Charts, Apps or chartplotter - What should I navigate by?
The short answer is to use common sense, but there are different considerations depending on the type of boat you have and the waters you will be sailing in.
The Vikings could navigate to Iceland based on experiences handed down from other Vikings who had been on expeditions. For advanced navigation, they carried a caged crow that they released. If it flew away from the boat, they followed in the same direction in the hope of finding land. If the crow returned, the conclusion was that there was no land nearby and they had to sail on.
Troels Kløvedal was able to sail to the Caribbean following the simple rule: sail south and when the butter melts, keep to starboard. For advanced navigation, he carried a watch, a calendar and a sextant to see if he was roughly at the right latitude.
Nowadays there are many other options and when you go sailing, you should use the navigation tools that best suit you and your preferences.
Nautical charts:
Although you may use a navigation app on your phone or tablet, it's always a good idea to have a chart on board. There is always a risk that you drop your phone or tablet overboard or it runs out of power and you forget to charge the cable. With the basic navigation skills from your training/course as a recreational sailor, you can always find your position, plot a course and navigate using a compass, time, distance and your speed in the boat.
Navigation apps:
There is a wide range of navigation apps available for phones and tablets. These apps have replaced traditional chartplotters as the primary navigation tool on board many pleasure craft. The benefits of navigation apps are that they always have up-to-date chart data, offer user-friendly interfaces for route planning and are more affordable than purchasing up-to-date charts or a chartplotter.
Some of the most popular navigation apps in Denmark are Skippo and Navionics.
Skippo
Skippo is the former Krak at sea and has nautical charts for the inner Scandinavian waters. The app is available as a free version, which is great to use at home on the couch to get inspiration for planning your next trip, but if you want to use it as a navigation tool on the boat, you should upgrade to the Pro vision and pay a subscription.
Skippo Pro also has integrated tools for route planning, AIS updates, wind and weather, anchor watch etc. Please note that Skippo can only be used in Scandinavia and does not cover German waters!
If you're planning to sail beyond the inner Scandinavian waters, choose one of the two major global professional navigation apps. Both Navionics and C-map are international apps that offer more detailed and globally updated map data than Skippo, for example. These apps also have better and more advanced route planning features, weather forecasts along the route, anchorages, AIS information and more.
Navionics
It is probably one of the most widely used navigation apps in the world, and probably also the Danes' favorite navigation app. Navionics is used professionally, and you get global detailed and always updated charts, as well as good route planning tools, AIS info, anchor watch, wind and weather etc. Navionics is the safe choice for a navigation app, as it is the most widely used for yachtsmen, and there are always tips and advice on how to get the most out of this app
C-map
Personally, I use another of the big global navigation apps, C-map, which was recommended to me by a good sailing friend. Like Navionics, C-map is one of the navigation systems used professionally.
C-map has a good user interface and the same functionality as Navionics. I also like its good integration with the Navily app, which provides up-to-date information on bottom conditions at anchorages, and as I am often at anchor, this is valuable to me.
In my experience, once you start to get familiar with the features of an app and use the logbook to track the routes you've sailed - you stick with the app you started using.
When you choose a navigation app, you can download it for free for a month to see if it suits you and your needs. You can also get recommendations from other sailors already using navigation apps to get a better insight into their usability and features.
It is important ensure that your phone or tablet has a built-in GPS receiver and that it is enabled and not using telemasts for position fixing. You should also download the offline charts to your device so you can use the app without relying on an internet connection while sailing.
Test your navigation app by setting your phone or tablet to airplane mode when you are out sailing. If the app can't create a new route, it may be due to a lack of GPS or offline charts on the device and you should use paper charts or chartplotters to navigate by. Unless you're staying very coastal where you know there's good cellular coverage.
Chartplotter:
If your boat has a chartplotter, or has the possibility to be upgraded with one, it can be an advantage. Chartplotters are more reliable than mobile devices and tablets as they don't run out of power, are more robust and designed to be used at sea.
Newer and larger boats often have integrated chartplotters, with electronic charts offering a user-friendly interface for route planning and important information while underway. It's important to keep your electronic charts up to date on the chartplotter.
Modern chartplotters can be integrated with other on-board instruments such as depth gauges, anemometers, autopilots and AIS, as well as data from sensors on the engine and tanks. This gives you all the information you need about your boat on one screen.
If your instruments and chartplotter are older and not communicating with each other, you may want to upgrade to new instruments that can integrate with the chartplotter. This will allow you to reap the benefits of a more cohesive navigation solution.
Orca - hybrid between chartplotter and navigation apps
This is perhaps a cheaper and more flexible alternative from Getorca.com to traditional chartplotters. Orca is a relatively new concept based on a central "core unit" with a digital compass and GPS built in. This core unit is a fixed installation on the boat and is powered by the boat's battery in the same way as chartplotters. It can communicate with the existing instruments on the boat such as sonar, anemometer, AIS, autopilot, as well as the boat's sensors from the engine and tanks.
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With this hybrid solution "Orca Display", a maritime android tablet, you have the same functionality as with the chartplotter integrated to the boat's electronics. At the same time, you get the same flexibility as with navigation on a phone or tablet, and you can also have other maritime apps installed.
The cradle provides wireless charging for the screen. Unlike most tablets, this screen is built and designed for life on board a boat. This means it can withstand salt water and you can see the screen in bright sunlight.
I don't have any experience with the Orca system yet, but I think they have a really good concept aimed at recreational sailors. They are rapidly developing new functionality for the system.
If the budget doesn't allow for new instruments, an older chartplotter can still be reliable as a backup or secondary navigation tool. It can be supplemented with navigation apps on your phone or tablet.
Remember that the choice of navigation tool depends on your specific needs, budget and preferences. It's always a good idea to have multiple navigation options on board to ensure safe and reliable navigation.
Ps. All content above is based on personal experience. Have a chat with your local ship electrician or marine electronics dealer if you need installations on your boat.
Written by
Mads SailZoo day 7. June 2023
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