posted 11-14-2000 05:57 AM ET (US)         

Now if your serious about doing the entire trip or even long segments you need both of the above and very helpful is a GPS unit with a build in world background map used in conjunction with the above chart books --- Z

posted 11-14-2000 10:32 AM ET (US)            

I have a Garmin 162. You can get nautical
charts of the whole country on CD-ROM for
about $60-80. I actually use the topo sheets
rather than the nautical charts because the
topo sheets, at least in the Monterey area,
have more detail and all the same NavAids
as the nautical charts. The Topo sheet
CD is about $120. You can use either of
these CDs either with your computer or
the current family of Garmin chart plotters
(162, 168, eMap, and one or two others)
You download the charts from your PC into
the GPS. The GPS has about 2.7M of chart
storage, which is enough for about seven
or eight typical topo sheets. The
nautical charts should use less space because
they have less detail.

The downside is that they don't have bottom
contours in some (many?) areas. I think this
will change over time, but not now.

You can see what the charts look like at

http://www.garmin.com/cartography/mapSource/

Chuck Tribolet

posted 11-14-2000 11:25 AM ET (US)         

That main bridge at Beauport Rt 21, we got to that narrow area about noon on I think the Saturday before Memorial day, and it was jammed packed looked like and was like an amusement park dodge'm ride boats all over the place --- yikes --- heh heh

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0070429863/ref=sim_books/102-8739257-2155215
link to trip tic book Amazon

http://www.atlanticcruisingclub.com/bookdescrip.htm
order early or right now very slow to ship --- best marina and facilities guide for east coast ME to FL, also giving tells if there are overnight facilities like a local motel or the availability for transport to one ---

http://www.onlinemarine.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/online_superstore/chart_locker/region6.htm?E+scstore
best price on the complete chart book --- order clear case to keep it in --- the best bargain by far over individual charts ---

http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap175/ handheld unit GPS, w/map
nice unit fully waterproof

Lowrance/Eagle --- if you can locate either one of these large handhelds Eagle AccuMap 12 which is still in the Eagle current line or Lowrance GlobalMap Sport either used or NOS is a great buy, both with map features and 12 satellite receivers --- fully waterproof

Join Sea Tow, have a good waterproof full sized VHF, make sure you carry at least three fenders, two anchors small lunch type and a full sized one for your Whale, dock lines at least 4-6 at 20' min. length ---- would purchase a couple of SeaLine or equivalent (Cabala's) dry bags for clothes, sleeping bags, etc ---- 5 gallon fresh water jug, spare prop and cotter pins etc., and yes a spare 6 gallon fuel container plus extra oil --- would get one of those battery booster portable things and or carry a spare battery w/jumpers (take jumpers regardless) then all CG required stuff --- just figure your on a water camping trip --- a cell phone comes in handy at times ---

The most important thing is to have your trip well planned --- get each segment laid out and then add contingency plans just in case the weather goes haywire or you have mechanical problems ---

Tom

posted 11-14-2000 02:04 PM ET (US)         

That's not a bad stretch just remember north of you to Charleston the services can be few and far between and again north of Charlestown all the way to Winyah Bay into Georgetown --- give yourself plenty of time --- lots of areas you have to keep your speed down ---

When we entered Winyah Bay about 1/2 way up to G'town --- stopped by a Sheriffs patrol safety check --- surprised to see a NJ boat the size of our 27 cruising north on the ICW --- nice guys --- older boat but brand new Optimax 150's --- said they missed their old Yamaha's -- Tom

posted 11-14-2000 06:28 PM ET (US)            

The UNIT is waterproof, the battery pack is
NOT, and doesn't have any pretenses of
being even splash proof. And the charts
are the old Garmin G charts, $99 and up
EACH. I have one. I replaced it with the
162. I use the 175 on other people's boats.
And the 175 is still relatively expensive.

Chuck Tribolet

posted 11-16-2000 07:21 AM ET (US)         

In a simple word no! The 100 depends totally on the software and computer interface to enhance or up load maps you create, plus it has no sonar capabilities. The only unit today Lowrance makes which uses map cartridges is the GM 2000 unit that is a chartplotter designed to interface with various components. It does not have the ability to interface with the Lowrance computer mapping software! (we solved that by purchasing a GM Sport, which is now discontinued, that has the ability to download and flash cartridges for use in the map reader of the 2000 unit. Plus, the GM Sport makes for a nice GPS in the our 13 Sport and/or back up for the 2000). The 2000 will be replaced shortly with the GM 3000. You can travel over to Lowrance click on new products and compare features if you like between the 2000 and 3000 units ---

Guess it is how much you use anything determines the learning curve for any of these units. After we got the hang of the 2000 unit was amazed at all the capabilities. Since we coupled it with DGPS it has become awesome almost has pin point accuracy quite incredible. I might add the GM Sport also is a fine unit able to handle dual map cartridges, and the built in background map like the 2000 is fine under most circumstances.

Z

posted 11-16-2000 10:14 AM ET (US)            

This is the first I've heard that the 175
can use Navionics charts. I can't find
anything on Navionics website that says
they make G-chart format.

"Garmin's do it yourself map programming" is
pretty decent, except that not all areas have
depth contours. I think that will change.

For those contemplating a 162/168. First,
both are available in both internal and
external versions. Secondly, think real
hard about getting the external version.
My 175 worked a LOT better with an external
antenna than it did with the builtin antenna.
This was sitting on the console of my
Montauk. I suspect that this was because
the internal antenna was below console rail
and the external was above.

DGPS is a lot less important now than it was
a year ago. Earlier this year, the military
stopped ecrypting the most accurate part
of the signal ("Selective Availability", "SA") and non-DGPS accuracy went from 300'
95% of the time to 45' 95% of the time
(those are published figures, in practice
both were a bit better). DGPS is 3-15'
95% with or without SA. You gotta ask
yourself if you need that sort of accuracy.
I have DGPS from the days when SA was on
and it was necessary to find the dive site.
I'm not sure I'd buy it today.

posted 11-16-2000 11:15 PM ET (US)            

Why GPS? One word: FOG. I've come up
from a dive on an offshore pinnacle and
found that the nice sunshine when I rolled
in had turned to pea soup. Didn't see
shore till we were back at the mouth of
Monterey Harbor. About an 8 mile run,
two major course changes (W 2 miles,
N 3 miles, SE 3 miles). Lotsa rocks on
shore.

posted 11-17-2000 07:50 AM ET (US)         

Appears like this is a Raytheon ball game at present in producing receivers for marine use, hasn't been approved but looks very promising --- here's the link that explains it all for the present anyway (going to be costly at first I think and might not offer much more than ground based DGPS)

Tom

http://www.raymarine.com/recreational/latest/waas/waas_index_body.html

posted 11-17-2000 09:46 AM ET (US)         

Peter H. Dana, Department of Geography, University of Texas at Austin
http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/gps/gps_f.html