Samsung Galaxy - navigation applications?

[Cevin c Taylor]

Hello:
I just got a Samsung Galaxy tablet for my birthday.  I have not opened it yet, so I could still return it.  One thing I'm interested in is using it for navigation on my CP 16'.  I will likely never sail it outside of inland lakes in Michigan, and occasionially the Great Lakes, so I don't need anything too elaborate.  Does anyone know if these tablets can be used for this application?

[TedW]

Hello Wolverine,
I just bought my wife a Nexus for Christmas and plan on getting some boating aps as well. There seem to be many useful ones out there. Like Wx Radar, Chart Plotters, even ship plotters for when you head out on the Great Lakes. By the way, have you been enjoying these temps here lately. I'm in Tawas. It was 6 below this morning.
TedW.

[Salty19]

Sure, there are several apps for navigation, compass, gps, etc.  Keep in mind the free ones are generally not the best.  I've no longer an Android guy so I can't really recommend a good app (iPhone/ipad/macbook guy)

I'm not sure if the galaxies have a GPS built in..if so, make sure the app uses GPS and not locator service. Otherwise when you loose your cell signal offshore, you will not have nav abilities.

If it does not, you can buy bluetooth or USB GPS receivers that will "talk" to the GPS app (again so long as it supports GPS).

Two things to keep in mind:

-Need to keep water off the tablet! Clear waterproof covers are out there.
-Need to keep the sun off the screen so it's readable.  A little plastic shade or cabin mount should work.  Might want to experiment with viewing angle before making/buying a mount for it. You'll want a mount else it will crash side to side in the cockpit and get beat up.

I fiddle around with GPSNavX on a macbook air with a USB GPS receiver-use it mostly as a training tool so one day, when we venture to unfamiliar big water, I'll know how to use it well.  OUr lake is small and know it like the back of my hand so it's not useful day to day.  Maps are free, the package is about $70 but gives you full chartplotter functionality, and has a lot of really neat features (AIS integration, etc).   

Other apps are very useful too.  MyRadar and google earth are examples (earth now integrates with GPS and plots your position on the screen).   

I used to use an app called saildroid that was a simple/free gps speed indicator/logger.  It didn't chart, didn't position, but told you your current, max, average speed, distance traveled and more.   

Good luck

[Cevin c Taylor]

TedW - It sure has been cold, but I guess we can't complain given how warm it's been the last couple of years.  In '11 and '12, I sailed in SE Michigan in November!  We've been meaning to camp at the Tawas State Park.  Now that we have the boat, that's even more incentive.  Is that where you live year round?

Salty - thanks for the input.  I guess I need more research before I commit to anything.  The tablet has a GPS function, and it has Google Earth.  I played around with it for a few hours last night and I was pretty impressed.  Last summer I built swing out board to mount my compass and a GPS on.  It swings out into the companionway, and folds up against the inner bulkhead when not in use.  I'll try to modify it to hold the tablet. 

[TedW]

Wolverine,
We do live in Tawas year round. I think you would really like Tawas Bay for sailing your Com-Pac. Lot's of other sailboats here. The State Park on the point is very nice and there are two fine launch sites less than a mile away. Send me a message if you need more info.
Ted

[Lafayette Bruce]

I would highly recommend Navionics.  Cost a whole 9 bucks for the whole USA.  Check it out:
http://www.navionics.com/en/mobile-pc-app#
Lafayette Bruce

[dbinvermont]

I have used a galaxy tab (7in) for a couple of seasons now, with good results. My favorite program is Marine Navigator Lite (in the app store, I think it was free), which uses NOAA raster charts (free on line).
The software works great for showing where you are, but screen visibility in bright sunlight is an issue.  I just leave it running in the cabin on my Compact 19, connected to a charge cable, and go down for a quick look-see when I need to.
Plus at night on the hook, I can watch a movie if I want to. Can't do that with a Garmin!

[Cevin c Taylor]

Thanks for the info.  Im still doing research.

[lochinvar]

As mentioned, Navionics is the app to get. Discovered it for my iPad and also have a galaxy tab 7 plus a galaxy note 2. Navionics seems best to me on the apple products, but works very well on the androids as well.
For me it is The most refined nav app so far.
-Shawn F

[skip1930]

I hung a Raymarine 435i chart plotter on my cabin's outside bulkhead. [ i ] is for an internal antenna. No sperate mushroom antenna needed.

skip.

[EclipseGuy]

I also used the Navionics app on my Android. The app itself worked quite well, but I discovered that I really need two hands to sail and I didn't want to worry about dropping my tablet, or getting it wet, or having it get bumped and damaged. I ended up buying a marine GPS with depth sounder and mounting it in the cockpit instead of using the tablet.

As it turns out, the tablet was excellent for watching a movie, or reading a book. I also have the internet tether through my cell phone and most of the places where I throw hook have phone coverage so I am able to browse the internet and read the news while having a coffee in the morning. I can even watch Netflix or Hulu.

There is definitely a place for a tablet on my boat. For me it just works better as a portable media/entertainment/backup GPS system than it does as a primary GPS system.

