Looking for an APP

[Paul Gwiz]

I am looking for a good navigation app for my tablet. I have the garmin 7212 system , but it fails to do an auto guide in tricky waters. It may be I am to stupid to get the 7212 to do what it is SOLD to do, They should add a do it anyway button ! I don't think the programmer ever got on a boat.

I hear some of the tablets work just as well.... I have a lap top / note book / tablet .

Any ideas will be greatly appreciated , thanks Paul Gwiz

P.S. I have already got on the bottom......hahaha.. Lucky it didn't get up to the prop shafts, could have gotten expensive.....

 

[SeaEric]

I like NutiCharts. It has Active Captain on it. I find it to be very useful. I'm not sure that I would call is a navigation app, but good info content.

 

[wsdemmer]

Sometimes it just won't auto plot because of depth of water or other issues that occur in the charts. It has to be a pretty easy route for my 5212 to auto plot.

 

[Pascal]

Why the heck would you want and trust a machine to do the plotting? I sure don't... That is a guaranteed way to find the bottom

Plot the route yourself, there are just too many cases where you want to move a route one way or another

 

[GJH]

I'm with Pascal 100%. Most definitely in the "protected" waters of the eastern US. In most areas, the chart soundings are decades old. While you may have the latest up to the minute charts with the markers supposedly in the right place I have found this not to be the case in many instances, nor is recent shoaling shown. I like to plot my own routes based on all the information (blogs, LNM, USACE surveys etc) I can gather about the reality of where I am going, not the theory. I have come across so many boats aground due to blindly following what their GPS tells them, complaining that they are "in the middle of the channel". Which is right where their, to varying degrees, auto-plotted, auto steered route has put them.

 

[bobk]

I'll third Pascal's advice. My Nobeltec and Garmin will drive the autopilot, but I refuse to hook them to it. I plot course legs and use the autopilot leg by leg, never for whole course. The alarm reminds of course changes.

Bobk
Chateau de Mer
1981 MY

 

[Boatsb]

I would think having the ability to follow your previous route Step by step waypoint to waypoint would be a feature cruisers that run familiar waters multiple times would like. The 7212 will either run them or alarm at the next waypoint depending on u ow you program it. A commercial vessel had a course set in for a retun to port. The captain set the final point as his slip. He set the course just before losing consciousness and the boat hit the dock and saved his life. Its all in how you use it.


Fyi I have programmed garmin autopilot systems to be smarter than most people. They can be set to look for depth and height restrictions. They will not take a boat into an area that it will hit a bridge or power lines.

while plotting point to point may make you feel better. The fact that the autopilot can check your work and visa versa makes sense.

 

[magnawake]

We just got back to the home port of Southport yesteray. 5 weeks of traveling the ICW and sounds of NC. I didnt use my auto pilot coupled with GPS. Well I cant even if I wanted to, it' not couled together. Good thing too, I wouldnt trust it far as I could throw it. During the 5 weeks, I was amazed at what could go wrong and did go wrong. Markers moved, Shoaling in areas, GPS (both were totally wrong. Most of the time I had two people on the bridge helping me navigate. Not to mention all the crab pots to steer around. I guess I'm still a nervous "Willie". Sometimes the GPS would indicate that I was clear out of the channel, with me knowing that I was in the channel. Active Captain on our Ipad was a great help know what dangers were lurking ahead of us. Luckily we had no problems running aground or hitting anything. However, I'm not saying it wont happen. The more information you hve at your disposal, the better.

 

[bobk]

Luckily we had no problems running aground or hitting anything. However, I'm not saying it wont happen. The more information you hve at your disposal, the better.

Pate, the old saying is 'if you havent been aground, you haven't been around'.

Bobk

 

[LUV'N LIFE]

I adjust the chart offset on my furuno at the slip before getting under way, and periodically while in the ditch especially if there are switch backs or multiple hard turns. Setting offset at a offshore outer marker and then running to a distant inlet outer marker presents no problem. Inshore the unit will sometimes drift out of indicated channel if above mentioned turns are present.

 

[Paul Gwiz]

I'm glad I Got the bottom out of the way. If I get mud there again It's going to be a very long trip to Ft. Myers. It was my fault , I was looking at the green can & got out of the channel in the blink of an eye. In fairness to Garmin I didn't have an alarm set , so we slipped right up and I felt that magical stop. ( I have grounded a few times here in Ft. Myers with my sea ray )

My hope is to put off my next Grounding for a very long time. Still happy to have that little event out of the way.

Thanks for the advice , Greatly Appreciated!!!

 

[Pascal]

Forget GPS alarms to stay off the mud... Use your depth sounder alarm. I like to have it set at roughly 3' clearance which unless you are really really heading the wrong way, will usually give you enough time to chop it to idle, and neutral or even reverse if needed... Usually, at 9' I go to idle, 8' neutral and 7' reverse (with a 6' draft)

On the ICW the trouble spots are pretty well documented with active captain but I ll add 2 general comments.

Usually shoaling occurs near cross channels near inlets or intersections... Not just talking about the traditional spots like little river, Lockwood, etc... But also smaller creeks like between charleston and isle of palm. So when you reach these areas, back it down to hull speed and keep an eye on the sounder...

Nr 2, don't ASSume that being in channel is enough... Sure it is in most straight stretches but whenever the channel turns and meanders the center or near center is where you want to be.