Bits and bytes on board

[Julia]

No I sail to get away from computers

I work with computers all day every day at work. When I go sailing I don't want to hear or see them samething with the telephone I have a cell phone for emergencies only. I try to simplify things a one burner stove a port a potty sleeping bag, cheap rain suit, I don't even like music. I bring a book to read at night by lantern and food on ice. Keep it simple you might even hear the ducks quack and the fish jump.Julie S/V Miss Adventure

 

[Denny P.]

Lord.........NO!!

Sailing is an adventure, an adventure of getting back to the basics and being out in the real world that was created for us to enjoy without the complications of modern life. Electronic gadgets break down. The best weather forcasts are the ones that the learned sailor does himself. Have ya ever watched T.V. and witnessed the weaterman or lady say ya were going to have a beautiful day only to walk outside and get wet?? G.P.S. is onboard my bote to check my dead reckoning and for entertainment for land lubbers. I seldom turn on the depth finder as my eyes tell me the depth of the water by it's changing colors. There is a stereo that was installed by the previous owner..I have not turned it on..Sorta like havin a jet ski in the cockpit..The wind in the rigging plays a harmonious melody that can't be heard at home. The V.H.F. is for emergencys and waking up sleeping bridge tenders.If I wanted all the electronic junk onboard I would buy a 45' trawler, go out and get drunk like the rest of the over the hill skippers and turn the A/C on in the cabin and run down lil sailboats on the weekends..Oh, Joy!!.. Denny P.

 

[Mickey McHugh]

Ducks quack and the fish jump

even around a 40-foot live aboard. We take our H40.5 with ALL it's electronic 'junk' onboard out on the bay EVERY chance we get, which means almost EVERY weekend and we don't let the gadgets get in the way, Julia. And by bay, I mean Galveston Bay, San Diego Bay and the Chesapeake Bay. In 4 years, we put over 15,000 miles under Yaga's keel. We love to sit in the cockpit and enjoy 'nature', sun/moon sets/rises and the peace only boaters can find out on the open water. Having a PC on board a 40-foot boat does not mean Debbie and I are not sailors and enjoy the 'adventure' of going the distance. Hell, we crossed the Gulf of Mexico in December. Talk about an adventure, Denny!Using technology does not change who you are. For me, I think it makes Debbie and I feel a little safer out there. Plus without a PC on Yaga I wouldn't be able to enjoy HOW.Please express how you use a PC on your sailboat and don't make this a negative thread about electronics vs traditional methods and the people who use them. Guess I'm just having a bad day here in Russia, its been 6 months since I've seen Yaga.

 

[Jack]

Installation problem

I neeed a little help. I have a 28.5 and have just installed a 54" big screen TV. My problem is that I am having problems with the surround sound speaker system, specifially the bass which seems not to fit under the companion way step. Anybody else have this problem? ALso I need help in installing the 58 batteries so I can use the system while anchored. Also how to you keep the Direct TV dish aimed while at anchor?Thanks

 

[BILL ROBB]

Using Computers on-board

I started taking my laptop down to the boat to get some needed business work done and - while I won't do that again - I quickly discovered all the great boat-related things you can do with a light-weight computer. I would say I use mine more to keep my ships' log ( which - on my boat - is more of a personal journal than record of use ) although I'm also using it for maintenance record-keeping, an expense ledger, and playing games

 

[Denny P.]

Well ya convinced me!!!!!!!

I will put a P.C. on board my bote so that I can fondly remember what I am gettin away from by boarding in the first place. I am trying to figure out a mounting system, sorta like the one I made for my eight track player!! All the best!!!.Denny P.

