[Rhodes22-list] R22 Instrumentation

[Mary Lou Troy]

Dave,
Bill and I disagree on the value of depthfinders. They are NOT necessary 
but they sure are nice for navigation (the difference between 6 ft. of 
water and 10 ft of water can be an important bit of info when navigating 
the Chesapeake - not because you might run aground in either but because if 
you are following a depth contour around a point you'll know when you've 
strayed from your course). We also use them for scoping out anchorages, 
finding shortcuts across bars and telling when we've entered a shipping 
channel. We do not have charting software which you might use for some of 
that stuff assuming that the charts for your area have been recently 
updated. For example, most anchorages on the Chesapeake haven't been 
resurveyed for years and they change with every flood. On the Chesapeake we 
aren't really concerned about hitting a rock.

Mary Lou
1991 R22 Fretless
Ft. Washington, PA / Rock Hall (Swan Creek) / MD


At 02:56 PM 2/26/2006 -0500, you wrote:
>Dave,
>
>I mounted 2 Plastismo Iris Lighted Compass Mounts on my stern rails last 
>summer and was very happy with them.  So happy, in fact that I'm going to 
>get another compass and stop moving it back and forth.  The compass is a 
>hand held that can be read in any direction, and slides in and out of a 
>custom mount that costs too much, but works perfectly.  The steel in the 
>rails does not bother the compass.  The compass was far more accurate than 
>my Ritchie bulkhead, and a cinch to read from the captain's seats.
>
>I will be bringing a laptop on board with an integral late model WiFi 
>built in.  I'm sure this will be the way to go on boats--it's just that 
>all the pieces aren't together yet.  I bought a Delorme Street Map along 
>with a GPS that plugs into a laptop, both for under $100.  It works 
>perfectly, and has a speech recognition system built in.  I got a complete 
>set of computerized charts, a program to run them, and a chartbook for $50 
>from Maptech.  They have more features than I can use right now. There 
>must be some way to use, my Delorme GPS on the Maptech Chart, but I don't 
>know how, yet.  In the beginning I will put my waypoints on the Street 
>Maps, using GPS coordinates, along with notes to myself that the system 
>will read out to me as I approach.  That's right, using a Street Map for 
>the water.  I think it will work.  We'll see.  Costs me nothing to try.
>
>I have a 17" screen on my laptop, and should be able to see it from as far 
>away as I can possibly ever get on my boat.  I am a notorious "dry boat" 
>person, and am not particularly concerned about weather.  I put away 
>everything in dry boxes after each sail.  Nothing walks away.  I move my 
>laptop on board every time I go out.  It will also run my music 
>system...and I could play DVDs on it...
>
>I think depth finders are silly on our boats.  Pack a lead line.  It's 
>cheaper, and reads correctly even when you are heeled.  (Or use a small 
>folding anchor folded--no chain.)  You should know from your charts where 
>you are, and what your approximate depth is.  Before a depth meter can see 
>a rock, you've hit it.
>
>But, I digress,
>
>Bill Effros
>
>DCLewis1 at aol.com wrote:
>>Dave, Rick, Michael, Will,  Ed, Mary Lou,  Russ, everyone who  responded,
>>thank you for responding to my request for info regarding  instrumentation.
>>
>>One theme that appears to run through many of the responses is that reading
>>instruments, esp the compass, from the back of the cockpit can be a 
>>problem - as  in, get a large compass.  A second theme is that some put 
>>much more $ into  nav aids than others - local sailing requirements vary.
>>
>>Regarding compasses, putting a somewhat smaller Richie compass on a bracket
>>closer to the stern seems like an interesting option, it’s close so it 
>>should be  easily readable.  But unless you’re looking down on it will 
>>there be a
>>problem reading it?  That is, if you’re sailing north and the compass is
>>aligned with the keel of the vessel the compass card will point to north, 
>>but if
>>the compass is at eye level and you’re reading the compass from the 
>>side in the
>>cockpit, you’ll see east or west, assuming you’re offset 90o.  Am I 
>>right
>>about this, or is there a way to substantially offset the compass 
>>card?   Are you basically going to have to get on top of that compass to 
>>read it?
>>
>>If the compass card can’t be offset then a large bulkhead mount might 
>>be  the only way to go, or mount it on a slat.  But it’s a long way 
>>from the  back of the cockpit to the aft cabin wall and monitoring a 
>>compass heading might  be a problem.  Perhaps the easiest cure is a 
>>tiller extension - get a large
>>compass and get closer to it.
>>
>>Regarding a wireless depth finder: In poking around I discovered Humminbird
>>makes a PiranhaMax 30 that’s wireless.  I have no idea how well it 
>>works,  it looks to me like a PDA display.  The ads don’t say it gives 
>>velocity,
>>distance traveled, etc, so it may not have all the desirable bells 
>>&  whistles, but it might give depth.
>>
>>It's still not clear to me how you protect the electronic products  from 
>>the weather and secure them, over the long term.  I understand they  are 
>>waterproofed and weather proofed, but they are above all electronic, so 
>>over  the long term I'd like to keep any display out of the weather to 
>>the  maximum extent possible.  Also, I'd like to be able to secure it 
>>at  the end of the day.  I understand how that's done with the Lowrance, 
>>but  not the Tridata or Humminbird products.  It's a concern.
>>
>>Regarding GPS, it seems like a mixed bag.  It seems a chart  plotter is a 
>>goal, but it’s expensive and might walk away.  Also, if it’s  at the 
>>front of the cockpit visibility likely will be a problem, if 
>>your  sailing a close course unless a tiller extension will let you get 
>>closer to  it.  As with the depth finder,  I’m not sure how you’d 
>>protect some of  the products, like the Humminbird, from weather over the 
>>long term. I’m not sure  a handheld, or even a laptop GPS system 
>>wouldn’t be enough to help you find  your way home in the fog, several 
>>responders use handhelds successfully.  I  may wait on this and go with a 
>>hand held or laptop for the near  term.  Thanks again for everyone's input.
>>
>>Dave
>>__________________________________________________
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>>
>>
>>
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