I am a power boater, but your video is so thorough and informative that I sat through the whole 40 minutes and learned a lot about the electronics that I should buy for my boat. Many thanks.
Excellent. I've sailed but rarely offshore. Mostly I watch a short list of cruiser videos. Each channel may or may not talk a bit about the electronics on board but yours is the most complete version. You did a great job of keeping things simple while exposing the complexity of these systems. Good job Tom. Thank you.
What a brilliant video. It's not easy to find a 'use case' explanation of all the electronics.. but here it is. I understand more after that 45mins or so than I could have surfing separate videos and watching them for days. Thumbs up and subscription.
As a complete newbie in preparation for cruising in a couple of years. I absolutely loved your tutorial in this video. You gave me more base reasoning of each unit and it's particular function and importance than any I've seen in my search for this information. Thank you
@@robertalexander2478 I think they are noisy and dangerous, and don't belong on a moderate sized cruising boat. They made sense before solar (and hydro) became more economical. I don't know how owners put up with the whirring sound day and night; it sure takes away the charm of an otherwise quiet anchorage for their neighbors. And multiple blades spinning at high rpms not far from lines and possibly appendages scares the heck out of me. So, yes, they get a thumbs down from me!
I'm getting ready to completely update an older boat. This video has been extremely helpful in preparing me to ask the right questions relative to this endeavor. Most appreciated!
I'm a sailing student, studying for my ASA 103 and found your video and style of explaining your electronic equipment to be among the best I've seen yet. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience with the sailing community. I'm an enthusiastic subscriber.
My dear sailing student, all this electronics are useless if you run out of electricity and don't know about working with the good old and reliable nautical charts.
Gosh, I am so glad I happened across this video and your channel. I have needed to more fully understand how these nav aids work together and why it's better to have them onboard. You have a real tutoring gift that makes it easy to follow and understand complex stuff like this subject.....thank you taking the time! My next run thru this I will be taking notes and logging the subjects timeline for a quick reference on this and your solar panel system video......
So much to say... but to conclude: you satisfied my never ending curiosity, and it appears, you are a damn good person and can beat many movie actors. Thank you.
That would be the best explanation I have ever heard on boating electronics, I appreciated it so much I have played numerous times now. Thank you from Australia.
Simply the best i've seen and really helpful. It's been over 40 years since I have done any sailing and I can't believe the changes and upgrades. I look forward to seeing your other videos.
This was a very good video. Electronics are so complicated, so it was nice to see what someone else was using and the good and bad about it. The multiplex was a great piece of information. I wanted to add that we also have the same autohelm. At one point it stopped being able to "take the helm" and kept giving us an error. We determined the motor's brushes must be worn out, but when we took it apart, they were still fine. We cleaned the copper coils completely and it works just like new. Our whole system is Raymarine and 20 years old, but it uses the NAMEA system. The Radar is broken and the chartplotter displays are shot so an iPad with a wifi Radar is the direction we are going, so your video was very useful! Thank you.
Hi Marina. Glad you got value out of the video, and thanks for the tip on fixing the Raymarine autopilot. It was one of the more reliable pieces of gear on Thalia, but in time everything seems to wear out! And yes the multiplexer is a value add-on, and a necessity if you plan to use an iPad for navigation. Good luck with your transition of gear.
I've watched many of your videos under your 47's site and have always gleaned great information from them. I grew up on Lake Erie as a power boater running from both Ashtabula or Geneva State Park to Sandusky (Cedar Point), Vermillion, or Toledo Yacht Club. I remember the first time I did the Wellend, but also boated on the Ohio River & into PA as well. I find your video's more helpful than most cruisers are providing. I'm in the process of making the switch to sailing - time to slow it down a bit and explore different parts of this world. I like your approach to sharing what you've already learned first hand. Great video - keep them coming! Fair Winds
Well, I am learning a lot from your excellent video.....electronics generally is a complete mystery to me but the total fog that was my understanding of these matters is slowly shifting to a slightly less heavy mist. Many thanks for your time and delivery of this tutorial.
Tom that was an excellent review of basic electronics necessary for safe navigation. As a retired Navy Captain and Merchant Marine Captain I was impressed! Well done. Did you also learn how to use a sextant and take LOP's? Also remember Loran and Omega ? What a wonderful world we have now. Thank you
Excellent video! This is the first time I have seen anyone give such a thorough treatment to Nav equipment and how it integrates. NMEA GPS, AIS, WiFi, etc. Have all been a complete cloud of mystery to me. Thanks for Explaining it in such a way that I could actually understand it! Great video and .... Subscribed!
awesome cool video, we just bought our new sailing vessel... and this video helps us a lot ... thx for making it so good understanding... greetings from zeeland, netherlands.
Great video, just great.... Electronics on a boat , especially any older boat, and upgrading the same, are a maze... Thanks for showing this. Things are so powerful, expensive, and changing so rapidly , that it is hard to know what to do W Thanks so much.... Ed
Edward Finn Thanks Edward. You are right that electronics are changing fast. It’s hard to know when to buy for fear next month there’ll be something faster, cheaper, or more glitzy. But hopefully you saw in the video that you can marry old and new successfully. Fair winds!
that was one of the most fascinating videos I've seen. and I've just learnt that I like old. Old means its reliable. I can watch videos about charts all day I really like watching them. I didn't like that flickering screen that would make me feel ill. but the rest was really good. I was watching a man this morning and he was saying how he liked self steering because the electric is less likely to get damaged on that. it was a well presented presentation
Like taking a college course in cruiser electronics and navigation equipment! Thanks so much. (It also showed me just how many dishes I had to wash; was still rinsing the last few when the video finished. ). )
New sailor as well, cant thank you enough for sharing this info. Very helpful and informative, easy to understand all your explanations. Thanks and stay safe.