 

[Ian Cameron]

GPS advice

I'm going to take this chance to ask for advice on GPS models. My last boat had a Garmin, and it was fine, but I'm wondering if there is a better GPS or a lower price out there before I just go out and plunk down my $400 for another Garmin. I don't plan on racing, and I have all the charts I could possible use for the cruising we do, but it's nice to have the insurance that a GPS brings. Thoughts?Ian Cameron

 

[Rodger Beard]

Jack's installation problem

I've really enjoyed the responses to this question! I most enjoyed reading about Jack's installation problem. In fact I can't seem to stop laughing as I type this. Hey Jack, just a head's up... you'll also need approximately 1500-2000 backup batteries. And very important, you'll also need a VCR. This to catch The Young And The Restless live, whilst simultaneously recording The Days of Our Lives. <now I'm laughing loudly!>Well, onward thru the fog. On the more serious note <still laughing>, I've noted, to nobody's surprise I'll guess, that the answers that different folks are giving vary quite a bit, depending on what type of sailing they do and where they do it.Why would a daysailor on a lake or inland water system that they know well ever, ever need a computer? A good depth gauge yeah, but certainly not a computer. And why would one who is escaping technology and the modern world for an afternoon out all by themselves want to fiddle with a laptop? This is Jack's point I believe, and a good one! (I'm in the software biz and this sounds like a real big drag to me.)Ah... but of course there are other types of sailors. Some do ocean sailing. Some in deep water for great distances. They're out of touch for extended periods. Wouldn't they benefit from a laptop and/or weatherfax? From a practical standpoint don't they also want both a chartplotter and radar? (in addition to a good set of maps)And then... there's those ocean sailors that race, and especially those who race over long distances. Don't they they want both a laptop and good software?I know you already hear my point but I say it anyway: Different kinds of sailors, doing different types of sailing in different sailing conditions, necessarily create different equipment needs (electronic and otherwise).Best,Rodger BeardPS, I almost forgot to try and add some fuel to the fire: I have both a laptop and fancy software. I prefer to just use the VHF weather channels and my chartplotter, as necessary for coastal cruising, but I'll definitely use both my laptop and radar for the upcoming Newport-Ensenada Race.

 

[Sam Morris]

Navigation Software

This is a request for specific details on navgation software packages.What's the best deal in Navigation Software? I want to hook in my Garmin to the Notebook.I like the looks of the Nobeltec Visual Navigation Suite but wonder if there are more reasonably-priced alternatives?

 

[Eric Lorgus]

Nobeltec Visual Navigation Suite

Bought it right here at HOW.It's interfaced to the Trimble GPS on my H54. Used it on my trip up from Miami last summer. Ran it on my laptop at the nav station for the whole trip. Not only is it useful for navigating, but it also plots the course you've traveled, which can be very revealing to see who can hold a course and who can't!For the cockpit, I use a Magellan Colortrak handheld GPS, with a 12V adaptor so we can run it off the house bank. E-mail is limited to when we're in a CDMA coverage area, where I can connect my Sprint PCS phone to my laptop and then get not only e-mail but also full Internet access at 14.4Kbps.Eric Lorguss/v Impulse 83H54

 

[Bill walton]

email me directly

I've tested four major brands and can comment on all with my likes/dislikes. I'm sure if you search the archives using my last name, you will find most of the comments already posted as I have written them several times.

 

[Carl and Juliana Dupre]

Geeky Technical Types

Our entire family tends to be a bit of the geeky technical types (our daughter and her husband currently have 14 networked computers in their house) and we view computers as useful tools and fun toys; for us they aren't something that we need to get away from and leave behind (now a TV....THAT'S something to get FAR away from, and one will never be on 'Syzygy'!). We also agree that the entire art of navigation must have been invented solely for the entertainment of engineers (Carl). Given all that, you bet we have a computer on board. A Dell laptop with Nobeltec Visual Navigation Suite. Route planning is so easy.....click..click..click...instant route and float plan! But getting really beyond that point has proven frustrating.In the beginning there was the "Grand Vision"; totally integrated electronic navigation; daylight-viewable waterproof remote display right at the helm; radar image overlay right on top of the chart; even weather chart overlay; Nobeltec is theroetically capable of all of this and more. But then the vision ran aground on the reef of reality. Several of the technology pieces, such as digital radar, are not really there yet. And today's $$$ cost of the "grand vision" is breathtaking! But technology advances, costs come down, and the "grand vision" will come sometime in the not too distant future.For the present the laptop sits below, used mostly for route planning and non-nautical purposes. A bit of a temporary disappointment, but the vision is still there, and it will come to pass. For the present time, on-the-water sailing navigation will be a Garmin 176C chartplotter and a Furuno 1712 radar. BTW, as someone mentioned in an earlier post, Furuno has adopted ethernet as their platform for instrument connection and communication. Since ethernet is the near-universal digital computer networking and communication platform, we feel that indicates pretty clearly what Furuno's view of the future is. Ah, yes, we can see the "Grand Vision" coming!Carl and Jules/v 'Syzygy'

