Looking for tablet and need suggestions for sailing apps

Forrest15112 · May 19, 2013

Re: Looking forTablet Suggestions for Sailing Apps

I can't answer regarding apps, but I bought my wife an ASUS TF300 two years ago and have no regrets whatsoever. It has a quad core CPU, 32G, built in GPS, WiFi, Micro SDE slot, android OS. There are gazillions of apps and I suspect that most apps used for charting, etc would be available for both Apple and Android systems. One advantage the iPad has, is the screen on the newest models is viewable, or should I say, more viewable in direct sunlight. This could be an issue on a boat depending on how you intend to use it. That was the only thing important to me that was a plus for the iPad. The ASUS turned out to be usable in the sunlight anyway. Price and performance won out though.

WayneH · May 19, 2013

Re: Looking forTablet Suggestions for Sailing Apps

We bought an I-pad recently, too. We studied and researched the nav apps available. What we settled on was InavX with the Gulf Coast charts for our boat. We use ours when the Admiral wants a close up view of a chart without having to squint at the chartplotter on the nav station.

One thought that I remembered is some tablets have polarized screens. And with some polarized glasses, you can actually get just a black screen until you rotate your head or your tablet. Whichever is easier for you.

Sailbaum · May 19, 2013

RonRock said:
While we are on the subject, what are the ways I can use a tablet for sailing? What apps will I want?

There are numerous apps available for both Ipad and Android systems. Obviously, your needs (and location) will dictate the apps you use, but here are some suggestions:

Navigation - Navionics (paid app but worth it), a free alternative is Nuticharts, which provides free NOAA charts and overlays local knowledge from Activecaptain.com

Instrumentation: Beer Can Racer is a great free app that shows basic nav data (compass; lat/lon; COG/SOG) as well as MOB button, vmg reading and other race oriented information (lift indicator), and includes a good race start timer.

AIS: Marine Traffic - show AIS information for surrounding ship traffic (you must of course have a data connection for this.)

Weather - Predictwind, MarineWeather, NOAA Weather pro, TideApp, Sailflow and MobileGrib to name a few good ones. I also use "windfreak" mostly because it has a nice widget to put on your homescreen.

Most of these are probably available on Ipad also, though frequently you do pay more for apps on Ipad.

Sailm8 · May 19, 2013

I bought an Ipad for my wife for Xmas (I am so clever). We have the Navionics app and my wife loves it. We just did a 700 mile cruise (mini loop in Florida) and loved the way you could zoom in and out. Polarized glasses were no problem. We did not subscribe to a cellphone service since the GPS works fine without paying for it.

I thought about mounting it at the helm but it was much easier to let her use it on her lap to help with navigation. If we had any complaint it's that it really drains its battery fast using the GPS and takes a while to charge up. I need to put a jack at the helm or cockpit to keep it charged up.

Joe · May 19, 2013

Android smartphone........ I concur with Navionics or chart and nav... gps only needed. I recently picked up "Boat Beacon" and AIS app that is pretty neat. Register your boat for mmsi number and it will show up on any internet served AIS receiver.... if you sail anywhere near large harbors with ship traffic.... invaluable.

I also have a cool app called "Sea Compass" It works like a digital, hand held, tactical compass. Lots of stuff you can use if for, especially if you race. But it is invaluable for piloting when you're cruising and a myriad of tactical uses when racing.... determining laylines, when to tack, which boat is ahead...etc.

My biggest issue with smartphones, laptops, tablets etc. on boats is the poor visibility in bright daylight.... so...... if you plant to use it in the cockpit, out in the open, try to find a device that is visible in bright light....... if you do.... please... let us know, because I want one.