Thank for explaining this navigation system, I appreciate this. I flew aircraft a long time ago. I would like to gain some practical experience with all of this information. Once again thank you. Kiwi
I am just getting started in my sailing adventure/life and this video was super helpful to expose me to all the intricacies of knowledge and equipment that I might encounter. Well done and appreciated. Fair winds and following seas.
thanks so much for showing what you have, why you use it, and how the instrument work. I have inherited an older navigation network and some items don't talk. I want to install NEMA 2000 as you referenced. The IPAD is a great idea. thanks
You Have ''Takin the time''And Because Of It,you Are A Ver Good Teacher.It would Be A much Better world,If everybody slowed down,Like you and took the time,''to Do It right,and you Sir,Just Nailed It.I could Listen to you Foe A Long time.Much thank's,Buddy*
Very nice. I’m a sailor and know all this but I still enjoyed your easygoing intellectual approach. I was actually making almond cookies as I listened. I don’t think you explained that you can create a waypoint a thousand miles away rather than a heading and the autopilot will adjust for being blown or pushed by current to the left or right (called being set). You can also use the instruments to manually steer with a way point set and see if heading up into the wind or running lower gets you to your waypoint faster. Sometimes going slower gets you there faster if at the end you can turn lower into the wind. As in a race. I know that is not the thrust of your video but it’s pretty darn nifty. The first time I ventured out to sea was from the mouth of the Chesapeake to Virgin Gorda along w Steve Black’s Caribbean 1500 (RIP, he was a marvelous man). About a day and a half out the autopilot started zigging right and left and dramatic arcs. My tendency was to turn it off. My experienced mate said, “Don’t. It’s figuring something out. “. He was right. It stopped doing that after less than a minute and changed heading a teeny bit. I found the thing it had the hardest time with was what you described, though not completely. It has trouble anticipating FOLLOWING sea waves that unless you take preemptive impeccably timed counter steering to prevent wild yaw, you’ll yaw like crazy. Such a place is the cut between John and Thomas heading north to Jost. The rollers are 12 feet high and sweep beneath your boat. A lot of Sailor’s cannot handle that. I had on board a client and his accomplished guitarist son. Who had never sailed. I explained what I was doing, he begged to take the helm, and he did it flawlessly. It’s all about rhythm. He was rhythmic. Anyway, very nice video. My navionics were old. They worked. Whenever I thought about upgrading I thought about Christopher Columbus.
Thanks Robert for your stories. Indeed an autopilot is an incredible piece of equipment. We sailed in the carib 1500 when Steve black was running it too, in fact the year he passed. Great person. Take care!
Your reasoning for the repeater above the companionway was new and very useful to me. I'd always hated that because for my eyes it was a useless distance from the helm. But when crewing I'm always in the helm's way, leaning over and craning my neck at the helm to see the info. So you made the connection for me and converted me to your preference. There should be enough for the helmsman at the helm and the repeaters then positioned for the crew.
Thanks Bob, glad it was helpful. And thanks for subscribing. Being land bound this winter, we will have limited videos coming out, but we will get back into posting content in the spring.
This one video has more useful info than 10 others!! Thanks for sharing..Im thinking about getting a sailboat next year when I retire. Have a small power boat now. A+
Thank you Stephan. I added a couple of corner straps for the bottom, and a thin velcro piece across the top, all screwed into the navpod. It was all in a lifeproof water proof case. That was several years ago, and likely there is something pre-made that could work better for mounting. Good luck!
Thanks very much for a very comprehensive overview. I particularly liked your overview of the AIS. Im down here in Australia and about to bring my Hans Christian 38 "Starshine" back into survey and so the array of equipment PLUS where you have located above and below deck makes sense...greatly appreciated!!! (Trevor Gunning SV Starshine)
Thanks Trevor! Glad you got value out of the AIS info and good look with the survey. Things are winding down here in the northern hemisphere... A little jealous that your season's just starting! Fair winds.
You've done a super job of explaining everything and I'm greatly appreciate it ...as somebody that doesn't know anything about it ....I know a lot more now... and I know what questions to ask.... thanks
Thanks that was an excellent video on electronics. Technology has changed so much over the last few decades and your video allows us to much better understand what is available today. I was originally trained in the Navy with a sextant and navigation gear which compared to today's equipment was ancient. My sailboat in the 1980's just had a depth sounder and a vhf radio and so I just used paper charts in west coast sailing. So there was a different approach to navigation and ship handling back then. We still have the same COLREGS but I can see how there is much more emphasis on the electronic world in cruising today. My biggest concern would be offshore sailing where for some reason the electronic systems stopped working. But thanks for helping me better understand today's technology! Very well done!!
Great, glad you found it helpful Ron. My first cruising experience was on a boat with only a compass and depthsounder. Simple, but probably not to safe! It's nice to have the modern electronics onboard but your comment is a good reminder that we all need to have backups in place and to be familiar with how to use them. Fair winds!
Thank you for the clearest walk through I’ve seen to date, Your obviously at the established end of the scale while we are just beginning. At least we are aware of all the component parts of a cruiser set up Great job needless to say we will subscribe
Thanks John, glad you got something out of it. We are starting up again with new weekly releases of videos, a mix of our cruising destinations and how-to content. Fair winds!
You were sailing in my neck of the woods! Presque Isle! Alpena is also a great town to visit. Nothing in Presque Isle except good people and a good restaurant at the safe harbor. Locals will provide rides to town if needed, especially for the merchant mariners from Stoneport. I miss living there. Check out both the lighthouses, lots of history there.
Informative video, thanks! I have on my boat some of the older electronics you cover here, including an old Furuno that barely works. I also have the same auto pilot but need to test it more under sail to see the effect on battery charge. Question: When sailing with auto pilot, is your solar charge sufficient for keeping batteries up? Do you AP at night?
Hello Peter. We do navigate at night at times. The autopilot (together with refrigeration and navigation gear) does take a lot of power. It depends on a lot of factors, such as the size of your solar array, the sea state, and weather. We find that with a sunny day beforehand, we have enough power to last through the night navigating on autopilot in a moderate sea, but will require a mostly sunny day the next day to replenish the energy. Good luck!
Hi Randy. It's a standard iPad (not the Air or Pro). At the time we bought it, you had to buy the cellular version to get GPS, although you don't need to activate a cellular plan. Only that version, not the wifi-only version, had built in gps. You might check the Apple site to confirm the latest.
