conditions. Anything is possible of course.


I, too, rarely get caught in challenging landfalls, but "rarely" isn't "never". One memorable event about 20 years ago occurred during the end-of-season Race Rock Regatta out of Stonington. The predicted 20+ kt winds turned into 45-50 kts outside Fishers Island. My brand new North main had a reefing malfunction (warranty issue) and there I was with a single reef that would not allow be to flatten the sail. Second reef was out of the question. We were getting the lower lifelines in the water on the roll as we beat into it. My escape plan was to thread one of the passages between Fishers Island and Watch Hill on my way back to Stonington Harbor.

I had been sailing these waters for about 30 years then, but still relied on my chartplotter to thread narrow Wicopesset Passage, while avoiding the center channel buoy, which can be pulled under water at max current. It was also helpful in staying off the submerged rocks to either side of this 200 yd wide passage, all the while hoping that we wouldn't head up in a wind shift as the winds subsided to 38+ kts as we went through. It was difficult enough to work the buttons on my older chartplotter at that time and I'm glad it didn't have a touch screen, considering the considerable boat motion.

Mind you, I had sailed through this passage for more than 15 years at that time using dead reckoning during my earlier Luddite days as a Catboater with only compass, charts, and intimate familiarity with Eldridges. That included annual trips to Block Island and the occasional pea soup fog. So, even in familiar waters, we were grateful for a chartplotter during the Regatta. It also helps to have verified your chartplotter mapping before dealing with close quarters.


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## SanderO (Jul 12, 2007)

This sort of thing does happen and having been there before is of immeasurable help. I know this area and now know that the buoy can be submerged in extreme high tide. YIKES


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## BarryL (Aug 21, 2003)

Hey,

I have been using chart plotters since 2005 and touch screen plotters for about 5 years. I have sailed in good weather and bad. To be honest, I don't touch the plotter all that often. When racing I will be selecting waypoints. When on a cruise I will be running a route. When day sailing it may not even be on. I look at it often, but don't have to make too many adjustments to the plotter.

In bad weather using any sort of a plotter is difficult - touch screen or real keyboard. In REAL bad weather, doing anything on a boat is difficult. Having a plotter set to show you direction (and time) to a waypoint helps, as well as a large screen that shows buoys, obstructions, and other hazards. Personally, a good quality large screen is more important than the controls for the screen. With a 3" screen you need to be zooming and scrolling all the time. With a 5" screen there is less of that. I now have a 7" screen (Vulcan 7FS) and I don't need to zoom or scroll very much. I usually leave the screen on the 1 or 2 nm range and I see everything I need when sailing. 

Barry


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## olson34 (Oct 13, 2000)

We also do local cruising and near-shore navigation on a 34 foot sailboat. 
We love our Lowrance plotter that interfaces with their digital radar. Our older set of sailing instruments (ST-60 Raymarine) still does yeoman service for DS, KM, and wind, and the integration works great.

One thing that on-line vendors never mention, and even the big box local retailers almost never mention is that many of the devices for sale are not intended for use on most sailboats and even a great many smaller power boats. Reason is that many of these have a powerful permanent magnet holding their chart chip door closed. Minimum separation from your steering compass is usually going to have to be about 35 to 40 inches. This eliminates most wheel guard mounting schemes.
A few brands and models, like our Lowrance, 9" plotter have a friction catch for that little door.

We are very (!) fortunate having a local marine electronics shop to patronize. They either match or come close to other prices on gear and have trained technicians on staff to advise to do installs and trouble shooting.

Be Very Careful in making this choice. Or, be so focused and smart that you will Always remember to remove and store your plotter any time you need to steer or navigate by compass. Or.... just buy your plotter carefully & thoughtfully and do not create this problem in the first place.

Fair winds,
Loren


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## fallard (Nov 30, 2009)

olson34 said:


> We also do local cruising and near-shore navigation on a 34 foot sailboat.
> We love our Lowrance plotter that interfaces with their digital radar. Our older set of sailing instruments (ST-60 Raymarine) still does yeoman service for DS, KM, and wind, and the integration works great.
> 
> One thing that on-line vendors never mention, and even the big box local retailers almost never mention is that many of the devices for sale are not intended for use on most sailboats and even a great many smaller power boats. Reason is that many of these have a powerful permanent magnet holding their chart chip door closed. Minimum separation from your steering compass is usually going to have to be about 35 to 40 inches. This eliminates most wheel guard mounting schemes.
> ...


