I don’t often review marine electronics, as I prefer to write about systems in a more generic form to help members make their own gear-buying decisions.
But every so often a product comes along that I see as game changing, and Orca Navigation potentially qualifies. So I ordered a system and have dug in to see if it can:
- Address the many weaknesses and dangers I see in navigating on generic tablets and phones.
- Provide an equally functional navigation solution as plotters, but without the expense, which lately has got truly silly.
- Provide a better route entry and edit process than our B&G plotter, which is so bad it makes my teeth hurt.
- Come even close to the functionality of TimeZero running on a PC with an on-deck screen, keyboard, and mouse. Still by far the best navigation system I have used.
- Compare with TZ iBoat, by far my favourite tablet navigation software.
- Act as a replacement for the full-on H5000 B&G sailing instrument system that came with our J/109, at least for a club racer.
- Replace, or at least backup the functional, but fragile and poorly built, B&G remote I use to control the autopilot when singlehanding by utilizing my Apple Watch and/or my iPhone.
- Act as a functional radar display.
- Make a good cup of tea…just wanted to see if you were paying attention.
What I think will make this review different and better, is that in all areas I have incumbent technology on the boat to compare against, that is arguably some of the best of each breed, which avoids this becoming just a breathless fan-boy listing of cool features, many of which don’t actually make navigation any easier or safer…yea, I’m looking at you, YouTubers.
The other thing that I bring to the table is over 50 years of navigation experience, which enables me to zero in on what actually matters to get the job done, rather than just getting impressed by a list of features.
Of course, the danger of that experience (and being an old fart) is being stuck in my ways so I don’t give Orca a fair shake. However, given that I have spent most of my working life immersed in high tech and have deep experience with all three types of electronic navigation systems, I think I can avoid that.
So let’s see how Orca does against the above list and the unashamedly high bar I set for navigation systems.
Architecture
But first, a quick explanation of the Orca architecture, which is a lot of the secret of the product’s potential as a disrupter:
This is uncanny timing John! August & I just released a (free) Quarterdeck Podcast yesterday on tablet navigation in general, discussing the Orca in the second half which I’ve been using on SPICA all summer. We gave you a shout-out because you normally have disagreed with me on tablet navigation, at least in the early days 🙂
Having used Orca & Orca Core all summer, it’s a no brainer for coastal cruising for me on SPICA. You didn’t even touch on the cloud features – I can do routes of my phone at home that sync to the Core via the cloud, then show up on all my devices including the display (I assume you’ll get to this in Part 2?) And it automatically logs all my trips, saving all the NMEA data in the “Log.”
It’s very cool, not perfect but a real leap from standard tablet navigation which. Excited to hear about Part 2!
Hi Andy,
Good to hear from you and that Orca is serving you well.
Just to clarify for others, I disagreed that tablet navigation was the best way to navigate, not that was a bad way to navigate. At the time you had not even tried a deck mounted computer—not sure if you have yet—but were calling out tablets as best for weather and navigation.
As the years go by I get further and further from “best” and try to take a balanced look and think about best for different usage profiles.
To that end, this article covers my thoughts on the trade off between the three options based on extensive real world use of all three: https://www.morganscloud.com/2019/10/30/which-is-best-for-navigation-plotter-computer-or-tablet/
I have also repeatedly pointed out that there are issues with tablet navigation that must be managed: https://www.morganscloud.com/2017/01/22/10-tips-for-safe-navigation-with-phones-and-tablets/
And I didn’t miss the cloud or log features. This the first of three parts, and that comes later, as I made clear at the end of the article.
Hi John,
Since I’m Norwegian, as is Orca, I guess I could easily stumble into fanboy territory, but I’l try to keep it down. 🙂
I’ve followed Orca for years and I do agree that it may be a game changer. The current boat electronics market is predominantly motivated by seemingly moronic greed and unwillingness to embrace the tech that is already there. Orca has just walked in a door that was left wide open for more than a decade.
At the moment I don’t have any Orca hardware, but I’ve tried it on other boats and like it. I also use their software on my iPad Pro 12,9” 2017 and iPhone 15 pro, next to Garmin Boating (ex Navionics). I agree about your comments on some lacking ability to adapt to viewing preferences. I have noticed that they do improve continuously, though, and I do like it as an alternative.
The Orca tablet is made by Samsung, on special order. The same screen can be found much cheaper on other not even new tablets, but the difference is in the ruggedness and battery, of course. The software and the integration with the Core and boat systems works just as well with pretty much any other screen. Thus, the points around this tablet could be irrelevant to many users. Scanstrut, England, make good quality phone and tablet holders with wireless charging. A system worth considering.
In my mind, the Core is… what its name says it is… but that’s for the next article, of course. I’ll probably get a Core before my next longer trip.
Hi Stein,
Are you sure that Scanstrut make a secure tablet mount with wireless charging and there are water resistant daylight readable tablets, other than Orca, with wireless charging. If so please link us to both, since I was not able to find that combination, other than Orca, although that did surprise me, and I may have missed one. That said, while I can find a bunch at Scanstrut for phones, the tablet mounts have no coils that I can see.
I believe these do both: https://store.ulefone.com/products/armor-pad-4-ultra
I have one of their phones and it has been ruggeed and reliable.
Hi Robert,
That does indeed look like a very cool tablet, and, as you say it can induction charge, but that seems to be with the stand shown, which I don’t think would work on a boat since it does not, as far as I can see, securely hold the tablet against motion or have a way to fasten it down. Also, to be fair to Orca, the ultra is only 500 nits which is marginal for daylight readability. The Orca is 1000 nits.
It’s also not clear that it would work with the Scanstrut chargers intended for phones, I suspect not.
The Armor Pad 4’s charging dock accessory is not induction charging. Rather, it is what uleFone markets as Pogo Pin charging, which relies on electrical contacts between pins in the charging base and external contacts in the tablet’s case. That really abuses the meaning of “wireless charging”, in my opinion. I expect that the pins in the dock are spring loaded, and I have found such mechanisms in other equipment that I have used in the past to be very vulnerable to clogging and jamming failures — and that wasn’t even in a salt spray environment.
Hi Mark,
Thanks for the fill, I was perplexed. (I missed the Pogo pin reference). I agree that this is not what we need. In my experience, like yours, even with the best in gold plated contacts, salt water will find a way to wreck contact over time, and that goes double for anything relying on springs. It does seem that Orca have a real win with the elegant mounts coupled with true induction charging.
Yes, it does appear that the Orca hardware is uniquely good. I’ll be very interested in your experience with TZ iBoat on that hardware to see how much of a difference better software makes — it could even be worthwhile to buy Orca just for the hardware while ignoring the Orca software (and its subscription fee.) I hope that you’ll get to try TZ iBoat on Orca hardware at night, because the too bright display may be the one issue that can’t be fixed or at least ameliorated in software.
Hi Mark,
Yes, I agree, that will be a really interesting test, will TZiBoat on Orca display the ultimate outcome for me. I will definitely try that, as soon as it’s available, and at night too.
Hi John, I used the Orca Core and an Apple iPad to cross the Atlantic in June. I was very happy with its performance. I especially liked using PredictWind Pro via Starlink to plot my course and then very easily import it into Orca. This system easily beat other boats using professional weather forecasters.
Hi Gino,
Sounds good, but to be fair, you could have also imported a Predictwind route into any number of other navigation devices that support the GPX format, so I don’t think this is really a win for Orca, which is what this is about, more a win for Predictwind.
Am I missing some special connecting method that’s unique to Orca?
I also don’t think it’s really fair to say that Predictwind beat the pros. Typically pros provide a limited package a few times a day and are probable using limited polars, or none, and with PW you can do many runs a day and tweak the hell out of them, and the polars, as required.
Two different products. PW great for experienced nerds who want to dig deep, pro router for those less experience who want to hand the problem off.
And then they can be combined: I can pretty much guarantee that if you had Stan Honey, using all the routing tools at his disposal, as your full on, full time, race router, PW equipped boats would not stand a chance, assuming they were all be sailed as hard and skillfully.
Point being that different tools and services have different strengths for different people in different circumstances.
Interesting article. I’ve heard about Orca but have not tried it yet. My comments are based on the article’s content.
I am not yet sure what is so special about it. Maybe it will be clearer once Parts 2 and 3 are published. I think similar functionality can be obtained by installing a device that broadcasts NMEA data to a WiFi boat network. It could be PredictWind’s DataHub (about $200), or any Signal-K server (for example, enabled on Victron’s CerboGX). Once we have that, using a rugged tablet (like Sailproof) with a Navionics subscription would provide a similar or better display for less money. Longevity of the battery and charging may be better solved on Orca, but it does not seem like it is substantially different. A regular laptop running any navigational software (OpenCPN for free for example) could still connect to the same DataHub/OpenCPN boat data and be used for in-cabin planning and navigation.
I guess such a solution is not as nicely and easily integrated as Orca. Any one-vendor system will be better integrated.
I am looking forward to reading the remaining parts and learning more.
Hi Maciek,
I think you are right, most everything Orca does can be done in other ways, but with more complexity than a single vendor solution. We will dig more into that in Parts 2 and 3.
The other unique benefit is the Orca mounts with integrated wireless charging, which is not available with Sailproof, or anyone else, at least as far as I can see, so I would argue that is a substantial difference.
Hello John, but Sailproof does at least have a waterproof charging option — not quite as elegant, of course.
Regards,
Alex
Hi Alex,
Good to hear, that said, all I was able to find was discussion of what to do if water gets in the charging port, which is worrying, particularly if salty, and implies it’s not really waterproof. Do you have a link that provides more information on that?
Hello John,
They sell it on their homepage with waterproof charging or without it — a special connector.
https://sailproof.shop/product/sp10x-high-end-10-inch-android-rugged-tablet/
I don’t know how well it actually works, though, since I haven’t bought it yet. I’m waiting for the TimeZero app for tablets first. I really love TimeZero on the laptop. Orca isn’t an option for me for several reasons, but I don’t want to get ahead of parts two and three.
Regards,
Alex
Hi Alexander,
Thanks for the link. Yes, I saw that, but what they are doing is pogo pins: https://johoty.com/blog/what-is-a-pogo-pin-charger
I don’t think that’s going to be really robust around salt water, although it might be OK under say a dodger, at least for a while.
See Mark’s comment further up the thread.
Hi again Alex,
I too am a huge fan of TimeZero on laptops, still the bench mark of good navigation software. And thanks for holding off on why Orca is not for you. I will be very interested in hearing your thoughts once we get further into the Orca system.
You can also run the Orca app on an Android ePaper device like the Boox Go 7 which provides excellent daylight visibility for instrument screens in particular. Unfortunately I don’t think I can load a photo of it in use in these comments, but this is a link to the device https://shop.boox.com/collections/goseries
Hi Michael,
That’s a really interesting idea because or the low voltage draw. Something I have always wondered about is the refresh rate. Have you any thoughts on that?
Hello John
The refresh seems fine. I’m actually amazed at how well it works and it is a fraction of the cost of an i70 or Triton2. I opted for the b&w version rather than colour, because I felt the display was likely to be more readable with a higher contrast. I use it on a fast coastal boat, so the instrument displays are more important to me than the chart plotting. That is part of Orca’s versatility, because I also have a phone and tablet attached which can be used for chart plotting either with Orca or Navionics or whatever – and I can read a book in the sunshine when not sailing! All at relatively low-cost, because I am using the kit that I have anyway, and that I use ashore as well. If you buy reconditioned devices, then it is likely to be far less of a drama if something gets too wet or salty for its own good.
Hi Michael,
Thanks for the fill, I had long wondered. From your last sentence, I guess there is no way to make them water resistant?
I don’t understand looking for economy in a navigation system and display when it is a few thousand dollars against 10’s or 100’s of thousands for the boat. The cost of a top chart plotter is good insurance against the value of the boat and the value of your life.
Having a good chart plotter at the helm displaying radar and AIS overlays is invaluable and the most efficient way to coordinate all needed information to navigate safely in any condition.
Even my own 10 yr old Raymarine integrated system is accurate, easy to read, and allows my single handed sailing in fog and or at night to be done with a good sense of security.
There is a reason airplanes use heads up displays and now autos. It is safe and efficient and reduces reaction time.
I have single handed from Connecticut to Maine over the past 7 summers and also to NS coming through the in shore route at Cape Sable out of Yarmouth in a thick fog, but favorable tidal current, with confidence because all of the crucial information was at the helm.
I sail a 1978 Baltic 39 with a 135 Genoa. I can trim from one step in front of the helm, so a couple of seconds from my helm and chart plotter. I do not find the plotter distracting because I am always looking at sea conditions and sail trim to keep her moving smartly. I was 68 when I made the single handed NS voyage.
Hi John,
Sure, I can see that view, although I’m more a fan of a computer driving a screen on deck and a free standing radar as the ultimate navigation solution, but that’s personal, as I write about here:
https://www.morganscloud.com/2019/10/30/which-is-best-for-navigation-plotter-computer-or-tablet/
That said, I’m interested in Orca because it reminds me a lot of back in the day when a single word processing station would cost around $70,000 (rough guess from memory) because it was all proprietary (Wang Labs). I long remember seeing the first WP software (Wordstar) running on a $5,000 micro computer. At first the Wang was better, but we all know how that ended. I was also a small part of that change as a systems integrator. It was exciting and way cool to disrupt what had become a monopoly.
To me $12,000 plotters feel the same as Wang word processors. After all, most plotters are just a computer running Android, so why should they cost this silly amount of money? Simple answer, because that’s what they could charge, Orca has the potential to change that and probably make plotters better too…when a disrupter comes along, the incumbent either innovates or dies.
I think you are too hard on them here. The problem for chart plotters versus tablets and pcs is volume and apples for apples features. A big difference is a chart plotter includes robust connectors for multiple systems. That’s both valuable and expensive. Relying on wifi for all connectivity is a weakness in tablets solutions.
I use both but the orca is under the dodger and I would not expect it to survive a decade if we’re as exposed as the chart plotter.
Hi Stanly,
I think that’s fair, particularly as at today. But, on the other hand, It’s early days for Orca and it, or a competitor, will get better. To continue with the metaphor: Wang was better than PC based for some years too. And I still can’t get why a plotter must cost over 10K, no matter how feature rich, other than lack of a better way: https://www.morganscloud.com/jhhtips/do-we-need-a-10000-plotter/
That said, I agree on the drawbacks of being WiFi reliant.
Based on your discription of parts 2 and 3, I don’t think I am front running…
My biggest issue with Orca to date has been the quality of the charts which you hinted at. Our local inlet is charted at 1.9 ft on Orca. It is actually 9 ft. I have notified Orca through thier Beta testers program. The chart issue, I expect, varies by region depending on who Orca uses as thier source. I am looking forward to TZ for android. In the mean time have you considered loading Navionics Boating on the Orca? People might be interested in your experience. I believe Boating has the largest market acceptance world wide. I would also like to see the option to display the USACE data as it is the best source of depths in dynamic areas. (Limited to the US, does any one know if there are similar products from other countries? ).
Hi Carl,
Good point, although it might not be Orca that made the mistake on your inlet in that they are using US government cartography.
That said, this does highlight that private charting companies often add value, particularly in poorly charted places like the Bahamas, as do the Corps of Engineers for inlets. Given that I have a question into Orca asking if they have considered offering popular private cartography for an additional cost. I will report in Part 2.
As to Navionics, on Orca, I probably won’t do that since our boat is hauled now, and by the time we launch in 2026 TZiboat should be available on Android, so that will be a more consistent test to the above.
Yes I think the cartography is the source of the problem. But to the end user poor charts are poor charts, so looking forward to thier answer to your question about enhanced sources. I am enrolled in the TZ beta for Android program, I don’t have the APK yet. Looking forward to it.
Great review, looking forward to the second part! My wife and I used Orca (tablet and core) for two months this summer on our Ovni 370 sailing on the French Atlantic coast, South and North Brittany as well as the Channel Islands, places where it’s always good to have good navigation instruments and maps…
Orca served us really well, I really like how easy it is to move the tablet around while on watch, and the induction charger holder that keeps it charged without having to worry about it.
No issues with waterproofing even in really bad conditions either (and here you go, I probably just jinxed it…). We used Orca as the main plotter, with OpenCPN as backup and paper maps, and it worked out perfectly.
I agree their maps would be more usable with better contrast and a more pragmatic color scheme that would help with visibility. Larger navigation aids (or at least the option to make them larger) would also be great.
The app could definitely be faster on their tablet, but I think they are doing all they can to improve, and their rapid release cycle is really encouraging.
On the improvement front, one thing I am missing a lot is better tides. It is really a missed opportunity, their tide model is the basic low precision model you find on a lot of free software, and it just not usable in very tidal regions, which is sad.
I’m pretty sure they could easily add this from a technical standpoint, it is probably more a business/licensing problem than anything else. Good tide tables are so important for safety, I just don’t understand why they are not more readily available.
Hi Edouard,
Great report, thank you. I agree on tides.
After reading your piece I downloaded the free app to my Iphone. Presumably with the Core and the paid subscription you get an easier to use and more complete package but a couple aspects were immediately noticeable.
I was anchored within a group of small islands. Navionics auto routing suggested a track directed through a pass between two small islands adjacent to me with a minimum charted depth of 2.5 metres (Avel draws 1.5 metres). Orca suggested a route around the outside of one of the islands, adding maybe 20 minutes to my ETA. So a big tick for Orca right away.
Orca dialled straight into to my AIS without being told to, or perhaps it was talking to the mostly horrible B&G Vulcan MFD.
I liked the way it was drawing information from Navily on nearby anchorages and supplying local weather estimates – not sure if this was also coming from Navily.
I like the prospect of an anchor alarm with Core added. The Vulcan, which lives under the sprayhood has an alarm that is inaudible in any conditions where one might drag, especially from the fore cabin where I sleep. The Vesper AIS has a pretty good anchor alarm but it is a tad temperamental.
I’m not so impressed with the amount of depth contours on Orca. Maybe this is something that can be tweaked in the paid version ?
So far my navigation Ipad is refusing to download Orca over cellphone data but the Iphone experience was pretty impressive. Don’t worry, John, I’m not using it as my primary, secondary or even third navigation tool !
Hi Mark,
Good observations, thanks. I did not know the harbour information was coming from Navily, so very useful. I’m guessing the AIS you were seeing was coming from the internet since if your Vulcan is anything like my Zeus you would need to specifically connect it. Also, I don’t think Orca accepts data streams, other than from Core. I will get into all this more in Part 2.
Thanks for the review. I’m patiently waiting for Orca to iron out all the bugs before deciding to get one. Seems they still have a bit of work to do.
The autopilot control via an AppleWatch looks very interesting. I’ve been looking at the B&G wireless remote that you’ve discussed before and have been hesitant getting one because of the weaknesses of the fobs. For just a little more than a WR10 setup, it looks like you could get a CORE and control a B&G autopilot using a much more robust iPhone or AppleWatch. I look forward to your assessment of the autopilot control capabilities!
Hi Douglas,
You are right to worry about the fobs. The watch band retainers have broken on both of ours. More coming in part 3 on autopilot control.