Hi Richard. Yes she is a blue water boat. We brought her from the Atlantic side to the Great Lakes to see some new sights, but she and her sister vessels have sailed throughout the world.
Excellent condensed overview of boat systems, video is overshadowed by almost intolerable sound quality. Builtin mics often wreck stellar videos like this.
I found the range varied alot and it wasn't clear exactly why but for cell service we had the long range antenna option and in good condition we had internet several miles offshore. It's not easy to determine where the tower was that it was using so it's a bit of guesswork. For wifi maybe a 1/4 mile. But if there was a lot of WiFi networks in the area it had a hard time. Still much more reliable than a mobile phone hotspot.
Thanks, Tom, I've seen them test boosters on land here before and I seem to recall 10 or so miles max, but figured it would be even better over water/no obstacles. Good to know.
your video is awesome, it's a lot of useful information, but i am a little confuse. if the AIS is already transmitting the NMEA data over wifi why you need also the MINIPLEX 3WI ?
Hi Cesarmanwolf. Good question. If all we needed over wifi was the AIS data, we could just use the Vesper Marine unit. But I wanted to broadcast wifi with other non-AIS data, like wind, depth, and speed. Since mobile devices can only have one active wifi connection at a time, if you want all of the data at once, a wifi multiplexer is needed. The multiplexer has the added benefit of being able to connect and share NMEA data over hardwire connections to the other instruments onboard. I like to have some redundancy onboard too, so if the Miniplex multiplexer fails, we could use the Vesper wifi as a backup connection. Good luck!
Cool video for sure. I think i need to brush up on my volts, amps and watts before I set up any solar array. I don't recall what class that was physic, chemistry, math or all three?? Good thing for UA-cam because I don't have my old school books and the library is closed today. :-) Even in the two years since this video, I am sure there are many more options.
If you are planning a solar array, you might check out our video on that topic ('Tips for Cruising with Solar', ua-cam.com/video/zh-u9giyP2A/v-deo.html) where we go into even more detail on volts, amps, and watts ;)
What's on my mind is AIS pld's. I think they're great especially for couples. But their VHF signal is not strong and the now lone and stressed skipper might be or get far away. I'm pondering on the on board AIS/VHF and whether it should have signal amplification added. I'm also conflicted with my aerial (antenna) diversity policy and feel that in this case it would be better high on the mast. What are your views on it all?
Interesting considerations. We like the personal AIS devices as it puts you in charge rather than waiting for some unknown period of time for someone else to pickup a personal epirb signal. For MOB rescue I don't think the height at the mast vs say the top of an arch will be that much better. It's line of sight which would allow the MOB to drift quite far away. I also like the fact it can show up on nearby boat's AIS screens.
@@LifeFourPointZero just came across the answer to my concern. I thought that mob an hour ago at 6/7knots by discovery time, the sleeper could be further away than line of sight of a low AIS antenna. Think horizon and seastate. I've seen them mounted on the lower pulpit rail and worried line of sight should be optimised by mast height. Then we have the weak plb transmitter and near expiry date battery power to thret about. Suppliers suggest a range of 4 miles. Answer is the Mob1. Once paired it alerts your DSC instantly on initial activation. The alarm will wake the dead. No more distance or AIS antenna concerns. Good article www.bwsailing.com/cc/2016/06/epirbs-plbs-and-mob-beacons-what-is-best-for-your-boat/ Taut sheets Bill
@@LifeFourPointZero as you have your tablet and existing AIS-PLBs. You and your followers could add this for alerting. ua-cam.com/video/QCQ_CpgHj1w/v-deo.html
I'm a newbie (too) and can't get my head around how you get wifi to the iPad. If I'm half way across the Atlantic, I would think the only kit picking up a signal would be the sat phone. So how do you get iNav software to work in real time miles from anywhere? I sort of understand how the Wirie system works near shore, but still can't grasp how it can get a strong signal. Please advise.
Hi George. The Wirie system was setup for near shore cell/wifi reception, not sat phone use. But you can still use iNavX offshore. As long as either your ipad has a gps receiver, or it is receiving gps data from your boat's local wifi network (e.g. from the boat's main GPS/chartplotter unit), then you will see your position on the iNavX screen and can navigate. This assumes that you have also downloaded whatever offshore iNavX charts you need, before you depart. Hope this helps.
What kind of range do you get from your cell and wifi antenna? And what kind of bandwidth do you see at what distances? I realize you probably haven't spread sheeted this, but a rough idea would be very helpful! thanks.
Hi Harrison. In brief, I can say that the range and bandwidth were highly variable. I checked bandwidth regularly with SpeedTest and, after we switched carriers from Tmobile to AT&T, the former of which has poor coverage outside of large urban areas, we got download speeds in the 15-20mbps. Oddly, the bandwidth could suffer when we were around alot of other boats, so I wondered if interference was an issue. Range on cellular, across open water, was several miles or more - hard to judge range closer to land as I didn't know where the cell tower was. For wifi, although we could pickup signal with reasonable strength from about 1/4 mile away, I found the connection unstable. It was best within 500-1000 ft. Again, it also seemed to be affected in areas of heavy wifi or many boats. Hope this helps.
Good morning I am looking in purchasing the 440 i was wondering if you had in-mast main and if so how it performs in light winds there seems to be a big difference in squared footage
Hello Jean. Yes we do have the in-mast furling for the mainsail. You do lose some volume (and sail shape) versus the battened sail, but for us, it is so much easier and safer to reef, that it is worth it. It is a tradeoff, and perfect for the extended cruising we do. I think we sail more than others because we also don't have to debate hoisting the sail each time. We also bought and use a Code 0 for light wind days. Ofcourse, it does not help while beating upwind on a light day, but for all other points of sail, we feel we have a solution for the smaller mainsail size.
Roger Kerkmann Thanks Roger. That unit is the full thermostat control unit and yes I agree it is good to have it visible. If there’s ever a problem with the fridge unit, you’ll know right away.
Great video explaining all the Electronic details. At 9:35 why have you attached extra ferrite cores to the Cables? Is the unit prone to picking up RF/HF from your radio transmissions? Cheers from Sweden
Hi sm6wet. Yes those ferrites are there to prevent the autopilot from getting noise from the SSB radio. If you have an SSB, it is good idea to get a bag of ferrites - very helpful on other radios, fridge compressors, other electronics, even fluorescent light fixtures. Some people go crazy with putting them everywhere, but I tried to focus on the main noise generating or sensitivity electronics gear. Good luck!
Great question Andy. We are actually looking at that option on our current boat. It's one of these topics that generates lots of strong opinions. The electronic autopilots have come a long way and are more reliable then they used to be, and they obviously work when there's no wind to drive a self-steering vane, but they do take a tremendous amount of power. The vane is great for long distances/ocean crossings. That's why we are looking at it. If possible, i think it is good to have both.
The wind display can use boat speed thru the water or GPS (speed over ground) as an input from the multiplexer in order to calculate true wind speed and angle. I used boat speed. Fyi I also took the wind output and connected that to rhe autopilot to have the option of locking on to a wind angle.
Thanks for your informative and comprehensive review of nav aids. Just to clarify re: iPad I’m assuming it uses it own cellular gps data so a WiFi only unit would not be suitable for Navionics? Thanks
Our iPad gets its GPS position data from a wifi multiplexer on the boat, made by ShipModul, which in turn gets its GPS data from our chart plotter. While you could use the internal GPS in an iPad, it is going to be less accurate, and a high degree of accuracy is what you want if you are using it for navigation. With a multiplexer like the ShipModul one, you can use a wifi only iPad, and it gets its accurate position from the wifi signal from the multiplexer.
Interesting that you say it gives a 'more accurate position' with wifi signal from the multiplexer. Is the iPad connected via USB input and therefore receiving power as well?
evanofelipe No, the iPad is just plugged into power. Everything else comes over WiFi to it. The gps position is more accurate as it is coming from a higher quality gps antenna on the chart plotter, then through the multiplexer, and over WiFi to the iPad.
Tom McFarland Hi Tom. I’m not an expert on the iPad internal GPS, and I’m sure you could find more info elsewhere on the internet, but I highly doubt it’s gps could match a purpose built chart plotter with an external GPS antenna. Whatever the improvement is, for boating in tight spots, I’d highly recommend the accuracy of an external antenna. Good luck!
I am a power boater, but your video is so thorough and informative that I sat through the whole 40 minutes and learned a lot about the electronics that I should buy for my boat. Many thanks.
Thanks Bob, glad you got value out of it!
Excellent. I've sailed but rarely offshore. Mostly I watch a short list of cruiser videos. Each channel may or may not talk a bit about the electronics on board but yours is the most complete version. You did a great job of keeping things simple while exposing the complexity of these systems. Good job Tom. Thank you.
Thanks for the kind words John! Glad you enjoyed it.
What a brilliant video. It's not easy to find a 'use case' explanation of all the electronics.. but here it is. I understand more after that 45mins or so than I could have surfing separate videos and watching them for days. Thumbs up and subscription.
Thanks John, appreciate it!
As a complete newbie in preparation for cruising in a couple of years. I absolutely loved your tutorial in this video. You gave me more base reasoning of each unit and it's particular function and importance than any I've seen in my search for this information. Thank you
Glad it was helpful to you Mark. Good luck in your preparations and I hope you greatly enjoy your cruise.
mark graves You took the words right out of my mouth!!! I wish I could thank him personally! Totallly subscribed!Excellent work!!! Thankyou Sir
Thank you!
@@LifeFourPointZero Thankyou!!! Any opinion on the windvane
@@robertalexander2478 I think they are noisy and dangerous, and don't belong on a moderate sized cruising boat. They made sense before solar (and hydro) became more economical. I don't know how owners put up with the whirring sound day and night; it sure takes away the charm of an otherwise quiet anchorage for their neighbors. And multiple blades spinning at high rpms not far from lines and possibly appendages scares the heck out of me. So, yes, they get a thumbs down from me!
I'm getting ready to completely update an older boat. This video has been extremely helpful in preparing me to ask the right questions relative to this endeavor. Most appreciated!
Glad you found it informative Christopher. Good luck with your project!
I'm a sailing student, studying for my ASA 103 and found your video and style of explaining your electronic equipment to be among the best I've seen yet. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience with the sailing community. I'm an enthusiastic subscriber.
Glad you liked the video Tony, and good luck with your studies!
My dear sailing student, all this electronics are useless if you run out of electricity and don't know about working with the good old and reliable nautical charts.
Gosh, I am so glad I happened across this video and your channel. I have needed to more fully understand how these nav aids work together and why it's better to have them onboard. You have a real tutoring gift that makes it easy to follow and understand complex stuff like this subject.....thank you taking the time! My next run thru this I will be taking notes and logging the subjects timeline for a quick reference on this and your solar panel system video......
Thanks again Ed. Take care!
So much to say... but to conclude: you satisfied my never ending curiosity, and it appears, you are a damn good person and can beat many movie actors. Thank you.
Haha - thank you!!
One of the best tutorial videos about boat gear and nav instruments..... thanks for spending the time.
Thanks Hector, your welcome. Fair winds!
You have a great setup. Very clean. Awesome vid!
Thanks dxwhy!
That would be the best explanation I have ever heard on boating electronics, I appreciated it so much I have played numerous times now. Thank you from Australia.
You're very welcome Geoffrey!
Glad you liked it and thanks for the feedback!
Simply the best i've seen and really helpful. It's been over 40 years since I have done any sailing and I can't believe the changes and upgrades. I look forward to seeing your other videos.
Thanks Putttn!
This was a very good video. Electronics are so complicated, so it was nice to see what someone else was using and the good and bad about it. The multiplex was a great piece of information. I wanted to add that we also have the same autohelm. At one point it stopped being able to "take the helm" and kept giving us an error. We determined the motor's brushes must be worn out, but when we took it apart, they were still fine. We cleaned the copper coils completely and it works just like new. Our whole system is Raymarine and 20 years old, but it uses the NAMEA system. The Radar is broken and the chartplotter displays are shot so an iPad with a wifi Radar is the direction we are going, so your video was very useful! Thank you.
