Marine Satnavs

[DBA Forum (B) - John Arthur Tundervary]

Appreciate any advice re Satnavs, so many on the market, new to owning my own barge bringing it back to Essex from NL in the next few weeks, will be cruising and possibly fishing from Canvey Island also trips up the Thames, quite a lot of sandbanks around Canvey so would need it to have an echo sounder, Thanks John.

[DBA Forum (B) - Ian Hollands]

Hi John

A sat nav is not suitable for use at sea. You would be best served by getting a proper marine chart plotter. Also, enroll on a RYA
Day Skipper evening class. There you would shown the basics of how to read a marine chart and calculate tides. It is foolhardy to go to sea without this knowledge. I'm not trying to put you off , quite the contrary. Do it right and you'l do safe.

[DBA Forum (B) - John Booker]

Whilst I would recommend the Simrad and it's related sisters as the best
systems to go for, these systems take some getting used to, despite
being the most intuitive of the makes out there in my opinion.
The time to get used to the system is not on your voyage in the next few
weeks. Also an understanding of what to do with the information you are
getting from the systems is what you get when you do a Day Skipper
course and more.
With a barge, a direct voyage from NL to the Thames will take close to
24 hours depending on conditions, which will change during the voyage.
Typically barges draw very little but it is easy to run aground because
the depth sounder is typically in the engine room area of the hull, so
2/3 of the length of the boat away and the bow can run aground when the
depth gauge shows say 10 feet. So you don't sail by driving the barge
like driving a car because the charts are not accurate enough for that
in the estuary where sandbanks move all the time. You need to stick to
the main buoyed channels. Planning for all the eventualities is key to a
voyage like this. Unless you have coastal sailing experience, understand
the effects of wind and tide, you should get an experienced skipper or
bring the barge back on a truck.

John

Post by DBA Forum (B) - John Arthur Tundervary
Appreciate any advice re Satnavs, so many on the market, new to owning my own barge bringing it back to Essex from NL in the next few weeks, will be cruising and possibly fishing from Canvey Island also trips up the Thames, quite a lot of sandbanks around Canvey so would need it to have an echo sounder, Thanks John.

[DBA Forum (B) - Peter Cawson]

I think you mean chart plotter, not satnav. I use a Raymarine one that is pretty good though quite costly. I have a much cheaper Garmin on another boat that does what I need for where I use it, but do look at several at a specialist electronic chandler.

Before consideing an autumn channel crossing, get professional advice from a surveyor as to the boat's seaworthyness. Most barges are not built for going to sea and there are many things that need very careful consideration to avoid a disastrous journey. For example, the condition of the fuel tanks? If they are old and the vessel has always been in canals, there's a good chance of sludge, water, etc lurking harmlessly at the bottom of the tank above the engine's take-off point. Go to sea and even a slight swell will shake it up probably resulting in an engine stall - the last thing you need.

Check with your insurance company that they will cover you for this. They will probably specify the minimum qualifications for at least 2 of the crew. If your boat is relatively new and built to RCD A or B, you will normally have the Channel within your permitted cruising area, but you still need to satisfy yourself and your crew that you and the vessel are suitable, the boat is equipped for the job (liferafts and other safely gear, etc), the weather has been slight for several days before, the forecast is good for the next 2 days with no possibility of fog - and be prepared to sit it out (for weeks if necessary) if not. Everything from cupboard doors and drawers to the fridge and loose furniture will need to be properly secured.

Or just get it trucked over.

Peter

[DBA Forum (B) - John Arthur Tundervary]

Thank you for the advice, but I am not too concerned about bringing the boat from Ostend as we have a Skipper to meet us there, I was more concerned about once I get the barge home, and sailing up the Thames and across to the Medway, and some fishing, around the mouth of the Thames weather of course permitting, have had experience as I used to take out fishing parties many years ago in a ex navy 59ft converted pinnace I used to own, then I married and all good things came to an end. Sorry if I misled anyone,
.
John

[DBA Forum (B) - James Smith]

Ian, hi,

I've just found this course, run in London.

http://www.hamiltonsailing.com/course_detail.php?id=10

Does anyone have any other recommendations?

