Small boat instrument recommendations

J

JBP-PA

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Apr 29, 2022
782
Jeanneau Tonic 23 Erie, PA
rgranger said:
I was about to launch into a rant about gadget creep and overkill on a small boat, but @JBP-PA nailed it with the suggestion of a good phone app. Typhoons are excellent pocket cruisers with a full shoal keel, so you really don’t need a depth finder. If you touch bottom, you’re usually shallow enough to step out and push. Navigation apps already show depth, and unless you regularly sail more than two miles offshore, a cellphone will tell you where you are and what’s below you. Even then, I’d recommend a cell booster before investing heavily in Garmin gear.
I’ve fully restored seven very neglected sailboats, and on the early ones I went all‑in on electrical upgrades. The return wasn’t worth the effort. I sailed after dark only a handful of times, so traditional nav lights saw little use—battery‑powered clip‑on nav. lights are fine. Cabin dome lights were never where I needed them, so LED puck lights placed where you actually want light work better. And a masthead anchor light is nearly useless in fog; hanging an LED camping light from the boom is far more visible and doubles as a cockpit light at anchor.
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To be fair, I do have lots of gadgets, but I have them because they are fun, not because I need them. I sailed for many years with only an analog compass.
 
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thinwater

thinwater

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Mar 26, 2011
3,943
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
Jwhy said:
I’m rehabbing a 19’ Typhoon and wonder what instrument options are available for a small boat. I’m familiar with big boat instruments which seem like overkill. Any suggestions?
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When the boat was designed? Just a compass. That is all you need.

VHS, compass, depth, and the simplest GPS. Anything more is just boredom talking.

But really, if you want to keep it authentic, just a compass. Take your cell phone. Sail by your senses and a map.
 
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thinwater

thinwater

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Mar 26, 2011
3,943
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
LLoyd B said:
VHS or VHF?
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OK, that was dumb. VHF.

We were discussing whether the younger generation knows where the term "the beta" comes from, referring to tips on how something is done. Obviously, it is a 70s reference to Sony's Betamax system, which they have never seen. For those of you who do not remember, it was a VCR technology that was good, but Sony protected it so well with patents that it died out, and VHS became the standard. Of course, VHS has been dead for decades too.
 
shemandr

shemandr

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Jan 1, 2006
7,935
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
thinwater said:
. When the boat was designed? Just a compass...
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The Typhoon is a marvelously simple boat. And it can put you in touch with the natural world around you which is what your attention should be on. You will feel the response of the boat to puffs, lulls, shifts, waves. That is pure sailing and I wouldn't spoil it with a lot of instrumentation. You need a VHF-handheld and charged at home. Of course a compass - to track wind shifts, a Windex, and maybe a depth sounder - although I agree its readings are of historical significance. If you sail in known waters I question the need for a chart plotter. But again a hand held is a good choice.
 
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