I used a Garmin on a swing out mount crossing the Sea of Cortez for two nights
and visibility was great. (My buddy's boat) I didn't use it in the daytime
and don't recall if I could even see it then, but I would think glare could
really be a huge problem. I will mount my new Garmin 250C on the pedestal for
that reason and remove it after each sail. Good luck......
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Thanks everyone ...
I was at Cabala's yesterday and looked at some units before reading Phil's post
this morning. I was wondering, cause I wasn't seeing the data that shows up on
my charts. I didn't realize that someone would be irresponsible enough to
market such crap to boaters. Thanks for clearing that up. I think I'll go ahead
and mount it on the bulkhead by my other instruments. I was thinking that
swing-out mount sounded like a good idea, and then I thought about how most of
the time I'm doing DR anyway, and really want the thing when visibility goes
down, which probably also means I have the companionway closed.
Anyway, thanks, all, for the responses. Appreciate your input.
Merry Christmas,
Tom
"Phil Agur" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent by: [email protected] 12/14/2007 03:56 PM
Please respond to
[email protected]
To
<[email protected]> cc
Subject
RE: catalina27-talk: GPS
I tend to get on a rant when it comes to GPS. They are not all created the same
and it appears the most popular are the worst functionality wise and many
models represent an actual hazard to mariners. The GPS suppliers get a little
cagey by making up terminology regarding what they supply that they get to
define reality leaving any collisions with uncharted islands the mariners
fault.
So what do I have and where is it mounted. Mine is a Standard Horizon CP150 (no
longer available, as far as I can tell) on a fixed mount at the wheel. The
current low end is a CP180. Since it runs in either north up or forward up
modes have it fixed gets very handy. I know itâs a tiller boat question, so
Iâd say the bulkhead.
The caveat mariners ran into in the past was the source of the charts supplied
in the non-marine professional marine GPS units was from a map database not a
chart database. They determined position with good accuracy, did waypoints
fine, would leave electronic bread crumbs, and would direct you home down the
return path. When I warned Nicky, an avid ocean small boat angler, on a Friday
afternoon about his new Garmin GPS on his new boat he scoffed (Nicky was a
younger bright engineer at Intel) but on Tuesday he was a little more humble.
Nicky tore the I/O drive out of his new boat Saturday. He set electronic bread
crumbs at high tide on the way out as he passed over a line of rocks that would
be shoaling rocks at low tide. On the way back in the uncharted (uncharted on
his, charted on mine) rocks waited for him just under the surface.
When I taught an intro to navigation Nickyâs plight was always included. I
also included the story of three boats that didnât want to hang with the main
group of boats on a whale watch cruise out of Monterey, CA. They chose to sneak
off to Stillwater Cover in Carmel, lost track of time and returned well after
dark. All three skippers were running without charts and guessing their
position by shore lights. When asked they said it was no big deal and estimated
they were a good half mile offshore.
The good news is they all three made it back the bad news is their path took
them in close proximity to a rock pinnacle that shoals a half mile off shore at
low tide. Itâs like 50 feet wide at its base and 70 tall and only about 8
feet in diameter when it breaks the surface. Itâs not on any map based GPS.
Map based GPS units besides missing all depth data only show obstructions big
enough to contain a road.
The fun one around SF Bay was to have them look for Alcatraz Island. Not there!
After some years is was added so I had them look for Red Rocks, again not
there. Actually there literally dozens of un-mapped hazards on SF bay that are
clearly charted on the real charts.
Besides a true marine GPS having charts, some of them are using a chart
database and not just a chart image. My GPS, and I would assume the newer
Standard Horizon GPS units as well, can have an alarm set for depth out in
front of the boat. Yes while youâre giving instructions on the next tack it
is looking at its internal chart database and based on the depth and distance
you preset will sound an alarm before you reach the obstruction.
A chart reading forward looking alarm beats the heck out a dumb straight down
depth alarm. In the case of the rock pinnacle youâd be telling your wife to
grab the ditch bag if you relied on a dumb straight down depth alarm.
Itâs also pretty important since my GPS will directly send command to my
Autohelm. The more automated things get the more you can do but the less
oversight actually goes on. Hereâs automation that checks my work even when I
get tired.
Another feature on Standard Horizon GPS units is they interface directly with
your Standard Horizon DSC VHF. When you hit the digital Mayday key on the VHF
it automatically sends your ID, GPS location, and type of emergency. Actually
most any GPS with a NEMA0183 interface can do that, but on my boat if I receive
a DSC mayday is automatically plotted on my GPS as a waypoint and highlighted.
Before I even pick up the Ram Mic to reply I can plot a course and estimate an
arrival time on scene in the GPS.
Donât you wish the CG had just bought the right GPS and radio combo back in
the 90s instead of the system we are all still waiting to see deployed beyond a
few test zones? Wow for under a $1000 they can receive a DSC distress signal
and plot itâs position without human intervention and head directly there.
To review GPS is good, the right one will save your life, making it great.
1. Fixed mount trumps hand held so the display can be used forward as
up. It helps keep you oriented correctly when fatigued in low light.
2. GPS must be chart based, showing water depth, and submerged
obstructions. How about a field of submerged dols?
3. A great GPS can use chart data to sound an alarm on depth in your
path.
4. A great GPS will plot distress calls automatically so we can assist
mariners in distress, when we are in a position to do so.
My brother was a real Garmin fan but when he prepped his IP38 for Mexico I made
him a custom mount for a CP150 at the wheel. It was still performing flawlessly
after a year when I joined him in Cabo for the bash up to San Diego. I used it
to steer around sea mounts coming up the coast and we logged a consistently
smother passage than the boats we were traveling with us who ran straight
lines. So yes at the wheel not down below.
Ok, but I did warn you about the rant. Iâm not saying it must be Standard
Horizon, but donât buy a unit with less features today than the one I mounted
in ten years ago. And donât trust a salesman; have him show you the features.
Itâs your boat and youâll be the one out there when things go wrong.
Phil Agur s/v Wing Tip
Secretary/Treasurer Call Sign WCW3485
IC27/270A MMSI 366901790
www.catalina27.org Vessel Doc# 1039809
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Friday, December 14, 2007 8:49 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: catalina27-talk: GPS
On a tiller C27, where do you all mount your GSP chartplotter ... or do you
prefer a handheld (my family is collaborating to buy me something useful for
Christmas rather than ......... well, I'll leave it there).
Tom
Change your thinking, change your life. We are guided, we are guarded, we are
healed, we are blessed.....
