plotting charts for android phone.

john jameson

Hi all I recently discovered the plotting chart app for my android called " iboating"
Question is does any body else use this app or is there a alternative
Regards

Steve

Hard to say.

Navionics is the obvious alternative.

Both rely on the accuracy of your phones GPS which in marine terms is not great and not something I would trust in a zero vis situation. Get yourself a proper min 12 channel GPS with charts if you value your life and those aboard.

john jameson

Steve wrote: »

Hard to say.

Navionics is the obvious alternative.

Both rely on the accuracy of your phones GPS which in marine terms is not great and not something I would trust in a zero vis situation. Get yourself a proper min 12 channel GPS with charts if you value your life and those aboard.

Could you recommend one!!

Steve

Something like this is a good starter.

https://buy.garmin.com/en-IE/GB/p/63601

It's a more modern version of the one I use for racing.

What kind of boating are you planning?

The problems with using a phone to navigate are:

1. They die, battery life when using GPS in my experience is at best 3-4 hrs. The GPS I linked above will easily give 24hrs on 2 AA batteries.
2. They are not salt water proof.
3. They sink if you lose them overboard.
4. They are a phone with an add on GPS. A GPS is a GPS and that's it's only job.

john jameson

noting really that warrents hi tec gear! i plesure fish from a 19ft currach around same are so im formular with local area but i do intend to use my craft in other areas as it can be trailered easy enough. i have a etrec gps unit a small hand held unit i keep with me for fear of the sea fog!
I normally research an area well before hand like this weekend im planning to go out with local fisher man so next time i can take my own craft to inniskea islands i know my route and what to watch out for ..

Steve

That's a really beautiful craft you have there!

The etrec will serve you well and get you home, use the navionics online app to explore before you go out.

https://webapp.navionics.com

john jameson

Thanks much appreciate it .. i always had a soft spot for the currach and now i have one im delighted with it! Not long home now after a very long day i put in almost 2 hours drive to meet a local lad and family friend so i could go with him today hauling pots .. for me it was more to survey the area i want to visit next the waters around inniskea island . the knowledge of the local lads is second to none and are maneuvering 36ft fishing vessels in to rough ground stones throw from rocks and surf to get the good pot ground there unreal .. any way it started at 3am for me we were on the water at 5am and back on pier for 2 ish so long day but very enjoyable and an experience no many share . so now that im more formular with markers and rockey out crops il defo be head over to the islands when the weather allows ..

nokiatom

john jameson wrote: »

noting really that warrents hi tec gear! i plesure fish from a 19ft currach around same are so im formular with local area but i do intend to use my craft in other areas as it can be trailered easy enough. i have a etrec gps unit a small hand held unit i keep with me for fear of the sea fog!
I normally research an area well before hand like this weekend im planning to go out with local fisher man so next time i can take my own craft to inniskea islands i know my route and what to watch out for ..

no floor boards?

john jameson

nokiatom wrote:

no floor boards?

nokiatom wrote:

no floor boards?

There was floor last fitted when I bought it but I removed them when I put 3 coats of epoxy resin down .i normally put down done carpet mats . At the moment I'm looking in to getting long rubber mat like a conver belt ot similar as I like to remove all water after use.

nokiatom

john jameson wrote: »

There was floor last fitted when I bought it but I removed them when I put 3 coats of epoxy resin down .i normally put down done carpet mats . At the moment I'm looking in to getting long rubber mat like a conver belt ot similar as I like to remove all water after use.

its just that when you are standing you are putting a lot of weight on a very small area which could loosen the planks but then again the epoxy probably has glued them all together

john jameson

nokiatom wrote: »

its just that when you are standing you are putting a lot of weight on a very small area which could loosen the planks but then again the epoxy probably has glued them all together

Them lats are going no where !! the builder of my boat has epoxied the fiberglass directly to the back side of them lats he placed a couple of layers and a layer of fiberglass cloth over that agen so there solid ... i will put some thing in place some time but for now there grand.

nokiatom

john jameson wrote: »

Them lats are going no where !! the builder of my boat has epoxied the fiberglass directly to the back side of them lats he placed a couple of layers and a layer of fiberglass cloth over that agen so there solid ... i will put some thing in place some time but for now there grand.

ok, no problem. that should be solid out