Category: Navigation

Despite soggy weather I had a fine time wowing a WoodenBoat School navigation class with electronics while we cruised from Camden to Brooklin last Friday. (It was also nice to be reminded about what a neat place I helped to create, what an interesting array of students it attracts, and how nicely my replacement Rich Hilsinger has improved the school while maintaining the good vibes…consider a course, or at least a visit by boat or car.)  And on Saturday I also enjoyed bringing Gizmo home by myself, even though my wife began to worry when a burst of wind and lightning knocked the electricity out in our neighborhood. But when she called, I told her truthfully that I felt quite snug and safe at the pilothouse helm and could easily see where the squalls were thanks the little Furuno DRS2D radar showing both on the NavNet MFD12 and in MaxSea TimeZero, as seen above…

In January I wrote about the impressive business story behind Geonav, but I neglected to follow up on the products I saw demoed in Florida. It’s true I was disappointed that the GIS Series and MID 110 weren’t ready to show yet, but it was interesting to see the G11 MFD and the GSC 110 autopilot above in action. Note, for instance, the Jeppesen C-Map 4D cartography on that screen above, NOAA raster layer included. I’ve waited a long time to see 4D on the water and my first impression was quite positive. Following are more images and impressions…

A review by Dan Corcoran: The Raymarine ST60 Graphic, ST70, and the Garmin GMI10 began a transformation away from specialized instrument displays for wind, depth, speed, compass, and autopilots in large part due to the availability of sensor information from data buses like Seatalk and NMEA-2000. Although the days of single purpose instrument displays with direct connect sensors and dedicated digits or analog needles has not yet come to an end, mostly due to cost and power advantages such displays have in an environment where sunlight readable displays is a must, the time is near…

That’s my good buddy Jack aboard the 21-foot powerboat he’s named Buddy. The photo was taken a couple of Saturdays ago when he had just relaunched the boat after an extensive refit, and I’d like to think that Jack is indicating his happiness with my electronics advice. He’s a dedicated Garmin user — and the man responsible for the gorgeous all-Garmin helm I featured here — but he was thinking of going with a GPSMap 546 until I talked him into the 740…

The nice Navico news today is that the original Broadband Radar BR24 scanner is getting replaced by a new model called 3G, which “delivers two-times greater RF transmit power and 30 percent more range and target detection.” You can see the improved performance at 6 mile range on the splt screen shot above (click on image to see larger version). And get this: The new Simrad 3G radomes will retail at $1,700, considerably less than the original…

I’ve already written about the debut of Simrad NSS “touch sensible” MFDs, as well as some of what I learned about Navico in Spain, and today I’ll discuss some of what I saw during the on-water demos.  I was especially curious as to how the NSS replaces the NSE’s super fast direct access keys. Actually, I don’t think it’s possible to swap screens faster, or easier, than those NSE dedicated Chart, Echo, Radar, etc. buttons, which get you last-layout-used with a quick press and a list of available layouts with long press. But the NSS comes fairly close…