I am considering purchasing a computer navigation program for our weekend cruising on Long Island sound. What would you recommend?
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We love our Capn.
Steve: We got The Capn. and love it. I think you can purchase it on this website too. Once you get the nav software you need charts. It was almost as easy as hooking the GPS up to the laptop and turning everything on. It just worked.
Steve: We got The Capn. and love it. I think you can purchase it on this website too. Once you get the nav software you need charts. It was almost as easy as hooking the GPS up to the laptop and turning everything on. It just worked.
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Scott
OziExplorer
For the money I don't think you can beat oziexplorer. We've been using it for several years and have had great luck. It has everything I need moving map, routes, waypoints upload download to gps. The only thing that's missing is an automated logging program. But that won't matter on weekend cruises. check out the link below.
For the money I don't think you can beat oziexplorer. We've been using it for several years and have had great luck. It has everything I need moving map, routes, waypoints upload download to gps. The only thing that's missing is an automated logging program. But that won't matter on weekend cruises. check out the link below.
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Mike
Garmin Bluechart
If you have a Garmin GPS this is the best program. Costs $130 and you load charts directly to you GPS. I have a handheld GPS Map 76 and it has save me many frustrating evenings sailing through some tight passes on the in the Pensacola area.
If you have a Garmin GPS this is the best program. Costs $130 and you load charts directly to you GPS. I have a handheld GPS Map 76 and it has save me many frustrating evenings sailing through some tight passes on the in the Pensacola area.
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John
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Ed Schenck
Check Practical Sailor.
See Related Link below for PS article. That Fugawi product for $100. is very appealing! See http://www.fugawi.com
See Related Link below for PS article. That Fugawi product for $100. is very appealing! See http://www.fugawi.com
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Colin
very pleased with Fugawi
I have been using Fugawi (check the link) for some years now. It does everything I need moving map, tracks and routes and is very reasonable. It also uses generic charts which are much cheaper than blue charts etc.
I have been using Fugawi (check the link) for some years now. It does everything I need moving map, tracks and routes and is very reasonable. It also uses generic charts which are much cheaper than blue charts etc.
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Andy Howard
Have you considered a chartplotter?
Our binnicle mounted chartplotter is one of the best boat toy investments we ever made. Having the information, at the wheel, in real time, has actually opened up several areas for anchoring out that we would never have dared before, and it's great when entering new ports of call. Of course, I can't take it home to plan and dream, but I use the free trip planning feature of marineplanner.com for that.
Our binnicle mounted chartplotter is one of the best boat toy investments we ever made. Having the information, at the wheel, in real time, has actually opened up several areas for anchoring out that we would never have dared before, and it's great when entering new ports of call. Of course, I can't take it home to plan and dream, but I use the free trip planning feature of marineplanner.com for that.
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Carl and Juliana Dupre
Depends.....
.....on what you really want to do. If you want a real navigation tool that you can use at the helm while sailing, then I have to agree with the previous post; forget the PC and go get a chartplotter. The problem with the PC is a display that you can really use at the helm. If you want a display at the helm, then be prepared to pay upwards of $2.5k for a daylight-visible, waterproof display. And that is after buying the computer and the software! Right now, $850, or even less, can get you a very useful chartplotter, including charts. That said, we did buy Nobeltec Visual Navigation Suite 2 years ago, and it really is a great package. We use it for voyage planning on our home PC, and we have even brought it aboard on a laptop for planning purposes while out on a trip. Yes, we do use it, but we have never used it for what we originally bought it for. We had the "grand vision"; a completely integrated PC-based navigation system, display at the helm, radar overlay right on the chart, yadday, yadda. What we found is that all of the technology pieces are not really there yet, and what is there gets very expensive very quickly. So, with a bit of disappointment, we bought a chartplotter, and we really use it at the helm, and it's great. We ended up with a Garmin 182 black-and-white with the new Garmin Blue Charts. Be wary of color screens; visibility in real on-the-water conditions can be tough. Good luck with what you decide to do! Carl and Jule s/v 'Syzygy'
.....on what you really want to do. If you want a real navigation tool that you can use at the helm while sailing, then I have to agree with the previous post; forget the PC and go get a chartplotter. The problem with the PC is a display that you can really use at the helm. If you want a display at the helm, then be prepared to pay upwards of $2.5k for a daylight-visible, waterproof display. And that is after buying the computer and the software! Right now, $850, or even less, can get you a very useful chartplotter, including charts. That said, we did buy Nobeltec Visual Navigation Suite 2 years ago, and it really is a great package. We use it for voyage planning on our home PC, and we have even brought it aboard on a laptop for planning purposes while out on a trip. Yes, we do use it, but we have never used it for what we originally bought it for. We had the "grand vision"; a completely integrated PC-based navigation system, display at the helm, radar overlay right on the chart, yadday, yadda. What we found is that all of the technology pieces are not really there yet, and what is there gets very expensive very quickly. So, with a bit of disappointment, we bought a chartplotter, and we really use it at the helm, and it's great. We ended up with a Garmin 182 black-and-white with the new Garmin Blue Charts. Be wary of color screens; visibility in real on-the-water conditions can be tough. Good luck with what you decide to do! Carl and Jule s/v 'Syzygy'
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