While i like my ipad its a fragile device unless you put it in and OtterBox by some software and pay for 3g service at which point it cost a good deal more than a far more robust chart plotter that you can read in sunlight

Now i even have a paper chart for Lake George Ny that tells me whats underwater and find its the best thing to know were bad stuff is

 

I think you need charts for your lake if you are finding shallow spots and rocks.

 

I bought Navigons Apps for my iphone One for "US Lakes East". And one for the Caribbean. The lakes program shows all the cans, reefs, rocks, marinas, depths, etc on Champlain, and I'm sure would do so for Lk George. It works just like the laptop version. Sailed in the BVI's and it was spot-on compared to the onboard GPS.

 

I think it was on the Colbert Report that I heard "The iPad is not dishwasher safe, don't ask me how I know this."

Unlike marine chartplotters, which usually won't be bothered by splashing on a lake.

 

Bad idea.

First of all, the wifi only ipads dont have any gps. They use network locatiing triangulation. Its decent...but you need to be on a network!

The 3g ipad does have GPS..its called A-GPS. Reports are conflicted on whether this is a true chip gps...but one thing is for certain, it uses cell tower triangulation to assist the gps in getting a fix be it faster and more detailed location awareness. Not good when you're out there.

There is a dedicated GPS that can attach to the ipad through its data port...but at that point, why spend the money. Better alternatives.

 

Bad idea.
The 3g ipad does have GPS..its called A-GPS. Reports are conflicted on whether this is a true chip gps...but one thing is for certain, it uses cell tower triangulation to assist the gps in getting a fix be it faster and more detailed location awareness. Not good when you're out there.

So there is some historical reason for confusion here. Many devices in the past have been described as having GPS when they weren't actually communicating with the GPS satellite systems. And many devices can provide location information without it - for example the original iPhone.

But, as of today, nearly every cell phone and smart phone has a true, satelite based GPS chip, including the current iPhones and iPad 3G. Cell phones have assisted GPS and that's a good thing - assisted GPS is improved GPS.

For a full, detailed, explanation of GPS and AGPS as it's evolved for cell phones read this article.
Inside assisted GPS: helping GPS help you

In summery, details of the satellite based system are somewhat surprising - without some type of assistance any GPS receiver needs 12.5 minutes to assemble the information needed to fully lock its location from a cold start. The GPS satellites are incredibly slow - they send only 50 bits per second. Modern standalone receivers use a variety of methods to improve on this - they cache some data about satelite locations and remember their last location. This helps them lock a position after receiving partial information.

Cell phones have the advantage of a whole additional set of data and they use it - cell towers and wifi networks. In the case of the iPhone and iPad they leverage technology from a company who literally drives trucks around the country mapping the ID's of household wifi routers. Phones with wifi can tap into this and cell towers to get an immediate idea of where they are. They also feed this to the sattelite GPS algorithms to give it a head start while it tries to piece toghether the slow satellite based data.

So what you'll see with an iPhone or iPad 3G in the middle of the ocean is a device that's not exactly designed to be there. I suspect it's algorithms are optimized to leverage wireless data and will be surprised to fine none. The iPad 3G will absolutely lock your location, it will just do it slowly.

EDIT: Corrected to reflect that only iPad 3G's have "real" satellite based GPS.

 

If you want an Ipad get a Ipad. They are pretty cool but they are not a GPS that can get banged around, get wet, get dropped on deck andx steped on, etc. The handheld Garmins are pretty sturdy and a good value with preloaded charts. If all your sailing is on one lakem a base model with the purchase of the charts you need might be a better value unless you may move on to the great blue ocean in the future.

 

Well said. My Garmin has served us very well.

Also, while iPads are impressive, I don't think that they can interface with other electronics that use the NMMEA protocol. Even my handheld Garmin will interface with the autohelm. Many of the larger chartplotters can also interface with radar.

 

iPhone 4 w/ Navionics App works great!

Hope an iPad version is in the works.

 

Hope an iPad version is in the works.

Isn't the OS the same version?

 

I use iNavX for the iPad and iPhone. I really like it.

I have the 3g version of the iPad, but the app doesn't need any connection because you pre-download all of the charts.

I've done some fairly tricky navigation with it, and I wouldn't use anything else.

 

iNavX on iPhone and iPad is awesome.
I like my ipad better than my chartplotter!

Does iNavX support course-up mode? That would be an absolute necessity in my book for cockpit use. I tried it on my son's iPad, and could not find a setting to enable it.

