Why Buy a Plotter?
For me navigation is more about passage planning than just following a string of waypoints. Making decisions about best routes and when to depart to get the best out of the tides and avoiding getting stuck in 'tidal gates' off headlands etc.
As a result I need my charting instrument at the nav table where I can do my 'proper' navigation rather than do it on the hoof at the helm where there is hardly any space for it anyway what with radar too!
In 1995 this concept opened up the opportunity to use my laptop as my main navigation tool. I have never looked back, never owned a chart plotter and really cannot understand why anyone would choose one.
Before making any voyage, however small, I plan the route (as has been the legal requirement to do this for the last five years or so) and commit it to the hard drive. Over the years I now have hundreds of routes on disk.
I see it this way:-
- Can do most of the planning at home, selecting cruises for days ahead, optimising and then just storing them until needed - even in years to come.
- Storage of unlimited numbers of Waypoints - all properly named by keyboard - all in deep water and that I have used before so I KNOW they are good.
- Storage of unlimited numbers of Routes - all properly named etc.
- Ability to predict arrival time by entering anticipated boat speed for each leg. Computer takes care of tidal stream effects.
- Decent sized 15" screen rather than the tiny 10" and 12" apologies from Raymarine et al for which they charge three times the price of a laptop.
- SeaPro uses live tidal data to calculate best departure time and arrival time and applies this to both course and ETA for every leg. It may be the only computer prog to do this and AKAIK none of the plotters can do this.
- New Routes are so easily constructed from existing Waypoint database (mine now holds hundreds - all guaranteed).
- Programme shows daily and hourly tide graphs for all primary and secondary ports world wide.
- Programme drives autopilot (if required).
- Programme shows AIS positions of other vessels.
- Prog flags up banner warnings and sounds alarms when any other vessel's vector crosses my vector within a chosen distance (I use 1 mile when out of pilotage waters).
- Prog shows CPA and TCPA banner tables of ONLY those AIS vessels that will come within my guard zone within a set time or distance (so it doesn't alert for anything with a CPA of 1 mile and TCPA of less than, say, 30 minutes).
- Can present GRIB weather files.
- Can show radar overlay.
- Can display engine and every instrument on board in a sidebar.
- Fully flexible allowing positioning of data boxes anywhere on screen. i.e. Because it runs on Windows.
- Everybody is now familiar with Laptops and Windows, even guests - not so with plotters for which there is still no common standard.
- I have WIFI and Internet connections wherever I go.
- Can play DVDs, CDs and all usual computer entertainment, TV and e-mail functions. (I would carry the laptop just for these anyway).
- Obsolescence proofed - a new laptop is vastly cheaper than a new chart plotter. And you would probably buy one anyway.
- No limitations on processing power.
- I could go on!
I know plotters can do much of the above BUT NOT ALL.
Only recently has Raymarine introduced a proper computer into its box. The 'C' series (and later) uses Linux (because Bill Gates charges for Windows), but even now you don't get a proper keyboard. Instead they supply a box with great big buttons - all labelled differently from a computer.
I guess if they allowed computing terminology it would be an admission that computers are the way to go.
Originally my employer kindly provided me with a laptop for my job so it was easy to take it with me when I sailed. It was upgraded regularly too and for free!
Mouse operation causes no problems at sea. Don't use touch pad or touch screen because originally one stroke with a damp salty finger drove the cursor mad.
I locate the laptop on my nav table with "today's" chart underneath. Should I have a computer problem the correct chart is already in place. But I have never needed it in 16 years.
For the last 16 years the computer has been retained by nothing more than a piece of that orange polypropylene 1/16" diameter string the kids use for crabbing or fishing. It is tied to a small screw on one side of the nav table, passes across the upright screen at the hinge of the PC and a slip noose goes over a second screw on the other side. I have used a succession of computers and never has one come adrift or been damaged by shock or water.
The cost of a computer prog plus charts plus modest 15" laptop is still a fraction of the cost of a similar sized chart plotter and I really do wonder why people don't take advantage of the scale of computer production yet still buy plotters which are short on computing power, slow, hard to handle, not obsolescence proofed and don't do anything else.
Only problems are that the display is below deck but a pal has his blue toothed to a water resistant cockpit display and uses a radio mouse. He gets the best of both worlds.
Before stumping up for a plotter - think hard.
Photos:- 'String in Hinge' and 65 mile trip from UK to France allowing for tidal streams. 'Direct' route is in Blue (Longest by GPS) and 'Constant Heading' route (Shortest) in Yellow. Note tide changes just before we get to France. XTE is more than 5 miles.
