High Speed Navigation

[vjmehra]

Yep makes sense, I am a sailing Day Skipper, so I have some idea of night navigation, I've just never done it at 30 knots before :-)

[nik]

I think the idea is that you can't navigate at high speed.
You either stop and plan your next leg, or you plan your trip in advance using waypoints (ie:bouys, and making sure you do not hit them).
Write the information down so that it is readable at high speed.
The information should be, what the waypoint is, the direction, the distance and the estimated duration of that leg given the expected speed you will be travelling at.

[vjmehra]

Ah I see that makes sense. After discussing with an instructor I've decided to do the intermediate course, rather than try and move straight onto Advanced. All going well may do that early next year instead. Hopefully my RIB will be fully ship shape again and I can put some hours in!

[Ribochet]

Originally Posted by vjmehra

I've decided to do the intermediate course, rather than try and move straight onto Advanced.

Very wise decision - if someone is not fully confident about navigating at planing speeds in daylight - they would be "dead in the water" doing it at night - I once had a RYA Yachtmaster Instructor get lost during a night nav exercise on an Advanced PBI course .

Also remember that the "navigator" is not at the helm.

Best of luck and let us know how you get on.

[vjmehra]

I'll do a full write up afterwards :-)

[dnv]

Originally Posted by 9D280

...
I guess a bigger rib with a big console & a windscreen A4 or even A2 could be easily managable.
...

That's actually one reason why I have the bought the rib that I have bought:


Even in the last bumpy ride of 14nm offshore with head on wind (against tide) in some 19kn winds the A4 bag stood in place :-)

[vjmehra]

Out of curiosity what about dual chartplotters, does anyone have this?

I guess you'd have to wire them off seperate batteries to make it effective, but could this be a useful setup at all?

I suppose you could also use navionics and an iPad 2 or 3 :-)

[Cookee]

Originally Posted by Leapy

Oh, I don't know. Aim high

Having been on Cookee's boat, the boat itself/engines/electronics/seats/everything else is definitely something to aspire to

That's very kind - Thank you. Some credit has to go to Raymarine for supplying the kit! getting it all to network wasn't difficult and it just works!

[Cookee]

Originally Posted by vjmehra

Out of curiosity what about dual chartplotters, does anyone have this?

I guess you'd have to wire them off seperate batteries to make it effective, but could this be a useful setup at all?

I suppose you could also use navionics and an iPad 2 or 3 :-)

With the larger Raymarine plotters they are big enough to make a split screen really work well. The best bit is you can split the information in any way, we can have a chart or waypoint information on one side and a full engine data display via NMEA 2000 on the other, when I'm in the back (navigators) seat I have it set up with a chart on one side and waypoint information on the other which gives me speed, distance, and course to next waypoint as well as some engine data, I'm sure other manufacturers would do the same!

[9D280]

Originally Posted by vjmehra

Out of curiosity what about dual chartplotters, does anyone have this?

I guess you'd have to wire them off seperate batteries to make it effective, but could this be a useful setup at all?

Does a Garmin 12 bungee'd to the console count?

What would make a plotter useless?
- internal plotter failure of some description
- Lack of power
- lack of signal


So,
Plotter failure - yes, 2 would work there - chances of both going down are very slim.

lack of power , yep, dual batteries would work for that.

lack of signal is either going to be down to a reciever failure (plotter or antenna) so twin antennae would fix that..... BUT if it's lack of signal from above (e.g NATO excersises shutting it down as they do occasionally), you could have 10 plotters & 10 healthy batteries and all flashing "NO SIGNAL" or "SEARCHING FOR SATELITES" on the screen..... On the plus side, you still have an IP rated chart you can look at.

[PeterM]

Originally Posted by vjmehra

Yep makes sense, I am a sailing Day Skipper, so I have some idea of night navigation, I've just never done it at 30 knots before :-)

30 knots at night is very very fast/scary.....its quick enough when you can see the waves in daylight...

Aim for ten in planning ...if its a clear moonlight night ( like daylight...) and you can do 20 - great ..all the leg times half...if its crap and you do 5 ..they double ...keep it simple ...

[vjmehra]

Cool that makes sense, good tips, thanks!

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by vjmehra

Out of curiosity what about dual chartplotters, does anyone have this?

I guess you'd have to wire them off seperate batteries to make it effective, but could this be a useful setup at all?

Yup

[vjmehra]

Nice, I like that a lot!

[GJ0KYZ]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

At high speed I sometimes struggle to see the plotter, never mind a chart

Totally agree. You should try reading a chartplotter on a jet ski!!

[GJ0KYZ]

Originally Posted by PeterM

30 knots at night is very very fast/scary.....its quick enough when you can see the waves in daylight ...

30 kts at night is suicide without a radar or a night-vision camera.

[vjmehra]

I would love to have both!

I can't really justify an upgrade just yet though...

[9D280]

Originally Posted by Ribochet

Also remember that the "navigator" is not at the helm.

...still pretty irrelevant if you are on an open 4 or 5m rib!

[Pikey Dave]

I tend to use the CDI on the plotter rather than the chart screen itself when at speed. It's easier to read & less information to juggle. Thats assuming that I've plotted a course that avoids any obstructions. I split the screen & have chart & CDI displayed side by side.

[vjmehra]

I'm thinking of getting some smaller charts, just so we have them as a reference on the boat. I believe both the Admiralty Small Craft Charts and Imray Leisure range are A2 and similarly priced. Does anyone have a view on whether one series is better than the other, or is it simply personal preference?