Steve Dion · May 19, 2013

I would suggest a tablet also (Android). For my use I would not get anything smaller than a 10" screen with 3/4g. I purchased a Samsung Tab2 10.0 with Wifi only and wish that I had the 3G connection. I use an app that connects my phone as a HotSpot, but it is a lot more convenient to have the 3G.

jtm · May 20, 2013

My wife bought a plain ipad2 ( no gps nor 3g)- just so she could read on the boat. Lucky me- I didn't have a chartplotter, (just the Gamin 400c handheld) so i bought a Dual xgps150A which is a fine "hockey puck" gps that handshakes with the ipad via bluetooth. You can strap it onto the cabintop somewhere or in its holder to rest on the dash of the car.

The Dual has its own battery which lasts 6-ish hrs and also comes with charging cables(usb and cigarette lighter adapter). There's a free app to show all the gps data (how many satellites, strength, lat lon , alt, heading, speed and battery level). It works great with the ipad (within 33ft) and I use iSailgps or or inavx for my chartplotter.

Practical Sailor has 2 articles in their archives about the benefits/cons of the various nav apps. I'm very pleased with the setup. As a side benefit I downloaded Navigon ( a garmin subsidiary) for over-the-road mapping/navigation- and also bluetoothed in a remote speaker(sits in the car coffee cup holder) to more clearly express all the turns and advisories.

Go for it.

med2463 · May 20, 2013

RonRock said:
So I'm considering a tablet computer to use on my boat. Is an Ipad the best way to go? I've never been a Mac fan, but I'm not opposed to them either if that is the better way to get apps I can use.

While we are on the subject, what are the ways I can use a tablet for sailing? What apps will I want?

We use an Ipad and wonder how we did without it. The zoom feature is awesome. No more nose prints on the Raymarine chartplotter trying to read the chart w/our bifocals. We have a mount on the pedestal so we can both see the Ipad chart. We also installed a charger outlet on the pedestal. The charger that comes w/the Ipad is only 1 amp, not adequate. We bought a 2 amp at Home Depot for around $15 which keeps the Ipad charged all day. I've seen them at other places. We use primarily Navionics for navigation but also have the Garmin app. Here is pic.

vela · May 20, 2013

Android

I thought that tablet based navigation was a joke until I learned better. Last month I sailed Vela my C36 from Tarpon Springs, FL to Key West and Dry Tortuga and never used my hand held Garmin 78 except for my rumb line. I used Navionics to get greater detail about bridges, tides and places to hang the hook. I used MXMariner for plotting and overall navigation. Of course I used my hard copy charts as part of the process. Now, I need to get power to my Android Tab2 Samsung and a way to mount it at the helm.

SailingHarry · May 20, 2013

vela said:
I thought that tablet based navigation was a joke until I learned better. Last month I sailed Vela my C36 from Tarpon Springs, FL to Key West and Dry Tortuga and never used my hand held Garmin 78 except for my rumb line. I used Navionics to get greater detail about bridges, tides and places to hang the hook. I used MXMariner for plotting and overall navigation. Of course I used my hard copy charts as part of the process. Now, I need to get power to my Android Tab2 Samsung and a way to mount it at the helm.

OK, I have to ask. I think that tablet navigation has the potential to rule, and is one reason why I'm still using a dinky little handheld GPS. The one problem I can't see the answer to is this -- how does it handle water?

If it is the primary, or even "mostly used" GPS on a sailboat, it needs to be able to handle fog, mist, rain, and spray. Even if it isn't IP67, it need to be splash proof!

How do you folks handle the water issue? And, no, I don't own a tablet, a smartphone, or an i-anything, so I really have no clue -- be gentle.

Harry

Brian S · May 20, 2013

For an iPad, you MUST buy the iPad with cellular, NOT the Wi-fi only iPad. You do not ever need to use or pay for a data plan on the iPad, but you must get the cellular version, because it comes with the GPS chip built in. Wi-fi only iPads DO NOT have the GPS built in, so it would be less useful with chart apps as a chartplotter, thought chart apps will display on the Wi-fi version.