I am in a similar debate over which of these options:

• Get a NookColor for eRead and Android fun stuff, or iPad for eReading and lots of other stuff including big screen chart plotter (I have an Oregon 400c that I've been using and could always be brought out in foul weather)
• Get a GPSmap 640, which would eventually allow me to interface depth, DSC, and AIS into one centralized display
• Figure out a way to mount my Netbook (with very bright display) with OpenCPN for fair weather use.
• Just keep using the Oregon 400c that I used last year.

 

iNavX on iPhone and iPad is awesome.
I like my ipad better than my chartplotter!

 

I'm giving the Ipad a try this next cruising season, but I'm told there will be a new release in Jan or Feb that I'm waiting for.

There are several aftermarket waterproof cases. I'm hoping a GPS puck fits inside as well, as I don't think the onboard GPS is accurate or reliable enough, from what I'm being told by others.

 

If you want to use an iPad/iPhone, there is a GPS plug-in module that you can use. It will increase accuracy and give you GPS when you are away from a cell tower.

Bad Elf | Bad Elf GPS for iPod touch, iPhone, & iPad

Sold at Amazon for about $100.

 

I have the Navionics Ap on my IPad, it works great so far (although I bought it in the fall so have not used it on the water yet) for $29.99 it came with all the Maps of Atlantic Canads and Eastern US, and it updates itself.

The IPad fits perfectly in a large Glad Freezer Bag with room for a thin styrofoam pad if you are worried about dropping it overboard, or banging it around too much.

Would I use it as my primary? Not likely, but I will use it or especially give it to guests to play with and follw our course. As a back up to paper I it will work fine.

 

Planning Purposes

We've been using Navionics on IPad and IPhone as a secondary system. I find it more useful for planning purposes than real time navigation. A typical use might be figuring out where we are going tomorrow while sitting at anchor. The feature set on the Navionics App is nice, but cannot compare to a full on chart plotter integrated with your radar, AIS, and sailing instruments, IMHO.
But if you have these devices for other uses anyway, $29.99 is a such a small fraction of a boat buck, I think its worth playing with, and might even work as a backup in some instances.

That said, we carry paper charts for everyplace we go or might end up going if the plan changes. If the satellites fall from the sky, an EMP puts out all the electronics, our batteries die, and our software crashes we can still look up from the screens at the real world and find our way Oh and we do recommend looking up occasionally, it does make the sailing experience more pleasurable

 

I've used both Navionics and InavX on my iphone 4 to navigate from Fort Lauderdale to Elliot Key in Biscayne bay at night a couple times along with my paper charts. I'd recommend Navionics, seems a little more user friendly. I plan on getting an Ipad and mounting it at the helm eventually. Just waiting to see what the next generation Ipad will have in it. Navionics is also available for android platforms now as well.

 

Maybe something can be borrowed from the aviation community.
iPad | iCub

 

I use the Navionics app in our iPad as a fourth look. It is a great additional input, and I also love it for passage planning and seeing ahead without disrupting the E120 and E80 chartplotters. A recent use along the coast of Peru as we approached an unknown coast at night is a few scrolls down this link: Passage to Chile

 

I took my iPad with iNavX to the San Juans in late Sept and to the BVI's in late Nov.
As a Canadian, my provider package gives me cell coverage anywhere in Canada, but I get roaming charges anywhere outside the country. So I turn it off outside Canada. In the middle of Bellingham Bay or Drake Channel, BVI's there is no Wi-Fi either.
The iPad worked great. Seemed fast too! ...And it does have course up!

I wouldn't mount it at the wheel - not too good in bright sunlight and not waterproof. But as a secondary system, real usefull. As skipper of a chartered C&C 115 in Bellingham, I used it to confirm for myself that we were where we should have been, without continually looking over the helmsman's shoulder.

...and I get e-mail and Internet too when we dock.

 

I actively cruised with my iPad. It turned out to be a true lifesaver. When I came into areas that I did not have a chip for it was able to let me know what exactly was below me at all times. At the time I only had the WiFi version but I was using the Sprint Overdrive which does have a GPS chip in it and the iPad was getting its numbers from there.

If you are planning on getting an iPad for Cruising, I recommend you get the 3g version. You do not have to pay for AT&Ts service to use all of the features you will need for iNavX or Navionics.

Throughout all of the storms my boat, me and my iPad survived the iPad never once faltered. I did take care to stow it when it was not in use and a if the weather turned bad. My iPad did take the occasional splash and spray but it never was submerged. While yes it is fragile, I do believe you will find it much more robust than you think.

