When selecting navigation equipment, it’s crucial to pick what works for you.
There are a handful of essential items needed for the safe navigation of your boat, and many products out there are designed to make sailing easier. Finding the right balance between the two is vital to setting yourself up for a safe and successful journey.
When selecting navigation equipment, it’s crucial to pick what works for you. Your comfort with using the electronics is a critical but often overlooked factor. Navigational electronics are designed as navigation aids, and for them to be effective, you must be comfortable using them. Here are a few essential navigation tools to have onboard.
GPS Systems
Navigating the open waters can be challenging, especially for beginners. This is where a Global Positioning System (GPS) comes into play. GPS systems are a vital safety feature for all boaters. These systems use satellites to accurately pinpoint your boat’s location, providing real-time data on your position, speed, and the surrounding environment.
Modern GPS systems are often integrated with chart plotters, which display detailed marine charts to assist navigation. They can also help you plan routes, mark waypoints, and alert you to hazards like shallow waters or underwater obstacles. Your GPS can quickly relay your location to emergency services, ensuring a rapid response in critical situations.
Automatic Identification Systems
An Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a transmitter and receiver that can identify commercial boats. AIS helps you see other AIS-equipped vessels around you, and if your ship is equipped with a transceiver, it also helps those boats see you. AIS can help you determine where ships, barges, and tugs are before you’re on top of them. If you go through the process of installing AIS, it’s a smart investment for a transceiver–which receives information from other vessels and also transmits your information. The first time you encounter a fast ferry or a tow who knows where you are because of AIS, you’ll be glad you spent the extra money.
Chartplotter
Chartplotters, also called multi-functional devices, are one of the most important electronic navigation tools for most boaters. This tool provides a digital chart rather than a physical one and allows you to do everything from marking your current location to plotting a course. You will interact with the chartplotter very frequently, and it’s the key to using many of the other navigational tools you may install on the boat. Make sure you select one with a user interface you find clear and intuitive. Again, your comfort with using the electronic device is key.
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