Knowing and being able to implement centuries old methods of reading nautical charts, approximating set and drift (50/90 rules etc) and then applying basic trigonometry to calculate a course to steer are of course paramount skills and I am in no way advocating forgoing this and will have paper charts, laminated tide times etc.
However, have any of you done long crossings and expeditions with:
open ocean crossings
limited or no mobile data, for instance sometimes using VHF weather channels instead - so any software or app must work offline
strong tidal currents - so strong that a simple course to steer may result in very little headway at times, and route planning may involve a āCā shape through the turning of the tide.
difficult to plan ahead - that is unplannable laytime waiting for weather or swell systems to clear meaning the tide times and height will invariablly differ somewhat by the time crossings are reached. Potentially incoming weather may even force a change to the destination bay.
may be kayak sailing at times and ideally could manually factor in windage approximations
And if so, have you had any luck with any particular hardware and software/apps for route planning during the expedition?
Hopefully any tablet would be robust, have a long battery life and efficient power usage. A brief online search looks like the Savvy Navvy app may have more features than others, but I am not sure.
The potential expedition is over a year away, but I find it is always best to start using and training with the expedition equipment from early in the planning and training phases.
Thank you so much for your thoughts and expertise.
My last ālong tripā was several years ago (2009) and much tech has advanced since then, still, a few points:
My 1st trip up the east coast of Australia was in 1993 (no gps).
I used laminated charts (250k topo - most would say not nearly detailed enough).
I included in each chart a ātide diagramā (I made up) showing the tides for where I expected to be (with about a 5 week buffer). (the tide tables were sold in a book form about a year prior)
On my 2nd trip up the coast, I also navigated by compass. About 1/2 up I bought a Garmin Etrex (basic gps, no maps, used it for waypoints only).
I used a Garmin 76, with charts & tides, on my 3rd & 4th trips. (on the 4th trip, left it on the whole trip - for the tracks, see Aus_all_trk)
to your specific questions:
long crossings: be aware of tide currents, can assist you in the crossing
(maybe practice long crossings by paddling out x miles from your favorite beach āout to seaā for a 2x mile crossing simulation. Knowing that at any point, if weather deteriorates you return early)
never had connection to mobile phones (at sea), carried a vhf (only used for weather forcasts)
stong tide - be extra aware of times of the tide & affected areas, use to your benefit. Using a gps, you will follow the ārouteā (bearing) not eye direction (heading) - for a direct path (no āCā), though, at times you may use the āCā to your benefit (eg on a west crossing, if, for the 1st half the current flows south and the 2nd half flows north, you may want to āgo with the flowā)
difficult to plan ahead (tides) - already answered, use a gps with charts & tide stations for your area.
other considerations:
be aware of where high tide reaches (camp well above it)
You might want to checkout Garmin Inreach and Inreach mini, Zoleo, and ARC Bivy Stick for satellite two-way communication with text messaging.
On Deep Zoom you can toggle forward in time to see the tide direction and speed into the future, predicted weather, and the continually updated charts.
Iāve not looked at for use in paddling expeditions, but have looked for use in sailboats.
A lot of sailors donāt use built in chart plotters, but instead just use iPads or tablets with appropriate apps. There are some rugged/waterproof (IP67) tablets out there, such as the ones @castoff posted about. Screen is supposed to be easier to read in the sun. Not cheap.
I use Savvy Navvy on my phone and tablet. As an ACA certified kayak instructor, I get the paid version for free (one of the pro deals arranged for by the ACA). It is much like Navionics, but has a free version with limited functionality (I donāt think Navionics does). Both are made more for sailing/motor boating, but still useful for paddlers in charted areas (areas where boats go). You would need paid version to get offline usage.
If you do decide to get a paid version, here is a link to 20% off - Instructor Discount - 20% off Offer. I do not get a commission or anything if anyone uses the link.
āC-Map for $14.99 annually vs Navionics at $49.99 annuallyāā¦ Iām not familiar with C-Map but it is said to be comparable to Navionics.
I have Navily on my phone I also have Windy and Wind Guru and MyRadar on my phone. They all have free versions. NOAA 7 day point forecast is also a good planning tool. Then for planning around tides I useā¦
I got to use Maptattoo last year on operationdeepblue.org. Was pleased with the device and functions. Updates to its firmware and perhaps more anchor points on the case are coming.
Have done the first four, just using charts, and an old Garmin GPS and compass, and weather radio. Most of these were group paddles with other experienced paddlers with local knowledge. If you are relying on electronic devices be prepared to be able to navigate and read weather and guestimate tides and currents without them. NOAA long range forecasts and Wavecast.com discussion forecasts are useful for planning for the āunexpectedā on west coast of North America. There are similar resources for UK (good weather radio too) and New Zealand ( sketchy, trusting any forecast).
I use my Maptatoo just about everyday. The coastal charts have excellent, easily read details. I do multi-week, wilderness paddling trips and the 50-hour battery life is amazing.
Tommy Thompson
Florida Kayak School and Expedition Consultation
989 Parkview Dr, Tallahassee, FL 32311, USA
What3words address: adopts.mechanics.baker
+1 850.445.3236 (GMT -5)
They are really useful replies. Unfortunately Maptattoo doesnāt have Australian charts yet. It does look like a very good product and would be my number 1 choice otherwise.
I guess I therefore either have to put up with a small (difficult to read) handheld unit with (waterproof) paper charts or a rugged tablet with a significant weight battery bank +/- some solar panels on the back - https://santacaterinaseakayak.com/en/solar-panel-for-sea-kayak/
The ideal thing about the Maptattoo seems to be they have concentrated on power consumption rather than just battery life privided by a huge internal battery. This of course results in a smaller and lighter device, but more importantly, when recharging in the wilderness, power banks and solar panels can be much smaller than the modern rugged laptops and tablets.