Chartplotter Visibility

[Jessitt]

Hi all,
I'm new to this forum and just purchased a 2013 Oceanis 45. It seems that the positioning of the Cartplotter, between the wheels and low down is hard to read when keeping an eye on depth changes in new harbors. By zooming in, I am shortening the distance I'm viewing, therefore limiting my time to make coarse changes.

Does anyone else have this problem??? It seems that the plotter should be above the wheel.......no???

Rich

 

[Ron20324]

Hi all,
I'm new to this forum and just purchased a 2013 Oceanis 45. It seems that the positioning of the Cartplotter, between the wheels and low down is hard to read when keeping an eye on depth changes in new harbors. By zooming in, I am shortening the distance I'm viewing, therefore limiting my time to make coarse changes.

Does anyone else have this problem??? It seems that the plotter should be above the wheel.......no???

Rich

When I chartered in the BVIs, the boat had that setup. We did'nt like it, but figured it's only a week. I'll be watching this thread with you.

 

[Davidasailor26]

If you haven't already, try putting the chart into look ahead mode. That will put the boat closer to the bottom of the screen, so you can see a little further ahead without zooming out so much. It doesn't make a huge difference, but it might help a little. Also, if you're using Navionics charts, I believe they sometimes have a mode called Easy Viewing or something, that makes the text a little bigger.

 

[Jackdaw]

This is a common issue, the First 45 suffers even worse.

But it also points another issue, just like with in-car driving aids, we are creating sailors that cannot enter a harbor without their face in a plotter screen. Use it for the occasional sanity check, and pre-view BEFORE entering, but drive with your head OUT OF THE BOAT, monitoring ATONS, traffic!, your depth, your person on the bow, and things that are real. That chartplotter is not reality.

 

[Joe]

Jackdaw illuminates one of my favorite pet peeves..... helming the boat by staring at the chartplotter. Your ATON's and your depth sounder are much more important than watching your track across a screen. Study the chart.... paper or digital... to help you pick out important nav aids and hazards....then visually identify them and steer so you can see what's on the water ahead. It's much safer than staring at a screen as if you're in a simulator.
When you identify the nav aids you can use your piloting skills to maintain a course and estimate position, using the chart as a reference... You can see your drift in adverse currents and make adjustments to desired waypoints.... you can also see unmarked obstacles that may not appear on your chart.... a field of lobster traps, for instance... good luck.

 

[DougM]

One of the first things I was taught when I started sailing was “get your head out of the boat”.
You can’t see wind and current patterns and color changes in the water that might indicate shoaling. You certainly won’t be as cognizant about traffic around you. This is where, in my opinion, racing experience makes one a better sailer overall.

That said, the chart plotter is still handy. However I wish somebody would come up with a screen that could be visible at a glance in direct sunlight and with polarized sunglasses...