I am very close to purchasing a 2005 Sundance 340. It has zero electronic upgrades. I am new to this size boat. My current boat is a 180 sport. Not considering cost what electronics would you recommend to make this as easy as possible? Navigation, operation, entertainment etc.
Idiot proof my boat
- Thread starter agwhaley
- Start date
yobub
Well-Known Member
If you want idiotproof your boat, have your marina haul it out of the water and then lose the keys. That is the only way to prevent an idiot from making bad decisions. Electronics won't help.
An idiot can have the best electronics and still make bad decisions. We see it all the time.
Good electronics can provide good information to the captain, who then is responsible for making decisions based on that information. The boat won't do it for you. I don't mean to be harsh, but I think you have to reframe your thinking.
That being said, Garmin, Raymarine, and Simrad all provide good quality equipment that will provide good information to a competent captain.
First you will need a VHF radio. For the best safety, buy one with integrated GPS and DSC, and then register the radio. In event of life-threatening emergency, there is a red button in the radio that will broadcast a mayday with your longitude and latitude to the coast guard and to all boats with DSC capability. Anybody can push that button if you are incapacitated. Standard Horizon and ICOM both make good radios. It doesn't have to be the same brand as your chartplotter
At a minimum, a decent chartplotter with GPS will show you where you are and the chart (theoretical) depths in that area, along with known obstructions. You will also need a depth finder (transducer) to show you the actual depth under your boat. That will integrate into the chartplotter. These are frequently sold in packages, and Garmin makes very nice chartplotter with a built in GPS antenna and matched transducers to measure depth.
I can't tell from your profile where you are located. If you boat on the ocean or great lakes, a radar is very helpful. It will help you see boats, land, and obstructions in low visibility. Depending on how you use your boat, an 18" dome is probably fine. A 24" dome is better, and an open array is even better. You must buy a radar that is the same brand and compatible with your chartplotter. Garmin makes nice radar and chartplotter packages.
What I've outlined above forms the core of good navigation equipment. Price that out, and if you have budget left over (don't forget about installation costs) come back and we can provide you info on the 2nd tier of safety gear, like a backup VHF, EPIRB, etc.
An idiot can have the best electronics and still make bad decisions. We see it all the time.
Good electronics can provide good information to the captain, who then is responsible for making decisions based on that information. The boat won't do it for you. I don't mean to be harsh, but I think you have to reframe your thinking.
That being said, Garmin, Raymarine, and Simrad all provide good quality equipment that will provide good information to a competent captain.
First you will need a VHF radio. For the best safety, buy one with integrated GPS and DSC, and then register the radio. In event of life-threatening emergency, there is a red button in the radio that will broadcast a mayday with your longitude and latitude to the coast guard and to all boats with DSC capability. Anybody can push that button if you are incapacitated. Standard Horizon and ICOM both make good radios. It doesn't have to be the same brand as your chartplotter
At a minimum, a decent chartplotter with GPS will show you where you are and the chart (theoretical) depths in that area, along with known obstructions. You will also need a depth finder (transducer) to show you the actual depth under your boat. That will integrate into the chartplotter. These are frequently sold in packages, and Garmin makes very nice chartplotter with a built in GPS antenna and matched transducers to measure depth.
I can't tell from your profile where you are located. If you boat on the ocean or great lakes, a radar is very helpful. It will help you see boats, land, and obstructions in low visibility. Depending on how you use your boat, an 18" dome is probably fine. A 24" dome is better, and an open array is even better. You must buy a radar that is the same brand and compatible with your chartplotter. Garmin makes nice radar and chartplotter packages.
What I've outlined above forms the core of good navigation equipment. Price that out, and if you have budget left over (don't forget about installation costs) come back and we can provide you info on the 2nd tier of safety gear, like a backup VHF, EPIRB, etc.
Sorry, I am in Louisville KY. Primarily will be on Ohio River and Kentucky Lake. I completely understand where you’re coming from on making decisions. I have a budget of $30,000 to make boat upgrades. The vast majority of that will be on electronics.
yobub
Well-Known Member
OK thanks. If you are on a major river like that, I would also consider an AIS receiver as part of the minimum package. AIS is a technology that commercial ships are required to use to broadcast their position, heading, speed, and other data. Recreatuons vessels arent required to broadcast AIS but some do.
You can buy a VHF that has an integrated AIS receiver, and you can interface that to your chartplotter so your chartplotter will show those vessels and their status. For river boating it essentially let's you see around the corner. With a receiver you will be able to "see" the commercial vessels but they wont see you. To improve your safety you can buy an AIS transmitter that will broadcast your info to them. For your boating, this would be a much better investment that something like an open array radar.
A radar and chartplotter package and transducer that would be a good fit might run about $3000-$4000 depending on the specific radar array and the size of the screen. You don't need a sophisticated transducer (depth finder) for river boating but some might recommend a "forward looking" transducer. I have never used one.
A very good quality VHF like a Standard Horizon with AIS, GPS, and DSC will be about $500, and another $100 for a new antenna. Buy a handheld VHF with GPS and DSC as a backup for $250. An AIS transmitter is about $1000. All of that is well within your budget. Then hire someone to install it and teach you how to use it all. If you dont know how to use it, it doesnt matter what you have bought.
Without question, the single most important thing to idiotproof your boat is to take a boating education class that teaches you safety, navigation, anchoring, etc. The best class would be an instuctor-led classroom course that runs for something like 8 weeks. You can take a self-paced class, but you will learn as much from other peoples questions as you will from the instructor. The Power Squadron used to teach these, I dont know if they still do or not. Coast Guard Auxikiary might as well. Others can chime in on their experiences.
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You can buy a VHF that has an integrated AIS receiver, and you can interface that to your chartplotter so your chartplotter will show those vessels and their status. For river boating it essentially let's you see around the corner. With a receiver you will be able to "see" the commercial vessels but they wont see you. To improve your safety you can buy an AIS transmitter that will broadcast your info to them. For your boating, this would be a much better investment that something like an open array radar.
A radar and chartplotter package and transducer that would be a good fit might run about $3000-$4000 depending on the specific radar array and the size of the screen. You don't need a sophisticated transducer (depth finder) for river boating but some might recommend a "forward looking" transducer. I have never used one.
A very good quality VHF like a Standard Horizon with AIS, GPS, and DSC will be about $500, and another $100 for a new antenna. Buy a handheld VHF with GPS and DSC as a backup for $250. An AIS transmitter is about $1000. All of that is well within your budget. Then hire someone to install it and teach you how to use it all. If you dont know how to use it, it doesnt matter what you have bought.
Without question, the single most important thing to idiotproof your boat is to take a boating education class that teaches you safety, navigation, anchoring, etc. The best class would be an instuctor-led classroom course that runs for something like 8 weeks. You can take a self-paced class, but you will learn as much from other peoples questions as you will from the instructor. The Power Squadron used to teach these, I dont know if they still do or not. Coast Guard Auxikiary might as well. Others can chime in on their experiences.
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