Navigation

Our main sailing instruments are factory installed Simrad IS11 displays, with a "multi" display at the nav station, and another multi in the aft stateroom (so we can see the wind speed by just opening our eyes from bed). These have proven to be reliable instruments with only one display (of 5) needing replacement in four years.

The radar is a Raytheon 4KW raydome installed on a deck mounted factory pole on the aft port-side. A 7" R70 CRT is installed at the nav station, and a 7" RL70 LCD repeater in the cockpit under the dodger. The radar integrates with our instruments and the GPS via NMEA. Raytheon HSB connects the two Raytheon displays and a SeaTalk cable (once installed), will carry all instrument data to the radar display in the cockpit.

A Garmin 128 GPS is built in (with an external antenna on the radar pole) and integrated with our Autopilot, Radar, radios, and the IBM ThinkPad 600E navigation/email computer. A single USB cable to the computer collects all of the instrument/GPS NMEA feeds for use by several software programs.

In 2002, we acquired a Garmin 175C color GPS/chartplotter for use in the cockpit. The Garmin 176C accepts Blue Charts (the same charts as Nobeltec's Passport vector charts. We acquired the Garmin "burner" so we can burn our own cartridges on the PC using the Blue Chart CD's. We pay for the chart via phone/email, get an unlock code, then burn our own G-Map/Blue Chart cartridge for local use -- wherever we are in the world. The 176C sits within easy reach of the on-watch navigator in the cockpit -- requiring very few trips to the nav station during a passage.

We also have an extra Garmin XL12 handheld GPS stowed in the ditch-bag.

For route planning and chart plotting computer software (in addition to paper charts), we use Nobeltec 9.2 chart software and Passport vector charts. Once routes are plotted, the route waypoints are easily uploaded to the Garmin 128 and Garmin 176C using the Garmin protocol. The Garmin 176C chartplotter, the autopilot, and the radar, then all display the waypoint(s) we are steering toward.

For celestial navigation, we have an Astra IIIb metal sextant, we are not proficient at using. We are both (still) anxious to learn this new skill.

The autopilot is a factory installed Robertson AP20. It is a great autopilot and steers better than we can. When allowing the autopilot to steer, we always control the course direction via a steering knob on the autopilot control. Although an option, we never set the autopilot to automatically follow a course line.

Communication

For VHF radios, an ICOM M502 is installed at the nav station, and an associated remote RAM microphone is installed on the binnacle. We have a handheld ICOM M1 VHF as a spare, and a Standard Horizon waterproof portable VHF in the ditch bag.

In the spring of 2001, we acquired a Marine Single-Sideband (SSB) radio set-up from a local vendor in Alameda. It included a ready-to-install ICOM 710 RT Marine SSB/HF radio unit (w/ remote face-panel), an ICOM AT-130 tuner, copper-foil ground-plane, and two Dynaplates (the water-exposed part of the ground-plane). It also included an SCS Pactor II modem for email and weatherfax. We already had a factory installed insulated backstay antenna, so we were already set with an antenna (but we did upgrade the wire, stand-offs, and crimp to the backstay antenna).

For email, we previously used both AirMail (requires our HAM licenses) and SailMail for email. In 2007, we added an Iridium Motorola 9505a satellite phone and data kit for weather downloads, email (no more SailMail/Airmail), and blog posting. The satellite phone behaves just like the old modems did back in the 80s. Speeds of around 4800 to 9600 kbps are the norm. As a result, we filter out notes with attachments and large sizes. Getting email through Airmail remains our backup email solution.

Our weather fax computer software is MS SCAN METEO, and we receive faxes through the modem and COM port -- rather than via an audio / microphone input. With the SCS Pactor III modem, we actually get clear faxes! We also receive weather "grib" files with wind-pattern/velocity information for trip planning.