San Juan area kayak launching and campsites with gps coordinates plus vehicle parking places are just a click away.
Don't just show up with your bicycle or kayak without knowing where to go or what to expect, if you do you may miss out on something and not even know it.
Not too long ago I posted that I needed a new gps, but couldn't remember why I needed a new one. Sound familiar!
(update) I remember now, the curser quits moving while it redraws charts and sometimes it takes awhile to catch up, so its not really broken just too slow.
Anyway I've been shopping gps units and have been shocked and irritated at the manufacturers high prices and total arrogance.
This is the way I see it!
They sell us a product that does the same thing a highway unit does (mostly) for ten times the price.
They then make us buy maps separately because the pre-loaded chart shows the shoreline as a straight line, and small islands are skipped completely.
Then to top it off they quit supporting (selling chips) for older units forcing us to buy all new stuff, and start all over again.
And the stuff they make us buy are all in one units called mfd's (multifunctiondisplays) as if giving it a fancy name makes it a good idea. Well most of us have tripped and broken a few eggs and when they are all in one basket, you know what happens. If that was too to hard grasp, it means they all broke. It means when your mfd quits, you have lost your gps, your sounder, maybe your compass, certainly your chart. Why buy a paper chart when you have a $5,000 chart plotter. oh yeah your knot meter too, but who cares how fast your going when your lost. Did I mention radar, yeah for another 5k+ you can get it in the same basket.
They're laughing all the way to the bank while we just gobble up their over priced products.
And this is what I did:
I bought a gps antenna (usb) and chart plotter program for my laptop, total cost $99. Of course I already had a $350 lap top with a 15 inch screen BTW. (awesome detail)
it came with a dvd with every NOAA chart published
every chart is the most recent updated published
it works great and has all the detail the others choose to spoon feed us $350 at a time because NOAA is where the charts come from in the first place.
as a bonus I got chart number one (free online anyway) just a click away as well as tide prediction, coast pilot, all part of a full feature chart plotter navigation suite.
and even better I have a copy loaded onto my home computer with a 27 inch screen so I can cruise around when I'm not on the boat.
and if it quits, I can send it back to Dell (the lap top) or pick up a new one and load the program on as many computers as I want
Now here's the down side: (none) okay, it is not 3D.
I still need a separate sounder. (have two, that's a good thing)
and a stand alone compass. (got it) another good thing
I'm afraid I will be keeping my charts handy in case my laptop screen goes blue or battery's go dead.
redraw times are instantaneous, darn.
I still plan to keep my handheld, ( you know, eggs in a basket and all).
I'm worried someone will break into my boat thinking I have a fancy chart plotter hidden away.
I wont have any discontinued phone numbers for shore side businesses in my expensive discontinued chart plotter.
I'm sure there must be more negatives.
OK, here's one, my lap top is not designed for salt water use. Hmmm? you know it cost $350, and that's not counting converting to boating units. (I think the boat unit conversion is multiply 7X, or is it 10X.)
Installation was a snap:
Just plug in the usb antenna and set on ledge by window, open laptop and power up.
In about five seconds the red menu box turns black meaning satellites are detected and locked on.
One last point:
It works while in the car, but there are no detailed highway maps, only main highways on charts. I guess NOAA figures boats will stay in the water.
I am really excited about this new toy (I mean tool)(nav aid)(gps)(chart plotter)
$99 chart plotter, that's less boat bucks than, than, than, well its less than anything I can think of except an led bulb I just bought for $ 8 plus shipping.
This is the pixlated logo for the Sea Clear program
I think you can download the sea clear program for free if you're techie prone. (I bought what someone had put on a disk)
http://www.sping.com/seaclear/
Update, I have switched to a different free online program called "openCPN" It works fine and I am a happy camper again.
Click below for a satellite view of Cap Sante, Anacortes
I need some help, (opportunity knocks) I know our last cruise had some gps problems but I don't remember the specifics. All I really remember was that I decided I should get a new gps because my old Magellan could not be trusted or was failing somehow. Being a frugal boater and not having unlimited resources makes it difficult to shell out $400+ for a hand held battery eating device I only use in the fog or to measure distance to my next anchorage. I stopped by a web site or fifty and came away more confused after reading reviews from techies, hunters, hikers, and arm chair skippers. I wish I could just rely on someone to tell me what to buy after hearing my list of wants.
it needs to be battery powered, aaa or aa with a 12V helm plug in
rugged enough to be dropped once in awhile (water resistant too)
day light visible display about 2.5" or bigger (ok a lot bigger)
on board chart for my area (duh) and not an extra $200 fee, and they must include Canada's Vancouver and Gulf islands.
it needs to display nav aids at a minimum, just like my chart
I want a speedometer and bearing readout
I want it to work inside the cabin, or at least by the windows
it needs to boot up in less than 5 minutes
I like my nav aids in color, especially the red ones, but not if it's too many $$$
I want to have local level streets shown for hikes
it should fit in my pocket
it should be dependable, and last, and last, and last
I'm sure I have other wants, I'll add later, here is what does not matter to me (much) (maybe)
upgrade ability
connectivity to a laptop, or chart plotter
altimeter
emergency radio or locator beacon (if it costs boat dollars)
e-mail, forecasts or anything confusing that is more dollars
more memory for charts of other areas
phone numbers of business, etc if it's extra $$
mfd, multifunction display or depth or radar, (just go away, your too wealthy for this blog)
floating is nice, so is waterproof but I can pass if more $$
Are we getting an idea that costs are paramount to me?
About gps and the San Juan trailer sailor.
In my opinion you can get by without a gps just like boaters have done for centuries, but it is a really handy piece of equipment, and fun to share info with others on board, and truly a marvelous aid in foggy conditions. What you can not do without, is a chart, a compass, a depth sounder, pfd's and all the other Coast Guard required safety gear.
Okay, lest I have mislead someone, I believe you need a gps in the fog but you could simply stay in port or go another direction. Boating blindly in fog with any current is a recipe for disaster.