Hi Marina. Glad you got value out of the video, and thanks for the tip on fixing the Raymarine autopilot. It was one of the more reliable pieces of gear on Thalia, but in time everything seems to wear out! And yes the multiplexer is a value add-on, and a necessity if you plan to use an iPad for navigation. Good luck with your transition of gear.
I've watched many of your videos under your 47's site and have always gleaned great information from them. I grew up on Lake Erie as a power boater running from both Ashtabula or Geneva State Park to Sandusky (Cedar Point), Vermillion, or Toledo Yacht Club. I remember the first time I did the Wellend, but also boated on the Ohio River & into PA as well. I find your video's more helpful than most cruisers are providing. I'm in the process of making the switch to sailing - time to slow it down a bit and explore different parts of this world. I like your approach to sharing what you've already learned first hand. Great video - keep them coming! Fair Winds
Thanks Cal. Glad you are enjoying the videos. Lake Erie has some great boating spots for sure and yes you will enjoy the slowing down of sailing.
Well, I am learning a lot from your excellent video.....electronics generally is a complete mystery to me but the total fog that was my understanding of these matters is slowly shifting to a slightly less heavy mist. Many thanks for your time and delivery of this tutorial.
Glad to help!
Tom that was an excellent review of basic electronics necessary for safe navigation. As a retired Navy Captain and Merchant Marine Captain I was impressed! Well done. Did you also learn how to use a sextant and take LOP's? Also remember Loran and Omega ? What a wonderful world we have now. Thank you
Thanks Terry. Yes years ago I used a sextant and LORAN, but it’s sure convenient to have GPS now. Take care!
Very good info. As an engineer (EE) I'm happy that I watched to see what your setup is like. Thanks!
Thanks Sail Before Sunset. Sometimes it takes an engineer-oriented mind (IE) to puzzle these boat electronics out!
Excellent video! This is the first time I have seen anyone give such a thorough treatment to Nav equipment and how it integrates. NMEA GPS, AIS, WiFi, etc. Have all been a complete cloud of mystery to me. Thanks for Explaining it in such a way that I could actually understand it! Great video and .... Subscribed!
Thanks, and I'm glad it helped to uncloud some of the mysteries for you!
awesome cool video, we just bought our new sailing vessel... and this video helps us a lot ... thx for making it so good understanding... greetings from zeeland, netherlands.
Glad you found it helpful. Enjoy your new boat. We were in the Netherlands and the Baltic Sea this summer...you are in a beautiful part of the world!
Great video, just great....
Electronics on a boat , especially any older boat, and upgrading the same, are a maze...
Thanks for showing this.
Things are so powerful, expensive, and changing so rapidly , that it is hard to know what to do
W
Thanks so much....
Ed
Edward Finn Thanks Edward. You are right that electronics are changing fast. It’s hard to know when to buy for fear next month there’ll be something faster, cheaper, or more glitzy. But hopefully you saw in the video that you can marry old and new successfully. Fair winds!
that was one of the most fascinating videos I've seen. and I've just learnt that I like old. Old means its reliable. I can watch videos about charts all day I really like watching them. I didn't like that flickering screen that would make me feel ill. but the rest was really good. I was watching a man this morning and he was saying how he liked self steering because the electric is less likely to get damaged on that. it was a well presented presentation
Thanks Bobbie, glad you liked it. Yes we tried to edit the flickering screen but it's challenging to clean it up. Good luck!
Thank you for the thorough walk through!! Another great video!
Glad it was helpful!
Like taking a college course in cruiser electronics and navigation equipment! Thanks so much. (It also showed me just how many dishes I had to wash; was still rinsing the last few when the video finished. ). )
Thanks! Glad we could help you with your multi-tasking!
New sailor as well, cant thank you enough for sharing this info. Very helpful and informative, easy to understand all your explanations. Thanks and stay safe.
Great to hear, and good luck with your start in sailing!
Thank for explaining this navigation system, I appreciate this. I flew aircraft a long time ago. I would like to gain some practical experience with all of this information. Once again thank you. Kiwi
Thanks Denys! If you've used avionics before, learning this kind of gear should come easily to you. Good luck.
By far the best video walktrough by far. Thanks so much!
Thank you for the positive comment!
Really useful and very kind of you to put this all together...!
Glad you liked it!
one of the most thorough and informative vids im ever seen on this subject thank u
Thanks!
That was useful and I enjoyed the low key aspect of the whole thing.
Great video ! I just bought a 26 for Carver and this has given me a lot of ideas to upgrade my boat. Great Job!
Glad it helped Noah. Good luck with the new purchase!
I am just getting started in my sailing adventure/life and this video was super helpful to expose me to all the intricacies of knowledge and equipment that I might encounter. Well done and appreciated. Fair winds and following seas.
Glad you liked it and good luck on your plans.
thanks so much for showing what you have, why you use it, and how the instrument work. I have inherited an older navigation network and some items don't talk. I want to install NEMA 2000 as you referenced. The IPAD is a great idea. thanks
Great informative video. Nice clean wire job behind the breaker panel.
Thanks Andrew! Happy sailing!
Hello Tom
Grateful you took time to record this content. I learned new things from this video. Regards, Chris
Hi Chris. Glad you liked it and that you learned something. Fair winds!
You Have ''Takin the time''And Because Of It,you Are A Ver Good Teacher.It would Be A much Better world,If everybody slowed down,Like you and took the time,''to Do It right,and you Sir,Just Nailed It.I could Listen to you Foe A Long time.Much thank's,Buddy*
Thanks for the positive feedback FiddleStick!
