What instruments to purchase?

[galynd]

I'm looking at purchasing a 36ft. beneteau, to coastal cruise. It needs All new instruments with the exception of a recently purchased vhf with AIS and Ram mic. What instruments should I buy assuming about a $6000 budget? (specific instruments and brand)

Thanks,
Greg.

 

[galynd]

PS... I plan to install myself.
Greg.

 

[gpd955]

A good acoustic guitar. Would avoid instruments such as drums. Insert gratuitous rim shot here!

Seriously though, a good chart plotter/gps, depth sounder and backup engine systems monitoring devices (rpm, temp, tank monitoring) in case the built in ones fail. Maybe some weather instruments since you'll be cruising and will want to be able to do some basic predicting since the weather men are rarely right and when they are, it's usually too late. I wouldn't be over concerned about wind direction /speed indicators (just turn your head around and you'll be able to figure it out) Maybe some redundancies too, like a backup GPS and handheld VHF. If your budget allows, you should even look at a decent EPIRB since you'll be out cruising.

Just my opinion. I'm sure others will add too it, especially the cruisers!

As far as brands go, you'll get so many opinions that your head will spin. Subscribe to Practical Sailor, if you don't already, and get a hold of their comparisons and then check around with others at your marina and get some hands on.

 

[Rick D]

Just One Opinion

I'm looking at purchasing a 36ft. beneteau, to coastal cruise. It needs All new instruments with the exception of a recently purchased vhf with AIS and Ram mic. What instruments should I buy assuming about a $6000 budget? (specific instruments and brand)Thanks, Greg.

OK, here's my opinion, one of a hundred: I would look closely at Furuno. I went with Raymarine ST 60 + series because I wanted to use my old transducers and didn't want to run a NEMA 2000 backbone. Well, the old transducers failed anyway and I had to pull the cable so I may as well have done a NEMA 2000 in the first place. Second, Raymarine had discontinued the SeaTalk system in place of their version of a NEMA 2000 system further confusing the issue. So my point is go with NEMA 2000 instruments in the hope that there may be better choices and compatibility in future installations on your boat. IMHO, I would go with depth, speed, and wind. I never had wind before this boat but would deeply miss it if I didn't have it. As far as radar, I would look closely at the true digital of Lowrance and their chartplotter/radar receiver although I have had two Furuno radars and really love them and further, like the idea of having a separate instrument head for radar and chartplotter, but that's just me. Actually, I'm using my ship's computer with freeware for navigation more than the chartplotter anyway.

 

[dparilla]

A good hand bearing compass. I have had good luck with both furuno and garmin chartplotters and radar. Definitely +1 on the NMEA 2000 backbone. I would avoid the tacktik (sp?) or wireless installs. A good tablet computer for chart work at home and on board is helpful too.

 

[onecoolair]

I'm looking at purchasing a 36ft. beneteau, to coastal cruise. It needs All new instruments with the exception of a recently purchased vhf with AIS and Ram mic. What instruments should I buy assuming about a $6000 budget? (specific instruments and brand)

Thanks,
Greg.

Greg.....I am about a sundays drive away from you....send me a pm and I will be glad to show you my set up.
RR

 

[capta]

instruments

From a circumnavigation using a sextant, stopwatch and RDF to navigate to cruising the Caribbean today w/ a chartplotter networked system (radar, depth, speed, weather, etc.) is a long long trip.
I have had many great relationships with Garmin products. Raymarine; not so much.
So I'd suggest a Garmin chartplotter within your price range. Radar if you feel you need it can be networked in & shows up on the plotter screen (great not to need a separate display). If you sail a lot, I'd highly recommend the xm-weather unit for the Garmin network; it's just like having the weather channel radar aboard plus audible & visual weather warnings.
As for wind instruments, I think they are a really nice addition to any sail boat & would try to include them. I am going to try the TicTac wire-less units when my ST-60 gear fails. For the higher price you do not need to run wires up the mast or to the cockpit. Though I've not had one yet, I've heard nothing but good about them.
I find it is beneficial to have a thru-hull speed indicator to get the current by comparing boat speed to GPS speed.
I have both 7" & 10" screens on the Garmins (10" in the cockpit & the other in the aft cabin to monitor the helmsman's precision & quite frankly the larger is better. Again you have a budget; better a smaller quality unit & some networked additions than larger screen alone.
I am not in the market for new electronics yet (not soon, I hope) so I'm not up on model numbers. But the above info should cover several lines of equipment. Always look for the latest model of discontinued electronics for the best deal. I would not recommend used, though.
Lastly, we find our autopilot indispensable. It's another crew member that you don't have to feed, live with or listen to; it just does it's job. Eight hours on the wheel can be FOREVER!
Good luck & great sailing.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Coastal cruise. If your area is prone to fog, Radar. Your choice to overlay or not. A good autopilot.