 

We use our ipad all of the time for this. We have a Garmin plotter as well, but sailing up into Canada this summer it lacked cartography. I would recommend it to anyone as a backup, or if you are taking a trip somewhere where you don't yet have charts. The Navionics apps are cheap and the iphone versions will run (and are even cheaper, though lower resolution). iNavX has it's problems and I can't recommend it. I really wish I could get a refund, both for the app and the international charts from Fugawi. The charts are essentially rentals with a time out on the time you can download them, so if you ever need to restore your ipad later you are SOL.

 

What a great site! I appreciate all the help! The day after I posted the question, I saw on the national news that commercial pilots are now allowed to use the ipad for navigation. (provided they also have paper charts).

 

iNavX on iPhone.Itouch and iPad is great and Anchor alarm its number 1
I like my ipad better than my paper charts, easier to read (more current)!

 

alright how about an ipad 2 ?

Thinking of getting an ipad 2... (non-3g) will it function any better than a first generation ipad as far as being a chart plotter?

Also, those who use their ipads for Nav/Chart plotting -- what kind of battery life do you get?

I have a droid phone with the Navionics app and it works great for chartplotting but the GPS use eats battery so I rarely use it. I run my depthfinder off a 12V car jump starter so I don't have limitless power. (and no car charger for the droid, so I can't even charge that on the boat)

Or should I get a used ipad when the 2nd one comes out and everyone unloads their old ones cheap?

Would be nice to have the camera aspect of the new one (not necessarily for sailing, but for other things)

I'm sure I could come up with some sort of holder for it so it would stay attached to the boat, maybe on a swing-out mount in the companionway so it's shielded from direct sun and not likely to get splashed, but can be moved inside in case of rain (I can sit inside the boat and watch movies, I suppose)

Thanks!

 

...I'm sure I could come up with some sort of holder for it so it would stay attached to the boat, maybe on a swing-out mount in the companionway so it's shielded from direct sun and not likely to get splashed, but can be moved inside in case of rain...

If you're serious enough about it to spend some money to do it right, this is what you want. Works great with a pedestal guard. I'll be using it with a netbook, which is a little heavier than an iPad. If you have a tiller they have other attachment devices that will work. You could buy two attachment balls, with one in the cockpit and another in the cabin, and move the iPad/bracket back and forth - or get a long arm and swing it in the companionway like you described:

RAM Mount Tough Tray II HD Dual Steel U-Bolt Netbook Mount 1.5 Ball, RAM-101-235-234-6

 

RythmD.... very cool idea. I suggest putting the Ipad in a waterproof case before installing in a device like this (assuming it will fit). Then you've got a pretty neat and portable chart plotter solution, not to mention its other functions.

 

If that same RAM mount would put my wife's little Garmin GPS on my motorcycle AND be adjusted out enough to put an ipad on my boat it might be worth the incredibly high (for my low standards) price. When Minnewaska said "waterproof case" I thought "Saran wrap" (See my subject line) Really, I'd want it twice a year when I venture into big water. The rest of the time I'm in inland lakes and rivers which aren't charted and my el-cheapo fishfinder/GPS tells me how to get back to the dock, and how fast I'm going. Not saying I wouldn't use the ipad, just that I wouldn't need it. If I had an ipad now I'd probably be typing these words on it. (Even though it's likely slower and less tactile feedback than the real keyboard I'm using now)

 

If that same RAM mount would put my wife's little Garmin GPS on my motorcycle AND be adjusted out enough to put an ipad on my boat it might be worth the incredibly high (for my low standards) price...

It's WAY overkill for a handheld GPS. Garmin makes handlebar mounts for bicycles and motorcycles. I use one for mounting my handheld GPS on the pedestal guard. I found it online for $10. Do some searching.

 

I wonder if an ipad would blow off of a Suzuki at 65 mph....

 

I just spent $29 for the Navionics system for my Ipad and I can't believe how great the system is. I already have the Ipad G3, so I didn't have to buy it and I don't know If I'd spring for that much for it as a navigation system. I have two chartplotters aboard, one for the helm and one for the nav station, so I don't need it for that, but I bring the Ipad instead of a stack of books when cruising so it is a cheap addition and well worth it for route planning or just chart dreaming while lying in my bunk. And I can keep it well protected in a waterproof bag while sailing. I don't think I'd want it on deck in a squall. I'd probably pop it into the oven (a handy Faraday box) along with a handheld VHS in a thundersquall in case the other electronics got fried as has happened to me before.