Very nice. I’m a sailor and know all this but I still enjoyed your easygoing intellectual approach. I was actually making almond cookies as I listened. I don’t think you explained that you can create a waypoint a thousand miles away rather than a heading and the autopilot will adjust for being blown or pushed by current to the left or right (called being set). You can also use the instruments to manually steer with a way point set and see if heading up into the wind or running lower gets you to your waypoint faster. Sometimes going slower gets you there faster if at the end you can turn lower into the wind. As in a race. I know that is not the thrust of your video but it’s pretty darn nifty. The first time I ventured out to sea was from the mouth of the Chesapeake to Virgin Gorda along w Steve Black’s Caribbean 1500 (RIP, he was a marvelous man). About a day and a half out the autopilot started zigging right and left and dramatic arcs. My tendency was to turn it off. My experienced mate said, “Don’t. It’s figuring something out. “. He was right. It stopped doing that after less than a minute and changed heading a teeny bit. I found the thing it had the hardest time with was what you described, though not completely. It has trouble anticipating FOLLOWING sea waves that unless you take preemptive impeccably timed counter steering to prevent wild yaw, you’ll yaw like crazy. Such a place is the cut between John and Thomas heading north to Jost. The rollers are 12 feet high and sweep beneath your boat. A lot of Sailor’s cannot handle that. I had on board a client and his accomplished guitarist son. Who had never sailed. I explained what I was doing, he begged to take the helm, and he did it flawlessly. It’s all about rhythm. He was rhythmic. Anyway, very nice video. My navionics were old. They worked. Whenever I thought about upgrading I thought about Christopher Columbus.
Thanks Robert for your stories. Indeed an autopilot is an incredible piece of equipment. We sailed in the carib 1500 when Steve black was running it too, in fact the year he passed. Great person. Take care!
Learned a lot. Thank you for taking the time.
Your welcome!
Your reasoning for the repeater above the companionway was new and very useful to me. I'd always hated that because for my eyes it was a useless distance from the helm. But when crewing I'm always in the helm's way, leaning over and craning my neck at the helm to see the info. So you made the connection for me and converted me to your preference.
There should be enough for the helmsman at the helm and the repeaters then positioned for the crew.
WOW! Thanks for the information! I am new to sailing and this video was the best explanation of major sailing gear! Thanks again for sharing!
Your welcome Terrill! Good luck in your start to sailing.
thanks so much for taking all of the time for future planners to get serious practical info. Subscribed
Thanks Bob, glad it was helpful. And thanks for subscribing. Being land bound this winter, we will have limited videos coming out, but we will get back into posting content in the spring.
This one video has more useful info than 10 others!! Thanks for sharing..Im thinking about getting a sailboat next year when I retire. Have a small power boat now. A+
Thanks! Good luck on the purchase plans.
Absolutely fantastic video mate, Thank you very much for this. I really enjoyed it. Subscribed. Warm regards from across the Ocean (UK), DP.
Glad you found it helpful, DP!
Maybe asked before but good video as much comments...
How have you attached the i-pad in case to the nav pod?
Clips into a frame??
Th
Thanks
Thank you Stephan. I added a couple of corner straps for the bottom, and a thin velcro piece across the top, all screwed into the navpod. It was all in a lifeproof water proof case. That was several years ago, and likely there is something pre-made that could work better for mounting. Good luck!
Thanks very much for a very comprehensive overview. I particularly liked your overview of the AIS. Im down here in Australia and about to bring my Hans Christian 38 "Starshine" back into survey and so the array of equipment PLUS where you have located above and below deck makes sense...greatly appreciated!!! (Trevor Gunning SV Starshine)
Thanks Trevor! Glad you got value out of the AIS info and good look with the survey. Things are winding down here in the northern hemisphere... A little jealous that your season's just starting! Fair winds.
You've done a super job of explaining everything and I'm greatly appreciate it ...as somebody that doesn't know anything about it ....I know a lot more now... and I know what questions to ask.... thanks
Excellently done quite impressed. I'm sorry I didn't find you earlier.
Thanks - glad you found it informative.
thanks for this very informative video. big help to me and hope to see more of that sort.
Thanks Klaus, glad you liked it. There will be more coming in the future!
GREAT video. Excellent review and very useful information. Thank you!
You are welcome - thanks for watching.
Thank you so much! Excellent tutorial and very timely for many of us.
Thank you Enrique!
That was very informative and useful. Thanks a lot
Glad it was helpful!
great vid, great comprehensive description on instruments
Glad you liked it!
Thanks that was an excellent video on electronics. Technology has changed so much over the last few decades and your video allows us to much better understand what is available today. I was originally trained in the Navy with a sextant and navigation gear which compared to today's equipment was ancient. My sailboat in the 1980's just had a depth sounder and a vhf radio and so I just used paper charts in west coast sailing. So there was a different approach to navigation and ship handling back then. We still have the same COLREGS but I can see how there is much more emphasis on the electronic world in cruising today. My biggest concern would be offshore sailing where for some reason the electronic systems stopped working. But thanks for helping me better understand today's technology! Very well done!!
Great, glad you found it helpful Ron. My first cruising experience was on a boat with only a compass and depthsounder. Simple, but probably not to safe! It's nice to have the modern electronics onboard but your comment is a good reminder that we all need to have backups in place and to be familiar with how to use them. Fair winds!
Thank you for the clearest walk through I’ve seen to date,
Your obviously at the established end of the scale while we are just beginning.
At least we are aware of all the component parts of a cruiser set up
Great job needless to say we will subscribe
Thanks John, glad you got something out of it. We are starting up again with new weekly releases of videos, a mix of our cruising destinations and how-to content. Fair winds!
You were sailing in my neck of the woods! Presque Isle! Alpena is also a great town to visit. Nothing in Presque Isle except good people and a good restaurant at the safe harbor. Locals will provide rides to town if needed, especially for the merchant mariners from Stoneport. I miss living there. Check out both the lighthouses, lots of history there.
Yes - that was a great area!
Informative video, thanks! I have on my boat some of the older electronics you cover here, including an old Furuno that barely works. I also have the same auto pilot but need to test it more under sail to see the effect on battery charge. Question: When sailing with auto pilot, is your solar charge sufficient for keeping batteries up? Do you AP at night?
Hello Peter. We do navigate at night at times. The autopilot (together with refrigeration and navigation gear) does take a lot of power. It depends on a lot of factors, such as the size of your solar array, the sea state, and weather. We find that with a sunny day beforehand, we have enough power to last through the night navigating on autopilot in a moderate sea, but will require a mostly sunny day the next day to replenish the energy. Good luck!