On a separate note, if you guys (Wolverine and Ted, and anyone else in the area) end up getting together sometime in Tawas please let me know. I would love to join you. I often spend time up in Oscoda (Cooke and Foote Ponds) but I haven't sailed out of Tawas yet. I also sail a lot on Lake Saint Clair if you are ever down my way. Lake Saint Clair Metropark has nice launches and nice marina with inexpensive transient rates.

I especially love going out early Spring and late Fall. I figure that if the fisherman are out in their fishing boats then there is no reason for me not to be out sailing, especially with such a portable and quick to rig sailboat.

I will be going to Traverse City for Memorial Day weekend. I am running my first marathon on that Saturday (I am in my middle 40s so wish me luck), and I looked at booking a hotel but they are running about $200 a night. I decided to make a reservation at the marina instead. It is only $30 a night at the Duncan L Clinch marina. It is a very nice marina and the Grand Traverse Bay is a wonderful place to sail.

- John

[brackish]

John,

Good luck with that Marathon.   I ran the Boston Marathon last spring.  At 66 Y.O., it may be my last.  I like the experience of participating at that distance, but no longer want to go through the rigors of training for it.  I'm switching to destination half marathons.   Find a place your would really like to visit, then run a half marathon as part of the trip.  My normal running schedule keeps me trained for that without having to do anything special. 

If you've trained properly, you won't need luck, just run your pace, don't go out too fast, and don't listen to those voices in your head during the last six miles.

A deep south guy the only place you've mentioned I've sailed is Lake Saint Clair.  Enjoyed that, very nice area.

Back on topic, I've read through this thread hoping to learn some things, but find myself sadly lacking in any background that would help me understand.  I did get a Nexus 7 tab to use on my Camino walk, and just barely learned the basics, and it has been gathering dust since.  I don't have a smart phone, so no background from that source, although my wife and I are considering trading in our old dumb phones and moving into that area.  I think I may need a copy of "Android for Dummies".

[EclipseGuy]

Wow! Running a marathon at 66 is impressive!

I was not originally a runner and didn't really start running until about 3 years ago. It seemed to be something I could do consistently even when I travel for work because a lot of hotels have tread mills. Even my marina has tread mills. I have been consistently running 4 miles a day, 5 days a week for a couple of years now. I know I can run a 10K, but a marathon is another story!

In regards to your comments about smart phones and Android, I would bet you would do just fine with an Android phone or iPhone. Smartphones have crossed the point of originally being gimmicky and difficult to use to actually being intuitive and useful.  Tablets are even better since they have larger screens.

[Cevin c Taylor]

EclipseGuy - I live in the Ann Arbor area,  and I have sailed out of Sterling State park in Monroe several times.   I'd like to try Lk St Claire this season.   I also wast to sail out to South Manitou Island off Sleeping Bear Dunes.  We will be camping up there in July.  ANY INTEREST?  I posted a trip proposal last year for over Labor day, but no one could do it.  We ended up going up to SBD as planned, but Lake Michigan was too intimidating to do alone.  We ended up sailing on Platte and Crystal Lakes.  I definitely want to sail at Tawas this year.

[EclipseGuy]

I would definitely be interested in a Manitou Island exploration trip. July is just my most difficult month to plan something though. The month of July is pretty much dictated to me by family. They have already planned our trip to the Bass Islands, where we are also meeting up with relatives from south Carolina.

The Bass Islands in Lake Erie are one of my favorite places to sail. The nice thing about it is the fact that friends and relatives can meet me at Put-In-Bay via the Ferry, and I can do things with them and take them for a sail around the islands, yet they are not committed to having to do an actual sailing trip to get there.

Put-In-Bay has a lot to do for the entire family. During the day the kids tour the butterfly farm, and the geode cave, and Perry's monument, and the go-carts and such. At night the entertainment switches over to a lot of partying so the kids head to their hotel or campground (which is at the other end of the island far from the partying), or in some cases they stay on the boat with me. The campground itself is just beautiful.

I don't stay at any of the main marina's in Put-In-Bay because the partying at night is insane and everyone is drafted together. What I like to do is stay at a mooring ball in the bay itself, that way I can enjoy watching all the fun happening on shore, but I don't actually have to participate!

It is a win-win vacation destination. I get to share some of my sailing hobby with my family and friends while also doing things that they enjoy. I also get to introduce sailing to the kids. It always excites me when I let one of the kids take the wheel or tiller and they realize that it can indeed be an adrenaline rush while sailing a boat that only moves 5 or 6 MPH! Last year one of my friends was fighting with his 10 year old son over who's turn it was to be helmsman. Neither of them had ever sailed before, nor were they ever interested in sailing before, and now they were fighting over it!

Anyway, I would definitely be interested in a trip to the Manitou Islands, I just wouldn't be able to do it in July. It would be great if something could be organized with a few of us, but I know that there are many things that make gatherings like that difficult to organize and do. The cost of gas to tow the sailboats to a destination is very expensive, getting the time off from work (and sometimes time off from family) is difficult, tow vehicles and trailer maintenance can be an issue, and then for a trip like this some people are intimidated by the big lake (I don't blame them). 

I try to make sure that I do at least 4 trips a year outside of my local sailing area. I know that doesn't sound like much, but I am not retired yet so I have to juggle time off from work.

Sorry to get so off topic!

- John