The Offshore Voyaging Reference Site

11 Tips for Safe Navigation With Phones and Tablets

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We updated and added to this chapter in January 2023.

As so often happens, I was inspired to write this post by the comments on a previous one: my rant about modern poorly-designed and hard-to-use marine electronics.

The consensus in the comments was that dedicated marine electronic touch screen devices are difficult to use and overpriced in comparison to general use tablets and phones, particularly those from Apple.

And, further, that many people are using phones and tablets for primary navigation.

Since I’m a longtime Apple user—I was an Apple dealer way back in 1984 when the first Mac was released—and fan of all things Apple, I was not surprised. And, in fact, I have already recommended the iPad as a backup navigation system, particularly for those who decide to cruise without paper charts.

That said, as an electronics technician by trade and an experienced navigator, I’m also deeply worried about this trend.

So here are my thoughts on some of the dangers of using phones and tablets for navigation, together with some tips to reduce the possibility of an iThing-enabled wreck:


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Bill Wakefield

Hi John,

Another great topic that isn’t addressed often enough in my opinion.

We, too, are long-time Apple fans, and we also use iPads for back-up navigation, casual route planning, for mirroring/controlling our B&G Zeus MFD, among many other things.

I absolutely concur with all your points, and I’ll add a couple of other considerations I [and I’m sure many others] can share from first-hand experience having both iPads and an MFD on-board.

[Following is an excerpt from one of my blog posts on this very same topic that includes some additional experiences that may be of interest:]

Please remember that this post will likely become dated/obsolete in a few short years as the current iPads we all enjoy are replaced with new products that may not suffer from these same issues…

First, we love our iPads, but we had several experiences over a couple of summers of full time sailing that convinced us not to rely on them as our primary or only nav/radar system/screen at an outdoor helm position: [We also have an indoor helm where we think the iPads- properly encased and mounted- are sufficient as primary screens…]

Our primary navigation [and RADAR] system is Navionics running on B&G Zeus Touch MFDs. The other primary system is OpenCPN running on a laptop. We supplement with one generation 3, and two Gen 4 iPad Airs on-board [One is a mini.] This post is mainly related to our gen 4 iPad Airs. [But the results were the same with the Gen 3 unit as well…]

iPad issues we have experienced:

-The iPad screen isn’t easily viewable in bright light- sometimes even when shaded under the dodger/bimini…

Additionally, sometimes the plane of polarization of various sunglasses is not parallel to the plane of the iPad screen, so you have to tilt your head or the iPad to see the screen.

The MFD is designed to be viewable in bright sunlight and isn’t as sensitive to polarized sunglasses.

-iPads used as a mirror to the MFD or as a stand-alone nav device need charging if in use for more that a couple of hours, and the waterproof cords/plugs aren’t really… And having charging cable(s) dangling around the cockpit is just asking for trouble and/or to be broken at the connection with the iPad… Also, those cables don’t hold up well to UV or the elements, and still don’t have waterproof connections …

This is not an issue with the MFD.

Side note: Be sure to use a USB charging source that is greater than 1 amp output [we found 2+ amp units are sufficient] or the iPad battery on our models will actually loose charge during the day when used for live navigation or as a mirror to the MFD- even though it is plugged-in… [We use readily available 2.2 amp output USB adapters that plug into our 12VDC power outlets.]

-The iPad overheats [yes, even in Alaska…] typically when in direct sunlight- especially when fitted with a waterproof cover… When this happens the screen goes black and a small message tells you it is too hot and will not be usable until it cools down [which usually takes 20-30 minutes after we physically relocated it to the shade…] This happens to us more often that you might imagine, and often when you need it most… For us, that is reason enough not to use them as primary screens outdoors.

This doesn’t happen with the MFD.

-It is difficult/impossible to rely on hearing any alarms [e.g., AIS, depth, etc.] sounding via the iPad speakers when they are in a waterproof case, or even if they aren’t when there is a bit of ambient noise from the wind, engine, etc….

Not so with the MFD- especially since it can be optionally connected to external alarm sources.

-If the waterproof case has a film covering the screen, that can sometimes desensitize the touchscreen, and sometimes reduce screen clarity due to glare or bubbles between the film and iPad screen.

Not an issue with the MFD.

These are a few of our first-hand observations and experiences that have led us to our conclusion that [for us] iPads are not acceptable as the primary or only MFD/Navigation/Radar/AIS screen on deck…

With all that said, we do use iPads at the outside helm, on deck, and down below, and love the flexibility and redundancy they provide- especially when we can hand one to guests and let them track our progress and ‘look around’ the charts without impacting the primary Nav system…

Best regards to all. Bill

Marc Dacey

Very good points, all, particularly to turn off all the “parasitic” programs you don’t need offshore. While I am unlikely to go back to the world of Apple for many reasons unrelated to the quality of the iPad, most of these tips apply to any consumer-grade device one might wish to have aboard for ease of use or as an extension to something made for the purpose. I like the idea of tablets as repeaters via Bluetooth or on-board wifi for a PC/MFD/blackbox-generated display. I agree particularly however with the observation about night vision…even young eyes don’t dark-adapt quickly enough after a dazzling to work properly…most dirt-dwellers have no concept of how dark night can be offshore, nor how bright the stars are on a moonless night, nor how even a penlight in the saloon can actually cause pain to the watchstander. Of course, none of these aspects are considered in the way a tablet or phone is lit.

