I had never really thought about Forward Looking Sonar as being a particularly useful capability until a couple of friends mentioned that they have, love it, wouldn't leave home without it!

Our plan (ha!) is to end up heading down to Patagonia where the anchorages are particularly small and rocky - so perhaps FLS would be a smart option - especially since my experience with underwater rocks isn't stellar! It would certainly be nice to have a view of what's going on underneath and in front - though I understand that the output does take some interpretation.
Practical Sailor did a review of various systems and it appears that the EchoPilot Platinum would be the best fit for me - it would allow me to feed the output to my existing MFD and not have to find space for yet another display.

But...

It's not cheap - £1400 for the kit plus a hole in the boat and some long cables to run.
It's somewhat vulnerable to be knocked off by a stray line under the boat - unless one is disciplined to pull the sensor all the time.
When actually anchoring in Patagonia, I'm thinking I'll be reversing into tight spots - should I install rearward facing sonar??!
It's yet another thing to go wrong and fret over

Do you have any experience with these things? What do you see as the pluses and minuses?
edited by bbalme on 11/15/2018

Bill Balme

Hi Clive,
Field reports are always of interest, but I am sorry your report reflected disappointment for you. And, yes, a bow lookout can make a big difference and if you can get someone to the first spreaders, it is amazing, in decently clear water, all you can see.
I guess I would put in a plug for going slow into any new anchorage, even if considered well charted: it gives one to get a "feel" for the place and a chance to settle in and reconnoiter before settling in. By going slow, I mean a speed where there is nothing to worry about when you hit a rock.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy