I am, as a relative tyro, interested in whyyou  use a chartplotter on the
ICW, and similar waters, especially with good visibility? And what sort of
cruising are they best suited to?
In the segments I am familiar with, the most essential tools for me are a
good pair of binoculars and a good depth sounder. If I had paid much
attention to the CP on my latest trip, there would have been some
interesting moments where the hydrography had changed since the chart was
sounded.

In bad visibility, radar takes over for the binocs. The CP is handy then,
but one's senses (at least this one's) still  need to focus on the reality
of one's surroundings, not the theory.

As a vacation boater, I found that Outdoor Navigator installed on my  Treo
was all the plotter needed, merely to transform me into Lazy Navigator.
GPS plots, TTG, SOG etc, stuff I used to calculate myself. For sections of
the trip. I still did, just for sport, man against machine. Manual
navigating does engage one more in ones surroundings. And it sure comes in
handy when all those electrons go on strike. I am a rank amateur at it by
the way.

So, as I contemplate going from vacation boater to "cruiser" how would you
old hands summarize the benefits of the more robust, feature-rich systems?

Thought I'd ask while everyone was hot on the subject.

George

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(SNIP) So, as I contemplate going from vacation boater to "cruiser" how
would you
old hands summarize the benefits of the more robust, feature-rich systems?
George

I single handed my 44' trawler for 5 years.  For me using the CAPN meant I
never got lost and could always estimate my arrival with great precision.  I
don't worry about buoyage systems changing because I plot my routes ahead of
time.  My tracks in the Bahamas are very useful, especially out where the
dragons live (XXX on the charts).

I taught navigation for the auxiliary many years ago so I actually know how
to do it properly, but when you are single handing someone has to drive the
boat so there isn't much time to play around with paper charts, dividers,
and triangles.

Laying out the routes ahead of time means you don't do stupid things like
cut the red buoy in St. Augustine, for example.  It's also handy when you
have inexperienced people aboard who like to drive--"keep the icon of the
boat on the blue line!"

On a delivery from Stuart to Charleston with a boat that wouldn't point,
knowing exactly where you are graphically will tell you where that next tack
will take you.

Having said all this, I've been in computers since 1965 so they don't
intimidate me.  I wouldn't leave home without the CAPN and a pair of
ThinkPads.

                                      Regards....

Phil Rosch
Old Harbor Consulting
M/V Curmudgeon MT-44TC
Currently lying Bond Creek, Pamlico River, NC