As for polarized glasses, all LCD displays use polarizing in order to actually work. Essentially there are the liquid crystals. When electricity is applied, the crystals "twist" to allow light through. This essentially polarizes the light. When I am at the gas station, the very basic black/white display on the pump is LCD, and I must lean my head to the side in order to see the display, otherwise it is all black. Modern smartphones and high quality LCD displays are less sensitive to light blocking from interference with polarized sunglasses, but you can still have some issues. For example, I can't read the display on my iPod Classic sometimes. Overall, my iPhone is reasonably readable with polarized glasses.

Brian

Bill1565 · May 20, 2013

SailingHarry said:
OK, I have to ask. I think that tablet navigation has the potential to rule, and is one reason why I'm still using a dinky little handheld GPS. The one problem I can't see the answer to is this -- how does it handle water?

If it is the primary, or even "mostly used" GPS on a sailboat, it needs to be able to handle fog, mist, rain, and spray. Even if it isn't IP67, it need to be splash proof!

How do you folks handle the water issue? And, no, I don't own a tablet, a smartphone, or an i-anything, so I really have no clue -- be gentle.

Harry

We live in Florida, have both had skin cancers removed. We have a dodger and Bimini up at all times, so little rain falls on the helm. Fog and dampness have not yet affected the ipad. We use a RAM mount. The Ipad snaps in and snaps out. Since it is also my reading source and my music source, it doesn't stay at the helm when we are not actually underway. I have used the Ipad inside a gallon zip lock, works fine, fits into the ram mount. At great cost, there are waterproof enclosures, they will not fit the RAM mount. don't know what you would do except hold it in your lap, like sailmate's admiral does.

Sailm8 · May 20, 2013

Re Waterproof I bought a water resistant case and the ipad is under my bimini but as I said above my wife keeps it on her lap so when the going gets tough it goes below with her. I sail trying not to stare at the instruments so this is not a problem in my estimation. A bigger problem is my wife is a gamer and when I need an answer from the ipad, 9 out of 10 times it is busy with a gams and it takes a while to acquire a satelite.

I am also a recovering blind guy who is blind in one eye and was blind in the other until I had an experimental operation and can again see. I love the zoom feature that blows up the chart so it is easy to read. We have found that the amount of zoom is critical. Too far out and some detail disappears. Too close and it disappears. You need to be just right.

Bill1565 · May 20, 2013

Brian S said:
For an iPad, you MUST buy the iPad with cellular, NOT the Wi-fi only iPad.

As for polarized glasses, all LCD displays use polarizing in order to actually work. Essentially there are the liquid crystals. When electricity is applied, the crystals "twist" to allow light through. This essentially polarizes the light. When I am at the gas station, the very basic black/white display on the pump is LCD, and I must lean my head to the side in order to see the display, otherwise it is all black. Modern smartphones and high quality LCD displays are less sensitive to light blocking from interference with polarized sunglasses, but you can still have some issues. For example, I can't read the display on my iPod Classic sometimes. Overall, my iPhone is reasonably readable with polarized glasses.

Brian

Not so. There are wired and Bluetooth GPS pucks that will work with the non cell phone Ipads. Not much total price difference.

Ipad works perfectly well in landscape mode (wide and short)with my polariods. Using an adjustable mount like the RAM, I can eliminate glare by tipping and tilting the display. Can't do that with permanently mounted Raymarine. Does not get dim like TV's when the viewing angle is too wide.

Jackdaw · May 20, 2013

After using our ipads on-board both our boats for several years, and on charters in unknown waters, my opinion is that it is NOT a good plotter replacement.

There are some up-sides; the screen size/dollar ratio is awesome, and it has built-in connectivity, and the apps are decent. And its portable. And you can get a good waterproof case. But the downside are bigger.

1) Screen legability in sunlight. Sorry but this is a killer. Wait until you are in bright sun. Simply unreadable. Until there is a unit with a trans-reflective display, that not going to work.

2) Power. Full backlight, GPS on, and the app constantly re-drawing the screen sucks battery life. It always seems to die when you need it. And none of the cased allow you to charge and maintain waterproofness.

