Convince Me To Buy A Chartplotter!

[alanfw]

I bought a 31 footer a while ago. It has a basic Clipper Depth sounder and a non-working wind instrument. I have a Navionics Boating App subscription and a 10" Android tablet that I mount under the dodger for chartplotting (with a USB charging cable plugged in). I've been looking at replacing the depth display and wind instrument with a 9" chartplotter/sounder/MFD.
The cheapest option seems to be a Raymarine Element 9 S or HV which will set me back A$1,200 plus transducer cost. I have some reasons why I'm not totally happy with my current system, but I'm really wondering whether the benefit of a change is worth the cost.
Please try to convince me that it's worth the expenditure (or that it's NOT worth it)! Personal experiences will be greatly valued!
PS: my boat is tiller steer so there is no binnacle to mount the chartplotter. It would be flush-mounted on the cabin bulkhead where the depth and wind instruments are currently positioned.

 

[MagentaLine]

How are your skills with a sextant?

 

[mathystuff]

Tablet works fine for me.

Edit: paper charts for backup

 

[alanfw]

How are your skills with a sextant?

Sex I'm OK with, sextant, not so much!

 

[alanfw]

Tablet works fine for me.

Edit: paper charts for backup

Tablet sorta works for me. Navionics app on phone for backup, paper charts for backup backup 😉

 

[El Borracho]

You seem to be familiar with the issues. Maybe wait a while until the need becomes clear, if ever. I only have the fancy chartplotter for the radar and AIS capabilities. For navigation and performance features I am indifferent as charts on a tablet and plain old instruments are plenty good enough. I don’t think I will ever put a plotter at the helm.

 

[Ron Swanson]

Chartplotters are for navigation. With AIS and radar they can provide amazing situational awareness.

You didn't tell us your sailing patterns. Do you have fog? Sail at night? Lots of traffic? Reefs or rocks around to hit? Day sailing? Ocean crossing?

Not needed if you just need instrument data.

 

[DELETED]

If you have a non working wind instrument and are not going to rectify that, then a chart plotter(GPS enabled) is only going to be as useful as your already used tablet plus Navionics, therefore it doesnt seem like a good investment to fit one unless its going to be fed with boat wind and speed log info to aid you.
Tablet+chart backup seems ok to me.
I run navionics on a waterproofed tablet and carry small phone as backup and papercharts incase the aliens take out the satellites..
My own boats chartplotter is connected to wind and speed instruments and AIS.

 

[TBW]

I have been using a cell phone with Navionics since about 2014. Works fine for me.

 

[kent_island_sailor]

Plotters can be less than $1200, but more than a phone app.
I have a plotter on deck and a computer and iPad below at the chart table. The computer and iPad sometimes require fiddling around, rebooting, reacquiring wifi, or something else to work. The plotter ALWAYS works right away, is daylight readable, not affected by salt water wet hands, and otherwise is as reliable as an anvil.

 

[Steam Flyer]

What problem do you have that a chartplotter would solve?

 

[barleymalt]

Depends what you want and your budget. Yes, you can get charting/nav using tablets or laptops and any number of apps available. You can get NMEA data from your instrument systems, and display trend data. You can get weather routing. What you lose, particularly with a chartplotter from the same vendor as your instruments is the integration between them. Chartplotters are also built for the environment, your typical consumer grade tablets and laptops are not.

 

[alanfw]

Thankyou for comments so far. I live in Hervey Bay - there are a lot of shallow shifting sand banks - but I have a goal of sailing the Queensland Coast. I've never used a modern chartplotter/sounder/MFD. Here are some reasons why I'm thinking one of these could be useful:
1. From what I understand, with Navionics I can create sonar data to add to the charts. (I've had trouble with shifting sand banks making charts inaccurate and it would be nice to be able to survey the tricky spots at mid/high tide to give better info for low tide.) I'm not sure if I am correctly understanding this feature though.
2. More reliable convenient power. The tablet sometimes gets hot, and I worry the processing and charging demands exceed the tablet's heat dissipation capacity.
3. A plotter could be networked with my Tiller pilot (but I doubt I would use this much if ever)
4. A chartplotter could provide better information regarding the bottom structure which might be useful in anchoring.
5. Finally, if I ever decide to replace the non-working wind sensor, the plotter can double as my wind instrument (especially at night when telltales and Windex can't be seen).

 

[CriticalPath]

I run navionics on a waterproofed tablet and carry small phone as backup and papercharts incase the aliens take out the satellites..
My own boats chartplotter is connected to wind and speed instruments and AIS.

I have the identical setup and it works for me:

• Stand-alone Active Tab3 ruggedized tablet running Navionics in the cockpit mounted on the pedestal guardfor line-of-sight navigation (using cellphone hotspot for data)
• Cellphone as backup with Navionics in the cockpit coaming pocket or nav station
• Chartplotter running Navionics networked to other instruments and autohelm at the nav station for planning and distance navigation
• Paper charts in nav station

The OP's 5 reasons to consider a permanent cockpit install are all relevant, if Pearl hadn't come equipped as she did (I added the cockpit tablet for local nav work) I'd probably do the same...

Cheers!