 

[Derek Rowell]

I did....

until one night last summer when I put the laptop in the cockpit from the dock, climbed on board and stood on it. Had a very interesting effect on the lcd screen.... Any body want to buy a laptop with a kaliedoscope screen? You can't use it but it looks real pretty.Derek

 

[Tom]

Carl, parts of your "Grand Vision" are available

today !! I got the Raytheon RL70CRC (color version) and it is viewable in the daylight it has:a) daylight-viewable color waterproof remote display right at the helmb) NEW THIS YEAR -- radar image overlay right on top of the chart; (upgradeable on some Raytheon units and you also need a separate accurate electronic compass added.It is the "PLUS" series) But it also is MARPA enabled. MARPA target tracking acts as a collision avoidance system. With MARPA the Radar/Chartplotter will automatically tracks up to 10 targets, identifying potential collision objects with read outs on speed, closest point of approach and time of approach. It also has user definable alarms, Its like having an extra pair of eyes constantly watching the radar and 10 targets (boats) that you mark and someone that will automatically calculate if there might be a problem...(collision).......No it doesn't have the weather chart overlay yet.....but maybe theres someway soon.As for all of the people that think having a electronics or PC on board is getting away from the joys of sailing......well all it takes is on nasty sail in heavy seas and fog with lots of hazards around and you are the ONLY onbe on board who can navigate.....well once you are in that situation you will find it VERY assuring to have them on board as a back up.....Because when the "stuff" hits the fan and you have your hands full just keeping the boat going, you don't want to also have spend too much time (and concern) wondering if you are where you are..........I guess it goes to that singlehanded thread.....if I want to go out there alone and things get really nasty, its a little more comforting knowing I have some electronics to back me up and keep my traditional navigation skills honest........I bet the skipper of the "Morning Dew" wished he had a little bit of electronics to back up knowing where he was....No, I don't have a PC hooked up to the boat but I do have the Raytheon RL70CRC for my piece of mind-----and if I don't need it and its a beautiful day---I don't look a it and just sail as if its not there...same as the TV or the stereo ----- they all have "off" switches and I will use that often too -----

 

[Carl and Juliana Dupre]

Hey, Tom....

Yeah, we saw the Raytheon radar/chartplotter overlay stuff (Furuno had the same thing) at the Newport Boat Show. We seriously considered giving up on the computer and just going that route. But the potential for a PC-based system is just so much more. The power and ultimate capability of a program such as Nobeltec (or "The Cap'n", or some others) is just so vast. Just read through the documentation of any of these programs and look at what they are ultimately capable of.On the other hand, we have been rather impressed with the advances in chartplotter technology over the last several years. The chartplotter people (Garmin, Raytheon, etc.) are clearly not about to concede the business to the PC'ers without a real fight!So we have decided to watch and see what happens. We took an interim solution; we bought a reasonable cost chartplotter (Garmin 176C) and a Furuno radar (ethernet connectable) and we will see what happens in the near future.And, Tom, we feel that you are very right about the value of electronic navigation. What really spurred us on was three hours of motoring in 200 foot visibility fog headed for Cuttyhunk, including going through Quick's Hole at peak tidal current and never seeing land on either side, not to mention some terrifyingly big foghorns in Vineyard Sound (at the time we had no radar and only a simple hand-held GPS). We are both very competent (and we practice) with a hand-bearing compass, a calculator, and a paper chart, but that doesn't help an awful lot when you can't see 200 feet. And DR is not very comfortable in that area at maximum tidal flow. If the electronic wonders fail, we can do the manual thing and do it as well as it can be done. But while the electronics are working, we will make the most of them that we possibly can. Besides, it's such fun!Carl and Jules/v 'Syzygy'

 

[Bryce]