3) Mounting, I have the best RAM mounting cradle for the ipad, And I could never find a good way to mount it at the helm. Downstairs its great.

4) Where is the damn thing? Its value in portability is just as much a liability when it comes to keeping track of the thing when you need it. Kids?!?!?!?!?

5) Not great for Situational Awareness (SA)... yet. Downstairs for planning I like a north up, straight down view of the chart, but at the helm I prefer a good course-up, Gods-eye 3D view on new and tricky approaches. None of the existing app (AFAICT) to this.

6) General jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none syndrome. Its fiddly, the apps close when you don't expect. battery life, yada yada yada..... I like a device I ALWAYS know where it is, it ALWAYS has power, and ALWAYS is working doing its only real job.

SO my net-net, great as a companion app, most notably if your plotter supports a mirror or data share with a branded app, most do now. But for your sole plotter? Not so much.

budcurtis · May 20, 2013

Water Proof Protection

SailingHarry said:
OK, I have to ask. I think that tablet navigation has the potential to rule, and is one reason why I'm still using a dinky little handheld GPS. The one problem I can't see the answer to is this -- how does it handle water?

If it is the primary, or even "mostly used" GPS on a sailboat, it needs to be able to handle fog, mist, rain, and spray. Even if it isn't IP67, it need to be splash proof!

How do you folks handle the water issue? And, no, I don't own a tablet, a smartphone, or an i-anything, so I really have no clue -- be gentle.

Harry

They sell several waterproof bags on eBay that you put the tablet in. The bags are usually clear on both sides so you can take pictures and view the screen. Be careful to get a bag large enough for your tablet to fit comfortably in. The bags still let you use the touch screen to control your view. However, there is no outside connection so they have to run on their battery. I wouldn't recommend dunking the tablet in the bag under water, but it would take a really significant splash to get the tablet at all wet. There are hard cases as well, but they are a lot more bulky.:dance:

med2463 · May 20, 2013

Jackdaw said:
After using our ipads on-board both our boats for several years, and on charters in unknown waters, my opinion is that it is NOT a good plotter replacement.

There are some up-sides; the screen size/dollar ratio is awesome, and it has built-in connectivity, and the apps are decent. And its portable. And you can get a good waterproof case. But the downside are bigger.

1) Screen legability in sunlight. Sorry but this is a killer. Wait until you are in bright sun. Simply unreadable. Until there is a unit with a trans-reflective display, that not going to work.

2) Power. Full backlight, GPS on, and the app constantly re-drawing the screen sucks battery life. It always seems to die when you need it. And none of the cased allow you to charge and maintain waterproofness.

3) Mounting, I have the best RAM mounting cradle for the ipad, And I could never find a good way to mount it at the helm. Downstairs its great.

4) Where is the damn thing? Its value in portability is just as much a liability when it comes to keeping track of the thing when you need it. Kids?!?!?!?!?

5) Not great for Situational Awareness (SA)... yet. Downstairs for planning I like a north up, straight down view of the chart, but at the helm I prefer a good course-up, Gods-eye 3D view on new and tricky approaches. None of the existing app (AFAICT) to this.

6) General jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none syndrome. Its fiddly, the apps close when you don't expect. battery life, yada yada yada..... I like a device I ALWAYS know where it is, it ALWAYS has power, and ALWAYS is working doing its only real job.

SO my net-net, great as a companion app, most notably if your plotter supports a mirror or data share with a branded app, most do now. But for your sole plotter? Not so much.

We don't have a problem w/sunlight, but we do have a dodger and bimini with a sunshade in the back of the cockpit & sides. If it is raining, we put the side curtains down so we don't get wet as well as the Ipad. We keep the side curtains rolled up so it is quick & easy to let them down. We've never had a problem w/battery life since we use a 2amp charger at the helm. We do keep the Raymarine chartplotter on just in case, but in the past year haven't needed it.

Looking for tablet and need suggestions for sailing apps

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