You really don't "need" anything else. Folks have been sailing without wind instruments for years.

 

[Tim R.]

Whatever brand you choose, make sure you get multifunction displays. That way one can backup another.

Garmin has a great deal going on a bundle that includes wind, depth, speed, water temp, barometer, air temp and 3 multifunction displays.

I use Garmin on a NMEA 2000 backbone. Once you go 2000, you will love it. So much easier to interface.

 

[kloudie1]

Lots of thin water and commercial traffic and oil platforms .. A Garmin sounder/chartplotter https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=148&pID=101673
AIS needs to be hooked to the Chartplotter for the benefit of all the commercial traffic.. If you are going to be sailing at night or in the spring and fall when the fog can get pretty thick, a radar unit would be a fine addition.. having one screen is helpful .. so make sure the chartplotter can handle the radar output http://www.pyacht.com/lowrance-broadband-radar.htm
A good autopilot is a must for short handed cruising.. http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|344|2028687|2028710&id=2040669
Then if ya feel like it, a wind instrument with speed .. but that is the last thing for coastal cruising.. Fine if you're going to race, but not necessary for cruising..

 

[xcyz]

All great suggestions...

Have you checked-out using the iNavX application running on the iPad tablet? With the GPS equipped tablet it works slick... Even an application for tracking vessels transmitting AIS. When bored at the helm you can even watch Captn Ron. ALL this than $600..

 

[JVB]

My iPad is a poor substitute for a made for the purpose chartplotter, even an old one like my Garmin GPSMap 376C. The iPad display is harder to read in sunlight and it is not water resistant either. And my 376C has a robust GPS receiver and an XM weather receiver-antenna so I can view weather radar overlaid on the chart. There's one on eBay.com for $726. The iPad is a toy for pleasant weather, not what you need when rain and wind cut your visibility to 1/4 mile.

 

[Gunni]

I would say your budget is about one third of what you need on a coastal cruiser instrument install. So plan out your entire installation and seek a competent ABYC tech. to help you choose wisely. This is a big investment in your sailing SA. And you don't want it leaving you cold on that night you find yourself outside, needing to run a narrow slot to get home.

If it were mine I would start with the auto pilot (plus flux gate compass/rudder indicator), a depth indicator (with transducer), and related NMEA cabling/hubs to get both forward to the keel. Build out your system backbone (for wind/radar/chartplotter/dedicated AIS) with the extra money and finish out with a portable/ handheld chartplotter GPS - it will be your primary until your next chunk of boat bucks come in. Later it will be your backup GPS. There are some great small chartplotter/GPS units (I like Garmin products)

Take a look at your power management plan - you may want to lay in a new charger and new/bigger battery bank. Install a computerized battery monitor to properly manage the system.

Brands? Navico (B&G/Simrad/Furuno/NorthStar/Lowrance) because they have the best radar system and you will eventually want it integrated with your chart display.

 

[Bill Roosa]

Begin with the end in mind. you will eventually be wanting it all so always buy with the idea that the unit in question will need to become part of a network, that is to say decide on the network that you want to have and build around that.
NMEA 2000 seems to be coming along nicely but like most it has its issues with the manufacturers not supporting the full set of sentences that they should. A good example is a chart plotter that does not support the waypoint name sentence. Makes understanding which WP you are selecting kinda hard with just the 3 digit name used in the database of WPs. Just becasue it says it supports NMEA 2000 does not mean it supports it fully. Check the sentences and make sure it fully supports the rest of the instruments. This is going to require you to become a NMEA 2000 egg head.
If you go with the manufacturers network and that means one manufacture be sure they have all the instruments you will be wanting and go with the most current version to prevent the network becoming "unsupported" at a future time. It will eventually but going with the current one delays that to the extent that is possible.
If you go with a hybrid network you really have to do your homework on the way the various networks will work together.
I don't work for Raymarine but I find they have good longevity, company support, they have just about every instrument you will ever want, and all the instruments work together out of the box. Just connect and it works.

 

[xcyz]

iPad with NavX

http://www.practical-sailor.com/issues/37_21/features/best-sailing-gear-2012_10882-1.html


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[Jackdaw]

I'd vote SimRad for instruments.

High quality and NMEA2000 compliant.

For plotters and broadband RADAR, you can also go simrad, or save yourself well over a grand and go lowrance. Its the same company and all their stuff inter-operates (even below the NMEA2000 level) with Simrad kit.

Its what we did on the 36.7 and we've been very pleased.

PS - if you do, the $200 sirius sat weather module is a total no-brainer.

RADAR is great but for real-time weather is cannot compete with this. NOAA forecasts too.