We have written a lot about navigation systems. Here's what we use on Morgan's Cloud, and why.
Let's start with the basic parameters that drove our decision:
On Deck
We firmly believe that to be safe, short-handed crews must be able to do their navigation in the cockpit without having to scamper down to a below-deck chart table every few minutes.
Large Screen Size
After experimenting, we established that our ability to keep in touch with where it’s at is dependent on viewing a certain minimum area around us on the chart without panning or zooming. Therefore, we decided we needed a good resolution screen with a minimum size of 15 inches (38 cm) measured diagonally.
Easy to Use
Quick and convenient operation is vital, since the more time we spend fiddling around with electronics, the less time we are looking up at the real world. Therefore, we wanted a full keyboard and mouse.