Just a question what version ipad and do you need to have cell conection for nav software to work?
Hi Randy. It's a standard iPad (not the Air or Pro). At the time we bought it, you had to buy the cellular version to get GPS, although you don't need to activate a cellular plan. Only that version, not the wifi-only version, had built in gps. You might check the Apple site to confirm the latest.
Great; Amazing video! Thank Captain 👨✈️. Please continue/resume making videos. You’re great at it! Please!!!
Thanks so much - lots more in the queue!
Excellent video from a 35 year avionics technician!
Thanks, and you would know! Take care.
what a nice video well done keep them coming, stay safe be happy.
Thanks Andy!
Excellent work. Very informative. Many thanks.
This is a great video and so educational, thanks for sharing your knowledge. It this a Blue water boat and could it sail around cape horn ?
Hi Richard. Yes she is a blue water boat. We brought her from the Atlantic side to the Great Lakes to see some new sights, but she and her sister vessels have sailed throughout the world.
Very helpful! Thanks for your clear and thorough explanations.
Thanks for the feedback and I'm glad you liked it!
Excellent condensed overview of boat systems, video is overshadowed by almost intolerable sound quality. Builtin mics often wreck stellar videos like this.
Great video. Very informative and methodical. Amazing rig with high level of performance. Fair winds, Thanks
Thanks Peter for the feedback. Glad you enjoyed it!
thank you very much for this wonderful walk through . learned a lot.k
Glad you found it helpful Klaus!
Really helpful video. Love your boat. One day soon I'll be on my sailboat
Thanks Gordon!
Very, very helpful. Thank you.
Thanks SlowCarToChina, glad you found it informative!
Really nice cruising boat you have. You have it made.
Thanks ebrios2. Yes she's a fine craft!
Excelent contribution to get a better knowledge about navigation. Tks man.
We are glad you got value out of it. Fair Winds!
Great video...The hotspot/cell service signal booster, what is it's range?
I found the range varied alot and it wasn't clear exactly why but for cell service we had the long range antenna option and in good condition we had internet several miles offshore. It's not easy to determine where the tower was that it was using so it's a bit of guesswork. For wifi maybe a 1/4 mile. But if there was a lot of WiFi networks in the area it had a hard time. Still much more reliable than a mobile phone hotspot.
Thanks, Tom, I've seen them test boosters on land here before and I seem to recall 10 or so miles max, but figured it would be even better over water/no obstacles. Good to know.
Great video. Very helpful.
Thanks chahn!
your video is awesome, it's a lot of useful information, but i am a little confuse. if the AIS is already transmitting the NMEA data over wifi why you need also the MINIPLEX 3WI ?
Hi Cesarmanwolf. Good question. If all we needed over wifi was the AIS data, we could just use the Vesper Marine unit. But I wanted to broadcast wifi with other non-AIS data, like wind, depth, and speed. Since mobile devices can only have one active wifi connection at a time, if you want all of the data at once, a wifi multiplexer is needed. The multiplexer has the added benefit of being able to connect and share NMEA data over hardwire connections to the other instruments onboard. I like to have some redundancy onboard too, so if the Miniplex multiplexer fails, we could use the Vesper wifi as a backup connection. Good luck!
Thanks for the wirie. What are your views on iridium?
Sorry we don't have any direct experience but I have heard many good things about Iridium Go.
As a wannabee live aboard, this is one of, if not the, most informatieve video’s i have seen
Thanks Willem! You'll enjoy the live aboard life. Best of luck to you!
Awesome video
Thanks Raymond!
Cool video for sure. I think i need to brush up on my volts, amps and watts before I set up any solar array. I don't recall what class that was physic, chemistry, math or all three?? Good thing for UA-cam because I don't have my old school books and the library is closed today. :-)
Even in the two years since this video, I am sure there are many more options.
If you are planning a solar array, you might check out our video on that topic ('Tips for Cruising with Solar', ua-cam.com/video/zh-u9giyP2A/v-deo.html) where we go into even more detail on volts, amps, and watts ;)
What's on my mind is AIS pld's. I think they're great especially for couples. But their VHF signal is not strong and the now lone and stressed skipper might be or get far away. I'm pondering on the on board AIS/VHF and whether it should have signal amplification added.
I'm also conflicted with my aerial (antenna) diversity policy and feel that in this case it would be better high on the mast.
What are your views on it all?
Interesting considerations. We like the personal AIS devices as it puts you in charge rather than waiting for some unknown period of time for someone else to pickup a personal epirb signal. For MOB rescue I don't think the height at the mast vs say the top of an arch will be that much better. It's line of sight which would allow the MOB to drift quite far away. I also like the fact it can show up on nearby boat's AIS screens.
@@LifeFourPointZero just came across the answer to my concern. I thought that mob an hour ago at 6/7knots by discovery time, the sleeper could be further away than line of sight of a low AIS antenna. Think horizon and seastate. I've seen them mounted on the lower pulpit rail and worried line of sight should be optimised by mast height. Then we have the weak plb transmitter and near expiry date battery power to thret about. Suppliers suggest a range of 4 miles. Answer is the Mob1. Once paired it alerts your DSC instantly on initial activation. The alarm will wake the dead. No more distance or AIS antenna concerns.
Good article www.bwsailing.com/cc/2016/06/epirbs-plbs-and-mob-beacons-what-is-best-for-your-boat/
Taut sheets
Bill
@@LifeFourPointZero as you have your tablet and existing AIS-PLBs. You and your followers could add this for alerting.
ua-cam.com/video/QCQ_CpgHj1w/v-deo.html
@@ratusbagus Great thanks for sharing!
A well done video. I appreciate the thoroughness. Thanks!
Thanks Ron, I appreciate the positive feedback.
I'm a newbie (too) and can't get my head around how you get wifi to the iPad. If I'm half way across the Atlantic, I would think the only kit picking up a signal would be the sat phone. So how do you get iNav software to work in real time miles from anywhere? I sort of understand how the Wirie system works near shore, but still can't grasp how it can get a strong signal. Please advise.