PC integration

I have a Dell pc integrated to my gps and autopilot using Cap'n software, also have a Raymarine radar on board. Like Carl and Jule I can navigate with paper charts with the best of them, but my wife and I are usually short handed on our 410. Having all the electronics is like having a couple of 2nd mates on board. Yes they need supervising and monitoring but generally they work great. Then when you couple sea, wind and fog conditions similar to Carl's and Jule's post it's even better. Try pulling into a new harbor with 40-60 feet visibility or steering the boat in a squall with 65-70 knot wind gusts then add the tidal conditions we get in the NE and you'll be glad they're working and on-board. To me the electronics makes sailing a safer sport. I wouldn't want to have been ole Chris C and attempt to find the new world by DR. No wonder his crew almost mutinied in the crossing.BryceS/V SpellbinderH410

 

[Steve Zito]

Eric, you avoided my wiring problem!

Eric, you avoided my wiring problem on my H37.5 by using two GPS units. I took my Magellan 320 handheld and installed its mounting bracket on the pedestal guard and wired it back to my nav station, where my computer plugs in. I also integrated it to my autohelm autopilot. It all actually works. I remove my GPS from its bracket when not in use, but the hardwired bracket remains in the cockpit, under the wheel cover, yet exposed to the elements. Corrosion sets in on the exposed contacts and I have to sand down the terminals each time.I do not want to leave the GPS outside, plus the contacts would probably corrode even attached (they only touch) and loose connection. I have tried to find a suitable type plug so that I could remove the bracket and leave it in the A/C controlled cabin, or take home, but those tiny wires are hard to connect and stay connected. Plus the plug/connector would have to be corrosion resistant.I recently deducted that I need a permanently installed GPS in the cabin with the NEMA cable hard wired, or permanently connected, but two GPS units seemed redundant. THis is exactly what you did. I guess redundancy is a good thing, partlicularly when relying on something.So unless you have a good idea of how to keep a good permanent connection to a GPS outside, I guess I am going shopping for a second GPS (and a new bracket for the old one, since it is probably not going to keep working, even for power). Shopping for the boat can be a good thing.

 

[JIM]

Computer OB

YES, I DO USE A LAPTOP BUT FOR WORK. I HAVE A HOME OFFICE AND WORK FOR AN ARCHITECT SO IN THE SUMMER I USUALLY SPEND 1/2 DAY ON THE BOAT UNTILL MY BETTER HALF GETS OUT OF WORK. I PICK HER UP AT THE DOCK AND SHES DRESSED FOR WORK. WE DO GET A LOT OF STRANGE LOOKS. OH WELLCAROE DIEM

 

[Sam Morris]

Navigation Software

Bill:I searched the archives to try to find the four NAV software packages that you said you have tried and can find mention of only "Chartview Pro software although I have acquired Raymarine Navigator ver 4". What others have you tried and do you recommend the Raymarine over Nobeltec?Thanks, Sam

 

[Bill walton]

software choices (long winded)

Sam,I have or had the CAPN, Chartview Pro2.5 and 3.0 (CVP), Vis Nav 6.0 and all the resleases of Raytech Navigator from 1 to the current 4.I really like Chartview Proand used on a very frequent basis until the current 4.0 version of Navigator. CVP still does some things way better than Navigator but the way Nav integrates with my Ray marine instruments, GPS, CP and AP via Seatalk overcomes its deficiencies in other areas. All previous versions of Nav were unusable compared to CVP, IMO. CVP is very stable, hardly ever crashed in all the time I used it. Unfortunately, nobeltec bought it, froze its development and then sold it to Weems and Plath. I've seen nothing to indicate that any additional development will take place on the platform. I'm taking my first big trip with Raytech next month so we;ll see. The first time I loaded Visual Navigator Suite 6.0 on my computer, it was an upgrade to CVP supplied by Nobeltec, it crashed my computer and ate my registry file causing no end of troubles and expense since I couldn't restore it myself. 've been told that there is probably a conflict somewhere with some other resident software. I won't even try to load it again so it's just sitting here. fortunately, I kept a copy of the CVP CDROM.I used the CAPN for only a short time before I found CVP. i liked the way CVP quilted charts and a few other operational features so I switched. I ws looking for my CAPN Cd the other day and apparently have misplaced it.Feel free to email me at deissew@bellsouth.net with any other questions.