I once had a very good VHF that strongly affected my compass on a powerboat. There was no other convenient location, so I removed the permanent magnet speaker and remotely located a poly planar speaker and that solved the problem.

I also had a mysterious problem with a new flux gate compass. As it turned out, our steel framed beach chairs, which were stowed in a quarter berth were strongly magnetized. The solution was to move them across the boat to the opposite quarter berth.

The problem was verified by the use of a hand-bearing compass that went crazy near the beach chairs. The hand-bearing compass trick can be used to check out any suspected electronics or even non-electronics. Since the magnetic field falls off rapidly with separation, you can move the offender incrementally to see if the issue can be resolved by increasing the separation from your compass(es).


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

Know Stonington and surrounds fairly well. A favorite stopping point if doing L.I. Sound. Have gone through the race and then into Stonington in pea soup fog more than once and never enjoyed it. Need very accurate plotting. What’s interesting is you can have both fog and significant wind at the same time in that area. Plus currents which are different in fairly close proximity. It’s a place where being able to zoom up and down quickly and having a screen at the helm is very helpful.
Currently have RM with three stations. Although the new all touch screen version was released before we bought it went with the hybrid version that allows full functionality with touch screen or mechanical ( dials and buttons) input. Have had too many occasions touch screens don’t work or only work after several attempts. 
If spec’ing now would still go hybrid or just mechanical. Touch screens have gotten better but if they’re wet or you’re gloved or there’s a lot of static charge still a PIA. Agree B&G has the best sailboat functions. But like it’s sister Simrad mated to NKE for AP in the current offerings. Suspect only touch screen will be available in near future. Motorboats usually have dry protected helms and most sailors avoid weather. So market for systems made to reliably function when installed into open cockpits/helms is not driving design decisions.


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## gonecrusin (Aug 23, 2016)

Like others have mentioned the touch screen plotter is the wave of the future, we're not crazy about it but it is what it is. Good news though, the plotter can be controlled by someone below, in a dry location, with an Ipad. So it's possible to lock out the touch of the screen and set things up at a dry location. Perfect? No but better then dealing with wet fingers in the fog.


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## elliowb (Jun 8, 2015)

Totuma said:


> For anyone thinking about going the iPad route but concerned about cell range or built-in GPS accuracy, know that for under $100 you can purchase a GPS 'puck' that bluetooth tethers to tablet or phone and provides excellent GPS capability regardless of cell service availability. We've occasionally uses our 'Bad Elf' (mostly backpacking remote areas, but sometimes sailing) and it works great.


I've been using that method for a couple of years. I am using the Garmin Glo. However, I've had problems with losing the connection, usually just at the moment when I need it most. Right now I'm only day sailing and short trips, so it hasn't been a big deal, just a nuisance. My current upgrade is to a Vesper XB8000 so that hopefully I have a more reliable connection to the GPS signal. I wouldn't rely on the 'puck' method for more than a back up.

-- Bill
Belle Voile
PSC 34


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## Totuma (Jul 27, 2017)

elliowb said:


> I've been using that method for a couple of years. I am using the Garmin Glo. However, I've had problems with losing the connection, usually just at the moment when I need it most. Right now I'm only day sailing and short trips, so it hasn't been a big deal, just a nuisance. My current upgrade is to a Vesper XB8000 so that hopefully I have a more reliable connection to the GPS signal. I wouldn't rely on the 'puck' method for more than a back up.
> 
> -- Bill
> Belle Voile
> PSC 34


Interesting... I've never had the Bt fail, but admittedly, it *is* mostly a backup for me.
I did note that Bad Elf now has a plug-in puck for iDevices.


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## elliowb (Jun 8, 2015)

Totuma said:


> Interesting... I've never had the Bt fail, but admittedly, it *is* mostly a backup for me.
> I did note that Bad Elf now has a plug-in puck for iDevices.


It could be my copy of the Glo or a Glo problem. I turn it off and back on and it reconnects.

The only problem with a wired connection is that precludes charging the iOS device, unless there's a power pass-through.

I'm hoping that a WiFi connection will be more reliable.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

Not keen on depending on WiFi for key connections. Not even for anemometer. Hard wired seems to be more reliable for the foreseeable future


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