 

[Mid]

Convince Me To Buy A Chartplotter!​

you don't need one ....

 

[bgytr]

Seems this topic comes up fairly regularly.
I took my chartplotter off and sold it last year because I never used it in 3 seasons I've had my boat. My primary nav tool is water and shock resistant Samsung galaxy tab active 2 with Navionics and Sailgrib. I use it when cruising and racing, used it on multiple ocean races, winning a few of them. I have a chest harness I rigged up from an $8 go pro chest harness with some high strength velcro. I have used this for years, works great. The nice thing about the Samsung tab active is the battery can be swapped out. For ocean races I used 3 spare batteries I take with me in case charging onboard was an issue. I've kinda quit ocean racing, but still use the setup for local races and cruising. When cruising, I don't keep the tablet strapped on my chest, but have it up under the dodger for reference if I need it. My phone is backup, also my prior version of the tablet is backup as well. Paper charts are always there if needed. Never go without paper charts.

 

[dfw_sailor]

Thankyou for comments so far. I live in Hervey Bay - there are a lot of shallow shifting sand banks - but I have a goal of sailing the Queensland Coast. I've never used a modern chartplotter/sounder/MFD. Here are some reasons why I'm thinking one of these could be useful:
1. From what I understand, with Navionics I can create sonar data to add to the charts. (I've had trouble with shifting sand banks making charts inaccurate and it would be nice to be able to survey the tricky spots at mid/high tide to give better info for low tide.) I'm not sure if I am correctly understanding this feature though.
2. More reliable convenient power. The tablet sometimes gets hot, and I worry the processing and charging demands exceed the tablet's heat dissipation capacity.
3. A plotter could be networked with my Tiller pilot (but I doubt I would use this much if ever)
4. A chartplotter could provide better information regarding the bottom structure which might be useful in anchoring.
5. Finally, if I ever decide to replace the non-working wind sensor, the plotter can double as my wind instrument (especially at night when telltales and Windex can't be seen).

Yes to all the above, but consider 2 x 7" instead of 1 x 9". Less cost, more usable real estate.

I also installed an n2k wind sensor from a uk manufacturer, I think it was about $250 US.

Cushion seal of the mfd mount has been adjusted since the photo.

I have adjusted my screen layouts since this photo was taken, but I do like having performance and routing on one screen, with 2x map scales and depth on the other screen.

Also the raymarine control app for Android is finally up and working, so with either Apple or Android I can also mirror / control either screen from anywhere on the boat.

My boat is an Irwin 30.

And yes, for me it is well worth it.

Btw, these are raymarine axiom units, not element. iirc, the axiom is better than element for sailing. Element is more focused on fishing etc.

Also you might consider changing to a chirp in hull sonar sensor (I didn't want a thru hull ).

Better quality signal, n2k and I think it was $150 or so. Lowest price option was to buy that sensor + 1 of the axiom 7 as a package. This is a straight down sonar, not side scan. Can store the data and build a profile though.

Side scan has to be external to the hull.

 

[SloopJonB]

I'm no kind of gadget freak but plotters are the greatest boating invention since fiberglass.

 

[FlyingCircus2]

Do you actually need one though?

you can get decent apps on your cell phone. It looks like it would be hard for you to get lost - leave the land to your left or right and you'll get home eventually.

I wouldn't bother with a chart plotter unless you leave sight of land, or if there's a ton of reefs and things you need to dodge.

 

[floater]

Yes to all the above, but consider 2 x 7" instead of 1 x 9". Less cost, more usable real estate.

I also installed an n2k wind sensor from a uk manufacturer, I think it was about $250 US.

View attachment 574353

Cushion seal of the mfd mount has been adjusted since the photo.

I have adjusted my screen layouts since this photo was taken, but I do like having performance and routing on one screen, with 2x map scales and depth on the other screen.

Also the raymarine control app for Android is finally up and working, so with either Apple or Android I can also mirror / control either screen from anywhere on the boat.

My boat is an Irwin 30.

And yes, for me it is well worth it.

Btw, these are raymarine axiom units, not element. iirc, the axiom is better than element for sailing. Element is more focused on fishing etc.

Also you might consider changing to a chirp in hull sonar sensor (I didn't want a thru hull ).

Better quality signal, n2k and I think it was $150 or so. Lowest price option was to buy that sensor + 1 of the axiom 7 as a package. This is a straight down sonar, not side scan. Can store the data and build a profile though.

Side scan has to be external to the hull.

those look fantastic. I made the mistake of getting the older non-touch screen versions of these. although I do have a configurable interface. which has left me wondering why I bothered with the chart plotter instead of just using a tablet.

the OP should note that venturing into the instrument world involves a lot of pieces - and potentially some significant bits hidden behind the scenes. I've got the "seatalk2" thing which I believe is a semi-proprietary form of NMEA2000 (I"ve already forgotten, lol). but the wiring harness in the boat is very significant. Given the OP seems to be starting from scratch some advice in this direction might be helpful too.

my favorite part is the integration between the wind and water instruments that then compute actual vs. apparent wind speeds plus display the true current on the plotter. that's pretty fun stuff.

you can also integrate this with an autopilot - although I have not done so.