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I first learned about radar reflectors when I read the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (a part of the Canada Shipping Act) some 20 years ago.
Read more: Ask Andrew: Radar Reflectors – When and how to...
Since the initial article of this column we have identified a wide range of apps and accessories for your iPad, including numerous marine navigation apps like iNavX and Navionics as well as a number of other marine related apps and accessories. One feature we have not yet considered is the use of apps for racing. Whether you race professionally or for fun there are apps that help take your racing to the next level.
Since the initial article of this series we have looked at the iPad and its use as a marine navigation instrument. We have discussed its functionality, available apps, relevant hardware and compared it to traditional charplotters. This focus on iPad led one of our readers to an interesting question that we have yet to address.
Question: Why has the focus been solely on the use of iPads for marine navigation rather than Android devices?
In Going iPad with Marine Navigation we concluded that iPads provide a modern platform for marine navigation. No we shall explore how functional an iPad is in comparison to standard chartplotters.
Read more: Going iPad or Chartplotter, Which is Right for...
Question: Is it possible to mount, protect and charge your iPad during marine navigation.
Answer: Yes, but it often requires some creative thinking and typically purchasing separate accessories for each duty.
Not many of us need to stay connected to our global business empire while cruising (the 0.01 %?), but a pretty sizeable percentage of boat owners do need to keep in contact whether for business or family reasons.
Is iNavX the superlative marine navigation app?
There is a good deal of hesitancy and lack of understanding as to whether an iPad can fully replace existing navigation equipment. Quite simply put the answer is yes!
Sunshine flooded the waters separating California’s Catalina Island from Channel Islands Harbor, and Capt. Tom Petersen, skipper of the well-equipped Sea Ray 55 Sundancer Valkyrie, was leading a small flotilla when an unexpected fog bank quashed visibility. While Valkyrie carries the latest Raymarine kit (Petersen is a Raymarine Pro Ambassador), including a 12 kW, six-foot, open-array high-definition radar, Petersen’s companions weren’t electronically fortified. “I sat behind the other boats, watching them on my radar and maintaining radio contact,” said Petersen.
Boaters who prefer to be on the hook, such as ourselves in our Islander 36 sailboat Holole’a, greatly extend their cruising experience. There are many more bays and nooks and crannies available when using the anchor. And it is free! However, the one big issue is electrical power. The boat has to be self-contained for storing electrical power (batteries), recharging the batteries, and providing 120 Volt electrical power (main engine with alternator or dedicated genset). Solar panels can help recharge batteries also.Most boats use deep-cycle batteries for the house battery system. These are batteries that can tolerate hundreds of cycles of a 50% discharge. Without getting too technical, they are generally robust batteries of lead-acid, gel-cell, or AGM (absorbed glass matt) construction. The common physical sizes for 12 volt systems can vary from Group 24 (common car size), to golf-cart 6 volt batteries (connect 2 in series for 12 volts) up to massive and very heavy 4D and 8D. Battery banks can be added in parallel for more capacity.
Related Articles
Boat Reviews
Video Gallery
OAKLEY 245 CC
By Andy Adams
The multi-generational island cottagers of Georgian Bay and serious fishermen are just two of the groups most attracted to the new Oakley Boats models.
Brad Oakley has been around the boat business his entire life and he said to me that he has long admired durable, seaworthy welded aluminum boats. His company WMW Vacuum Pumpout Systems in Waubaushene, Ontario on Georgian Bay, builds highly regarded vacuum pump-out systems and Oakley’s equipment is in so many marinas that he knows a lot of people in the business.
Fountaine Pajot Astrea 42
By Katherine Stone
On a beautiful summer morning in July, I hopped aboard a new-owner delivery from the Outer Harbour Marina in Toronto to the Port Credit Harbour Marina in Mississauga, with the President of Navy Point Yacht Sales, Steve McPherson. I don’t know if I have ever referred to a boat as pretty, but this adjective fits the Fountaine Pajot Astrea 42 to a tee.
The transitions and communication from interior to exterior spaces are seamless and well-thought-out with functional ergonomics.
Destinations
Cruising the Rideau Canal
Following the War of 1812, a battle that Canada narrowly won against the United States, the boundaries of Upper Canada were held and the British army realized that the St. Lawrence River was no longer safe as a supply route. A more defensible route was needed to bring supplies from Montreal to Kingston and on into other Great Lakes settlements.
This new, more secure route revealed itself through the travel and trade of the Indigenous peoples. Surveyors learned that one of the Indigenous trade routes began at the mouth of the Cataraqui River in Kingston (Canada’s first national capital) and connected a series of lakes and rivers all the way through to where the Rideau River meets the Ottawa River in the heart of Bytown (known today as Canada’s national capital: the City of Ottawa).
Lifestyle
How a young woman who was encouraged by her father to enter a contest, became a member of the yachting fraternity (sorority?).
Encouraged by her father to enter, Jessika Patrick emerged the winner of the Yacht Solutions Schaefer Yachts contest. It took a little extra luck to get the prize though. Another entrant actually won but sadly, a medical issue forced them to decline the prize. Another entrant’s name was then drawn. This winner also declined, but for a happy reason; they had just bought their own new boat and were busy with that so, a third winner had to be drawn. The third time was the charm for prize winner Jessika Patrick.
Marine Products
Product news: Modern pull up cleats
Many boaters prefer the clean appearance and greater safety of modern pull-up cleats that retract flush into the deck when not in use. But depending on where they need to be installed, limited mounting room can make it difficult. Series 490 Rectangular Pull-Up Cleats from Accon Marine feature a sleek, compact design that allows use in even challenging spaces where other flush-mount hardware simply won't fit.
Made from polished, marine-grade 316 stainless steel for extreme durability and a lifetime of good looks, Series 490 Pull-Up Cleats feature a fresh, modern aesthetic that complements the contemporary profile of today's boats.
News
I filled up last week at $1.90. Pundits are suggesting that prices will stay high throughout the summer. Radio and TV news have been flooded with ‘man on the street’ interviews that show the impact on the average driver. How will these prices affect the average boater this year? Will we see more hours spent on the docks and fewer on the water? Will fuel efficiency become a top-of –mind selling point? Will we see a shift toward electric marine engines?
Time will tell – but for the majority of us, we’ll need to weather the storm as best we can. There are a number of tips and tricks we can employ aboard to make the most of our boat’s fuel. BoatUS published an excellent article this week that I’ll break down...
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