Kind regards,

James

-----Original Message-----
Forum (B) - Ian Hollands [mailto:dbabarges-pvYRptiajiAdnm+***@public.gmane.org]
Sent: 29 September 2014 16:40
subscribers
Satnavs


Hi John A sat nav is not suitable for use at sea. You would be best
served by getting a proper marine chart plotter. Also, enroll on a RYA
Day Skipper evening class. There you would shown the basics of how to read a
marine chart and calculate tides. It is foolhardy to go to sea without this
knowledge. I'm not trying to put you off , quite the contrary. Do it right
and you'l do safe.

[DBA Forum (B) - James Smith]

John, hi,

When you plump for a satnav or chart plotter, I'd be interested to know
which one and why.

Kind regards,

James

-----Original Message-----
Forum (B) - John Arthur Tundervary [mailto:dbabarges-pvYRptiajiAdnm+***@public.gmane.org]
Sent: 29 September 2014 18:07
subscribers
Satnavs


Thank you for the advice, but I am not too concerned about bringing the boat
from Ostend as we have a Skipper to meet us there, I was more concerned
about once I get the barge home, and sailing up the Thames and across to the
Medway, and some fishing, around the mouth of the Thames weather of course
permitting, have had experience as I used to take out fishing parties many
years ago in a ex navy 59ft converted pinnace I used to own, then I married
and all good things came to an end. Sorry if I misled anyone,
.
John

[DBA Forum (B) - Pete. Milne]

[quote="James Smith" post=58126]

I've just found this course, run in London.

http://www.hamiltonsailing.com/course_detail.php?id=10

Does anyone have any other recommendations?
[/quote]
Hamilton runs good courses. So do most other RYA-approved instructors.
See http://www.rya.org.uk/wheresmynearest/Pages/Directory.aspx#list/t-2

Pete.

[DBA Forum (B) - Derek and Janice Wallace]

Hi,
I shifted my barge from Liverpool to Fort William using a tablet and laptop with Visitmyharbour chart software which cost £30 or so.

A GPS receiver plugs into the laptop. That was also about £30. The tablet used the built in receiver.

Put in two seperate power supplies from the boat system and a 200 amp battery for the tablet !! Okay I had one.

I believe Sony sells a waterproof (to 1 metre) tablet.

Proved to be very accurate and usable.

Derek

[DBA Forum (B) - Charles Mclaren]

Try city sailing. C

Charlie McLaren...Sent from my iPhone

Post by DBA Forum (B) - James Smith
Ian, hi,
I've just found this course, run in London.
http://www.hamiltonsailing.com/course_detail.php?id=10
Does anyone have any other recommendations?
Kind regards,
James
-----Original Message-----
Sent: 29 September 2014 16:40
subscribers
Satnavs
Hi John A sat nav is not suitable for use at sea. You would be best
served by getting a proper marine chart plotter. Also, enroll on a RYA
Day Skipper evening class. There you would shown the basics of how to read a
marine chart and calculate tides. It is foolhardy to go to sea without this
knowledge. I'm not trying to put you off , quite the contrary. Do it right
and you'l do safe.

[DBA Forum (B) - James Smith]

Thanks Pete.

-----Original Message-----
Forum (B) - Pete. Milne [mailto:dbabarges-pvYRptiajiAdnm+***@public.gmane.org]
Sent: 29 September 2014 22:29
subscribers
Satnavs


[quote="James Smith" post=58126]

I've just found this course, run in London.

http://www.hamiltonsailing.com/course_detail.php?id=10

Does anyone have any other recommendations?
[/quote]
Hamilton runs good courses. So do most other RYA-approved instructors.
See http://www.rya.org.uk/wheresmynearest/Pages/Directory.aspx#list/t-2

Pete.

[DBA Forum (B) - Paul Thomson]

I second City Sailing. I did my day skipper theory and VHF with them:

Drop Paul a line - he's a lovely bloke: paul-lL88+***@public.gmane.org

Paul

[DBA Forum (B) - James Smith]

Paul, hi,

I'm not sure this is directed at me, I've lost the thread so to speak, but
thanks anyway. I'll get in touch with Paul, surely.

Kind regards,

James

-----Original Message-----
Forum (B) - Paul Thomson [mailto:dbabarges-pvYRptiajiAdnm+***@public.gmane.org]
Sent: 01 October 2014 10:11
subscribers
Satnavs


I second City Sailing. I did my day skipper theory and VHF with them:

Drop Paul a line - he's a lovely bloke: paul-lL88+***@public.gmane.org

Paul