What plotting system do you use?
Can it easily upload/download tracks from/to an external computer?

I am conducting a survey in an attempt to discover which systems can, and which cannot. And even how they do it.

All/any information most welcome

John

I have an old Raymarine C120 plotter on Cape, which we use for passage making. I also have Open CPN on a laptop and i Sailor (a scaled down version of TRANSAS a commercial system) on a tablet. I use Open CPN for planning then copy the waypoints to the C120, a bit of a pain but the C120 is old kit, and can't be integrated. I have used the Raymarine software, but to be honest I found it hard work and haven't used for years now.

All the systems are pretty good, you just have to spend the time getting to know them. Getting the charts updated is a real pain and in some cases costly, but if you use iSailor, you are on an annual subscription and the charts are updated every 90 days, if you use their PC based system or the commercial system they are updated weekly; you can buy annual licences for the area you will be in or a 90 day licence for areas you are transiting through.

As with all ECDIS systems, you get what you pay for, and I'd look at the local fishermen use if you accurate and robust kit.

+x

 

dsmith - 2/16/2020

I have an old Raymarine C120 plotter on Cape, which we use for passage making. I also have Open CPN on a laptop and i Sailor (a scaled down version of TRANSAS a commercial system) on a tablet. I use Open CPN for planning then copy the waypoints to the C120, a bit of a pain but the C120 is old kit, and can't be integrated. I have used the Raymarine software, but to be honest I found it hard work and haven't used for years now.

All the systems are pretty good, you just have to spend the time getting to know them. Getting the charts updated is a real pain and in some cases costly, but if you use iSailor, you are on an annual subscription and the charts are updated every 90 days, if you use their PC based system or the commercial system they are updated weekly; you can buy annual licences for the area you will be in or a 90 day licence for areas you are transiting through.

As with all ECDIS systems, you get what you pay for, and I'd look at the local fishermen use if you accurate and robust kit.

Hi John,
This is a loaded topic. Skippers have strong feelings.
I will tell you what has worked for us for 7+ years now: 5 of which were in Northern Europe and the last couple in the Canadian Maritimes.
We have a Furuno chart plotter under the dodger (circa 2012 the smaller one -8inch? vs 12 inch??). Connected with it is a laptop belowdecks connected by ethernet. Both run MaxSea Time Zero and they talk to each other. We do all, or almost all, plotting on the laptop which is far far more efficient and the courses, waypoints etc. are sent to the chart plotter. Minor changes can be made on the plotter, but anything major is more easily accomplished on the laptop and the changes appear on the plotter.
Let us know what you find out.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy