auto piliot vs chart plotter

[Orion]

We are thinking about getting a chart plotter but am wondering if an auto piliot might be a better investment. Does anyone out there have either, or, or both....and what are your thoughts ?

[Rick Westlake]

Get the chartplotter, period. Full stop.

Why? Because your first word is "We". This implies a crew of two (at least), with one to mind the helm while the other works the foredeck. Since you aren't single-handing, you don't need an autopilot.

I do sail single-handed 90 percent of the time, and I have both. Even so, I don't use the autopilot all that much.

I bought the chartplotter to give me a good continuous "heads up" display of my position and the depth of water under my hull. The chartplotter gets switched "On" when I leave the dock, and stays "On" until I snub Bossa Nova back to the dock and prepare to recover her onto the trailer. (By the way, I'm navigating by channel-markers and landmarks, not by staring at the screen. I do keep an eye on the depth finder.)

I bought the autopilot to keep my boat on course while I go up on deck to raise and lower sails, pull in a reef, raise and stow the spinnaker, and handle the anchor while Bossa Nova is underway. As I said, I'm usually single-handed, and it helps me to have "Otto" to keep Bossa Nova on a steady course when I need to deal with something up forward. I leave "Otto" on standby 99% of the time, only engaging it when I have to leave the helm.

Don't bother with an autopilot until and unless experience proves to you that it would REALLY BE USEFUL.

[Rick Westlake]

PS - and further:

No electronic gadget you can buy for your boat can substitute for your own seamanship.

I dearly love my chartplotter and I use it constantly. I also keep local charts and chart-books at the ready, and I keep my own situational awareness "up and locked". The chartplotter isn't going to show me that runabout full of young drunks that's bearing down on my port bow, and it's not going to tell me how the wind is changing so that I may have to go about in a moment. I'm the captain; I'm the navigator; the chartplotter is a fine and lovely tool, but still it's just a tool.

This goes even more so for an autopilot. Given consistent wind and sea conditions, "Otto" will keep you right on course until you hit something.

[Orion]

Thankyou for your input,however I do lots of solo sailing in the North-Chanel and Lake Huron .We have sailed Orion for some 14 years now since she was new.However I have approval from the Admiral and will be persuing this part of safety-equipment.Would like info. on what works on the as the ballast is full most of the time.brands and prices? Thanks again... Greg Bois

[Terry]

Well, I can't recommend a brand for today because the models change so much year over year. I have an older Raymarine ST4000 MKII+ that was top of the line in its' day but now is outdated. I also have an outdated Garmin GPS MAP76cs handheld that connects to my Autopilot, and both work just fine even if they are old. Yes, I got permission to buy a new toy too and got the Autopilot, best investment ever and it very soon became the Admirals toy. We always sail the two of us, and I have rarely singlehanded, yet we use the Autpilot extensively for day sailing. I don't need the chartplotter for daysailing since line of sight is always available, but that Autohelm has really spoiled my wife. I handle the sails & rigging while my wife takes the helm and she is very good at it, or was until the arrival of "Otto", now she turns that unit on every time we go out and then she sits back and puts her feet up. She loves it! Now she can go below and get food, drink, jackets or anything else she wants and not have to worry, it gives her total freedom and makes life easier for both of us. You would think that with two of us we would not need one but it became just the opposite, we now can't sail without it.

[Ixneigh]

I'd be happy with a good way to lash the wheel quickly for potty breaks or to adjust things on the boat. Since apparently there aren't many solutions on the forum I guess I'll have to make one myself.
I'll post it on YouTube when I'm done with it.

Ixneigh

[Québec 1]

I'd be happy with a good way to lash the wheel quickly for potty breaks or to adjust things on the boat. Since apparently there aren't many solutions on the forum I guess I'll have to make one myself.
I'll post it on YouTube when I'm done with it.

Ixneigh

There is a wheel brake or poor mans autopilot available for 50$ at most boat stores.
Q1

[c130king]

Ixneigh,

The really poor mans autopilot...bungy cord wrapped through the spokes of the wheel and either around the pedastal or clipped to one of the life-lines. Marginal but maybe better than nothing and it doesn't cost much. I did this a few times...but I found you can't stay away from the wheel for very long.

Orion,

Ditto everything that Rick Westlake told you. I have both. Started with a hand-held GPS (not a chartplotter). I could see the outline of the river but had not charting info...like depth contours. Then upgraded to a Garmin chartplotter. It was great, life was good. But I solo a lot so after another year and a half I bought an S1 Wheel pilot. Great to use when you need to be away from the helm a while...and have nobody else to steer. If you go with a wheel pilot I recommend a second battery as well.

But like Rick I don't really use it that much. It is linked to the Chartplotter and could drive a course but I don't do that. When I use it I simply use it in a heading hold mode.

Chartplotter first...then if you think you need one and the $$$ doesn't scare you off you can install a wheel-pilot of some sort.

Good luck.

Cheers,
Jim
Sailing on König
Sailing on König YouTube Channel

[rwmiller56]

Where I sail, a chartplotter is almost a necessity. The South SF Bay has a very narrow channel (ancient riverbed), and the depth can go from 30 ft to just a few feet in a very short distance. And you don't want to run aground out there on an ebb tide, and with the wind kicking up to 20+ kts in the afternoon. Several skippers from my marina have had this misfortune.

That said, I'll say that the chartplotter has been invaluable. I have a Garmin 276C. It has dual automotive and marine modes, and an internal battery. The display is small, but I've found it to be adequate. I wouldn't leave the slip without it. Of course, I back up with paper charts, since all electronics can fail at some time or other.

I've been thinking about installing the poor man's autopilot. It would really help when single-handing.

Roger

[mastreb]

Definitely get a chart-plotter first, with a sounder. Without a chartplotter, an autopilot can only hold a course. With one, you can set a destination on the chartplotter and the autopilot will follow it. That's not nearly as useful when sailing as motoring because the wind conditions dictate direction, but you may find you want to use it.

Chartplotters also serve as multi-instrument displays. I just hooked up the Evinrude ETEC NMEA-2000 engine cable to my Garmin chartplotter and now I've got a fuel gauge and MPG meter on the display. Total cost including the NMEA starter kit was $100. Next on my list is a wind sensor and a ballast tank gauge.

You'll use a chartplotter every time you sail. I'd be surprised if you used the autopilot a quarter as often. I like my Garmin 421s but it is small at 4" and needs a $160 chip for charts. If I was going to spend more money, I'd get the Garmin 740s which is a touch screen 7". Any bigger than that isn't going to sit on the helm easily.

If I ever upgrade the helm chart-plotter, I'll put the old one in the cabin to serve as an instrument display.

[c130king]

I didn't mention my Garmin is the 546. I had a 4" Garmin and now really like the 5" screen and the 546 has much higher resolution (640 x 480 versus 320 x 240) and much brighter. Pre-loaded charts included and no chips unless you want the fancy 3D charts and the satellite imagery...I don't need to spend the money on that.

Personally I can't see going any bigger than 5" but that is personal preference.

Seems like Garmin has a $100 rebate thing happening every so often...keep your eyes open for that.

If you think you may get a wheel pilot someday be sure to pre-plan how/where you will install the chartplotter and where you may want to install the control head for the wheel pilot. I got them both on top of the pedastal. Pre-planning this now can prevent extra holes being drilled in the future.

Good Luck.

Jim

[Russ]

What Rick said.

[Boblee]

We have a Raymarine c80 monitor with chartplotter and sounder and then added the auto pilot.
The auto pilot motor is now burnt out but will replace it as I find it invaluable but no where near as neccesarry as the chartplotter/sounder for the varied waters we sail and power in, I just can't imagine not having a chartplotter sounder as most of the places we go are new and with very different conditions.
The Raymarine for Aust had three maps originally to cover the whole Aust coastline but by sending the single one we had back to them they replaced it with a full coast chip FREE.
The C80 is outdated now but still more than enough for anything I need, thought of adding the radar but really can't justify it.
We also use a portable GPS in the dinghy when fishing/exploring as at times we may travel up to thirty k's from the Mac and it's also handy to set a course first through tricky waters with the dinghy and then follow the track in the Mac.

[Retcoastie]

I went the other way. Heck with a chartplotter.

For a lot less money, you can get a used laptop and free chart programs (SeaClear and OpenCPN) that use free charts for anywhere in the country, updated daily if you like, and see better than what a chartplotter would show you. I went for the autopilot.

I mostly single hand my X, even when I have my normal two traveling companions aboard. I am constantly doing things around the boat. I guess I'm more of a deck ape than a helmsman. The autopilot gives me that freedom.

[mastreb]

You might want to consider going with an Apple iPad as a chartplotter. There's a $50 app called iNavX that downloads the NOAA raster charts for the world directly onto the device and stores them, and it includes its own GPS. There are even NMEA 2000 to WiFi interfaces that can be used to integrate your instruments. It's a pretty damned nice chartplotter, and includes full Google Earth.

I'll post a mod for using the iPad as a chartplotter if you want to know the details of how it works.