Next message: Phil Sherwood: "Re: [world-cruising] Insurance Question"
JMHO, but I would forget about the chartplotter, or at least put the idea
on the back burner, and make radar -- a good one -- a top priority.
Black-and-white is fine, color isnīt necessary. But as has been advised in
another post, get the greatest power and range you can afford. I like
Furuno but there are several other very good brands as well.
A chart plotter is a Nice-to-Have, a luxury; you can, after all, navigate
with the traditional techniques (paper chart, dividers, parallel rules,
etc.) and basic GPS (and/or sextant) and, dare I say it, your own eyes and
ears. Radar is a Gotta-Have, a safety essential. It gives you a way to see
when otherwise impossible with physical faculties. If I were caught in a
sudden, dense fog on my way into a harbor or wherever, I would trust a
radar image a whole lot more than I would trust a chartplotter. And at
sea, a chartplotter ainīt gonna tell you where the big dogs are, whose way
you want to stay out of.
As I say, just my humble opinion.
Phil
s/v Cynosure
Balboa, Rep. of Panama
> At this point, I do not have plans for radar. However, that may change
> after I spend we get out. I will look at my battery charging and power
> requirements once we see what we use.
> All this information helps as sometimes the sales people confuse me.
