Off the map
The Garmin 546 chart plotter that we purchased a while ago came preloaded with US coastal charts (including the Bahamas). I never really understood what that meant as the plotter seemed to show all of the data for our sailing area. The other day we found out what it meant. Check out how the data for depths stops as we start to go inland:
For some perspective, here is the same area on our laptop running the GPSNavX program (it’s hard to see but we are the little blue circle).
The laptop is connected to our backup GPS, a Garmin 76Cx.
On our delivery trip I experienced the same thing, first time. I was sailing along, and then gradually a line of limited information crept down the chart. I thought something was broekn, since my prior GPS had full charts loaded and I had never found the “edge of the map.”
Just think Columbus. I’ve never bothered to load the rest of the e-charts, since I have paper charts and I don’t care for the way chart plotters render details – depending on the zoom, it is never clear which hazards have been left out. I often lay the paper chart on the slider and leave the GPS in nav mode.
I’ve never had my lap top on the boat. But if I were cruising where you are, I would whistle a different toon! The edge of the map is scary when it’s the ICW and shallows are everywhere.
Curious; how many paper back-up charts are you taking? Everything? Or just around the Bahamas? I don’t have a fixed opinion, since there would be so many areas you would only quickly pass through.
We have paper charts for the Lake Ontario, the NY canals, the Chesapeake, the Bahamas and Exumas. We have several guidebooks for the ICW but not paper charts. I’m not sure if this is enough though.
Today, we made our way into an anchorage where the deepest part of the channel is only 9-12 feet. We are currently anchored in 6′. The Garmin chart showed only 1 depth: 5.7 feet:( Good thing we had paper charts for this area.
Garmin would like to have a bit more of your cruising kitty, please! Thank you for your purchase!
At least you got the coastal charts, our 3010 came with nada besides instructions on how to go to the Garmin on-line site to download chart groups @ $125 a shot.
hmmm…that reminds me, do we have the charts for the Western Carib? here kitty…
Fair Winds,
Mike
Yes, we made this purchase largely because it included the coastal charts and the explorer charts for the Bahamas.
You might be able to trade for paper charts of the ICW. Some marinas have chart swap arrangements. Otherwise, you might be able to convince someone to let you Xerox their copies. I don’t know if google oceans has depths or if it covers the ICW or not. I think you’re going to need charts for the ICW, because not only is it shallow, but the sandbars shift. Good luck!!
I do have electronic charts for the whole ICW. Paper charts would be nice though.