Bill Attwood

Hi John.
I don’t use electronic navigation, period.
Allow me to borrow that word from the White House press secretary.
😉
I use paper charts and I correct them – really easy today with internet access. When I read about all the things that you warn about above – and almost all comments about electronics on boats seem sooner or later to degenerate into war stories about what went wrong – I wonder why paper charts and their use has such a bad press. Do I sense an opinion that people like me are seen as dinosaurs or elitist – you shouldn’t think of going sailing unless you can navigate in “the old way”. I see nothing elitist in expecting that sailors should be able
to navigate using the basics. It may mean putting time in doing courses, sailing with others etc. Making it easy for people to go offshore with: steering wheels, dashboard instruments, rally help in case something goes wrong, emergency services prepared to risk their lives if the people need rescuing – I don’t want to go on, I’m sure you have got my drift.
Apart from a depth sounder there is really no need for any other electronics on board. Nice to have are AIS and radar. Even weather info at sea is of questionable value – once you are off soundings the weather will be what it will be. Our yachts aren’t fast enough to move out of the way, and local observations give good enough warning if bad weather is on the way.
Sorry to verge on a rant.
Yours aye
Bill

Richard Hudson

Hi Bill,

I admire people who navigate only with paper charts and traditional instruments. I admire people who sail engineless (not your point, but somewhat similar in my mind). Both types of people add an additional challenge to their sailing activities that I, as well as most people, don’t.

I agree with you that everyone cruising should be able to navigate with paper charts. And, as John said in one of his many excellent points in the article, those who don’t navigate frequently with paper charts are likely to be slow in getting back to using them.

I used paper charts as my main navigation method until I wanted to stop at an island and realized I had screwed up and didn’t have that chart aboard. I had a GPS hooked to a computer with OpenCPN and a copy of the CM93 “demo” charts of the world which float around the cruising community, which had come with the boat. So, we went to the island using only the computer for navigation–my first time entirely not using paper charts. While still not wanting to rely on the computer for navigation (I’ve experienced total electrical failure at sea in another boat and am familiar enough with non-sealed electrical connections in humid, salty environments not to be overly trustful in them), I started liking it.

I also liked how, coming into an unfamiliar port, especially when singlehanded, I wasn’t having to take bearings and plot fixes to ensure I was in safe water–I just glanced at the computer screen and it showed me where I was–that was fantastic!

On other occasions, finding myself changing plans in remote places where charts could not be bought, I came to like computer charts even more–I already had electronic charts of the world aboard, and, if I met up with another boat that had better paper charts of the area, I could take photographs and turn them into digital charts (note that this is an involved process, which requires software and practice, so most people don’t do it).

So, over time, I have come to really like electronic charting–it enables me to go more places and reduces my tension when entering unfamiliar harbors. I still carry a lot of paper charts (but not detailed charts of the whole world), and use them extensively offshore, but my navigation computer is the main navigation method when near coasts.

> Nice to have are AIS and radar.
I agree, they are nice. A sailboat only needs wind and water to sail, but for avoiding traffic and navigating in poor visibility, AIS & radar are very, very, very nice.

>Even weather info at sea is of questionable value – once you are off soundings the weather will be what it will be. Our yachts aren’t fast enough to move out of the way, and local observations give good enough warning if bad weather is on the way.

I find that lack of weather information limits options. A simple downwind, tradewind passage (outside of hurricane season) is likely to be completed safely with or without offshore weather information. But, if part of your passage involves a strong ocean current, it is really helpful to have a forecast indicating you’re heading for a strong-wind-against-strong-current situation so you can get out of the current or heave to and wait for a favorable wind to cross it. Crossing (or sailing with) an ocean current offshore without weather forecasts certainly can be done–sailors have done that for centuries–but if a strong wind goes against the strong current, sometimes people die.

If one doesn’t have weather information, one should avoid strong ocean currents. If one doesn’t have a radar and know how to use it, one should try hard to avoid fog, including avoiding places that often have a lot of fog (as Colin recently mentioned in his excellent articles about fog).

In summary, I certainly do not find sailing without electronics to be only for “dinosaurs or elitists”–but I do find that it limits one’s options. I also feel that users of electronics need to still be capable of getting to a safe port if the (primary) electronics fail.

Richard

Robertus

Hi John,

A very good summary as always I would say, thanks.

I normally use two completely independent electronic chart systems (2 computers + 2 GPSs with even independent battery power) and a paper chart as backup for primary navigation.

But having said that, I sometimes have not updated my electronic/paper charts with the latest notices to mariners when doing coastal hopping (oops). And that is where my iPad comes in handy. Because I take my iPad back home it is easy to make sure that I have the latest updated chart version on it whenever I come aboard.

Being a computer professional and a Unix/Mac user for a long time, I can only confirm the importance of all the points raised by you.

A last remark with respect to point #5 Battery Powered. I tend to use the iPad only in the wheelhouse. I noticed that in order to use my charting program the iPad must be connected to the ship’s power and even then it only just can keep up with the power drain caused by iOS and the charting program combined.

Robertus