Hi George. The Wirie system was setup for near shore cell/wifi reception, not sat phone use. But you can still use iNavX offshore. As long as either your ipad has a gps receiver, or it is receiving gps data from your boat's local wifi network (e.g. from the boat's main GPS/chartplotter unit), then you will see your position on the iNavX screen and can navigate. This assumes that you have also downloaded whatever offshore iNavX charts you need, before you depart. Hope this helps.
What kind of range do you get from your cell and wifi antenna? And what kind of bandwidth do you see at what distances? I realize you probably haven't spread sheeted this, but a rough idea would be very helpful! thanks.
Hi Harrison. In brief, I can say that the range and bandwidth were highly variable. I checked bandwidth regularly with SpeedTest and, after we switched carriers from Tmobile to AT&T, the former of which has poor coverage outside of large urban areas, we got download speeds in the 15-20mbps. Oddly, the bandwidth could suffer when we were around alot of other boats, so I wondered if interference was an issue. Range on cellular, across open water, was several miles or more - hard to judge range closer to land as I didn't know where the cell tower was. For wifi, although we could pickup signal with reasonable strength from about 1/4 mile away, I found the connection unstable. It was best within 500-1000 ft. Again, it also seemed to be affected in areas of heavy wifi or many boats. Hope this helps.
Good morning I am looking in purchasing the 440 i was wondering if you had in-mast main and if so how it performs in light winds there seems to be a big difference in squared footage
Hello Jean. Yes we do have the in-mast furling for the mainsail. You do lose some volume (and sail shape) versus the battened sail, but for us, it is so much easier and safer to reef, that it is worth it. It is a tradeoff, and perfect for the extended cruising we do. I think we sail more than others because we also don't have to debate hoisting the sail each time. We also bought and use a Code 0 for light wind days. Ofcourse, it does not help while beating upwind on a light day, but for all other points of sail, we feel we have a solution for the smaller mainsail size.
@@LifeFourPointZero thank you
Very well explained thank you
You are welcome!
Thank you Captain for that tutorial and nice yacht.
Thanks Mike!
Brilliant video - thank you.
Thanks, Tom, you are welcome!
Very nice overview, and the ShipModul is a Nemea/wifi hub, very handy no doubt.
Thanks John, and yes the ShipModul is a very helpful part of the system, especially when you have a mix of instrument brands and age.
Love the remote fridge temp!! I hate warm beer.LOL
Roger Kerkmann Thanks Roger. That unit is the full thermostat control unit and yes I agree it is good to have it visible. If there’s ever a problem with the fridge unit, you’ll know right away.
Love that Bimini..... Was it custom? Great video for a newbie like myself..... Thanks so much.
Thanks Robert. Yes, we had the bimini (and dodger) custom made for the boat... very helpful for those hot sunny days!
Great video explaining all the Electronic details.
At 9:35 why have you attached extra ferrite cores to the Cables? Is the unit prone to picking up RF/HF from your radio transmissions?
Cheers from Sweden
If possible I would really appreciate an answer to the ferrite question
Hi sm6wet. Yes those ferrites are there to prevent the autopilot from getting noise from the SSB radio. If you have an SSB, it is good idea to get a bag of ferrites - very helpful on other radios, fridge compressors, other electronics, even fluorescent light fixtures. Some people go crazy with putting them everywhere, but I tried to focus on the main noise generating or sensitivity electronics gear. Good luck!
Thank-you for sharing. That was interesting & informative.
Thanks Jarek, glad you found it informative.
Excellent Video!! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Tony, glad you liked it.
Thanks for sharing your experience and ideas.
Your very welcome!
" Thank you so much" I got major informative of nav aids.
Glad you liked it Thet!
Nice video on what your using on your boat. I recommend a better microphone system though. What camera are you using for this?
might just need a Dead Cat....???
Why not use wind vane style autopilot
Great question Andy. We are actually looking at that option on our current boat. It's one of these topics that generates lots of strong opinions. The electronic autopilots have come a long way and are more reliable then they used to be, and they obviously work when there's no wind to drive a self-steering vane, but they do take a tremendous amount of power. The vane is great for long distances/ocean crossings. That's why we are looking at it. If possible, i think it is good to have both.
Great info. Thanks from Sheboygan!
thanks fantastic video
Appreciate it Alvaro!
What device(es) feeds your wind instruments?
The wind display can use boat speed thru the water or GPS (speed over ground) as an input from the multiplexer in order to calculate true wind speed and angle. I used boat speed. Fyi I also took the wind output and connected that to rhe autopilot to have the option of locking on to a wind angle.
Hey yall .... Have you shared any of your videos on sosailize social yet ? Havent seen any of yr videos on there !
Thanks for your informative and comprehensive review of nav aids. Just to clarify re: iPad I’m assuming it uses it own cellular gps data so a WiFi only unit would not be suitable for Navionics? Thanks
Our iPad gets its GPS position data from a wifi multiplexer on the boat, made by ShipModul, which in turn gets its GPS data from our chart plotter. While you could use the internal GPS in an iPad, it is going to be less accurate, and a high degree of accuracy is what you want if you are using it for navigation. With a multiplexer like the ShipModul one, you can use a wifi only iPad, and it gets its accurate position from the wifi signal from the multiplexer.
Interesting that you say it gives a 'more accurate position' with wifi signal from the multiplexer. Is the iPad connected via USB input and therefore receiving power as well?
evanofelipe No, the iPad is just plugged into power. Everything else comes over WiFi to it. The gps position is more accurate as it is coming from a higher quality gps antenna on the chart plotter, then through the multiplexer, and over WiFi to the iPad.
Great vids. I've been using an ipad with gps built in. Do you know the accuracy of this? Really enjoyed the detail
Tom McFarland Hi Tom. I’m not an expert on the iPad internal GPS, and I’m sure you could find more info elsewhere on the internet, but I highly doubt it’s gps could match a purpose built chart plotter with an external GPS antenna. Whatever the improvement is, for boating in tight spots, I’d highly recommend the accuracy of an external antenna. Good luck!
Lastly, what is the white tube parallel to the back stay?
It is part of the gimballed radar mount.