INSTRUMENTATION

Introduction

In this article I will attempt to describe the process by which I selected and procured the sailing instrumentation, how I have learned to use it to best effect and some of the pitfalls I encountered along the way. When I first considered the issue, use of computers was not contemplated by me, subsequently resisted on the basis of KISS but I now have to admit that if I did it again my first consideration would be, whether the instrumentation was compatible / designed to integrate with an on board computer as I think that is where the future is. However I would still look for a stand alone functionality in the individual unit.

Scope & Budget

When I first started to consider instrumentation, during the budget phase, I knew very little and was very much guided by the salesmen in the chandlers I consulted.

The setup I budgeted for was:

Chartplotter / Fishfinder Combo with a provision to add Radar later.

Auto Pilot – linked to hydraulic steering provided for considerable savings.

VHF Radio

Sailing Instruments – Wind 2# (each helm), Speed + Depth (SB Helm), Repeat (Port Helm)

Compass 2#

I was persuaded to provide for the Simrad range of equipment, as I believed it to be superior and it provided for the future radar add-on functionality I thought I need for cruising.

Selection

Finalizing my options became an issue when I started to close up the cockpit as I had to decide how to lay out the helm positions, provide for the steering, engine controls, instrumentation and in general decide how the cockpit would function whilst we are underway.

This is where dealing with a local supplier comes to the fore as the salesman I was dealing with, Kenneth was prepared to come up to look at the situation and suggest options.

Prior to this discussion I had already decided that the “Radar add-on” facility was not a required item and that opened the door to other brands, Raymarine & Navman, for consideration, as the money saved that way would allow me to provide for more functionality at the nav station and pay for some of the other “overspends” to date.

I had also concluded that the purpose of the instrumentation was, to assist me in achieving save, straightforward cruising and that I didn't need not the ultimate performance indicators that racing might require. Therefore I intended to select on the basis of function, reliability and serviceability besides economy.

After inspection of the boat and considering my criteria Kenneth suggested that he should do a quote for me utilizing Navman instrumentation and we agreed on the following scope:

SB Helm:

Trackfish 6600 Chartplotter / Fishfinder

3100 Depth

3150 Wind

3100 Speed

3100 Auto Pilot Display

Port Helm:

3150 Wind

3100 Repeat

Nav Station

VHF 7200 DSC radio

Pilot 3380 package (incl. 2 lt pump)

Transponders (wind, speed, sonar) to be included

2# Navbus connection boxes

I’d come across the Navman brand on my brothers boat, knew it to be "local" (KIWI) with a reputation for reliable functionality. Navman has since changed ownership and is now supplied through Navico, the brandname has now changed to "Northstar" and all the current details of the equipment, including User Manuals, can be found on the net at www.northstarnav.com

Purchasing

Good buys were available through the Internet and through interstate dealers, but Kenneth provided me with a competitive quote and I ordered the gear through him with a commitment on his part to sort out any problems I might have during installation and to check / commission the system once the boat was launched.

He ordered the gear in and kept it in stock for me. I picked the components up, in time to make the final provisions, this way I maximized my warranty period. The warranty period was still severely compromised this way (- 10 months) and the next time I’d look to do a deal (supplier, manufacturer) to try to get the warranty to commence at the time of launching.

The manuals that came with the equipment illustrated the installation requirements in more detail, enabling me to plan / provide for them in conjunction with the fit out.

Installation

I tried to time the installation of the components at the “optimum” time, providing for the best access yet limiting the potential for subsequent damage by other items.

Some of the time this is easy to determine, like in this instance, the mast head, where I installed the wind vane base, tri color / anchor light and VHF antenna vase + cabling in advance, prior to assembly of the mast.

 

All the instrument displays were installed on completion of the external paint coat, prior to the internal fit out, thus enabling easy access for the wiring.

It also illustrated the access provisions I’d have to build into the furniture to allow for alterations / maintenance purposes.

 

My approach to the furniture, dry building and subsequent removal for finishing, made the installation much faster. These are the paddle wheel (speed) and sonar transponders (both thru-hulls). In view of what happened subsequently I’d try to avoid these type of transponders in the future. (The valves you can see are the Port bow watertight compartment drains).

 

The final phase of the installation did not occur until after the furniture had been reinstalled as it required it, to be in place, like here behind the Port helm station, where the auto pilot core pack is fixed to the cupboard side (for easy access whilst replacing a fuse. Subsequently I remounted the Octopus pump, off, the bulkhead on to a bracket and on rubber to try to alleviate the noise the unit makes, without a lot of success, as these units are noisy and the noise is also transmitted by the hydraulic lines through the boat. You'd have to be very tired to sleep in the aft cabins whilst under autopilot .

The nav station instrument installation was also dependent on the furniture being in place as a major traverse duct is formed by the saloon seat back and the back of the nav table/freezer cabinet.

The photo shows the seat duct (without cover) on the left and this runs right across, the continuation of the duct behind the nav table, from where it feeds up to the console, or down via the grey box duct in the leg space. The shelf in the nav compartment is removable to provide for access to the console wiring.

The console was originally loose which made the fitting of the instruments easy, subsequent add-on’s have been much harder to install.

Also the wiring was initially well disciplined, but as things have been altered and extra things added (AIS, CD tuner, remote switch inverter, new wiring connections) it’s become more chaotic.

Somehow the additional wiring has tightened up what was there and now it’s not as easy to lay the console flat to work on it as it was. I am glad I labeled all the wiring with masking tape labels which makes identification of the function possible, even in this mess.

Providing full rear access would overcome this.

The SB helm installation is not dependent on the furniture, but the furniture had to be designed to provide access for maintenance and wiring as it would be a nightmare without it. I provided for the top and the drawers to be easily removable, the cupboard innards under can also be stripped out to gain full access to the wiring coming up.

Traverse wiring thru the saloon is accessible but requires disassembly of all the installation along the bulkhead which takes one hour minimum and clutters up all the available space so one can hardly move.

 

Commissioning

When the boat was launched I thought the problems I had were due to unfamiliarity with the equipment and it took a while to figure out that something else was wrong and that things weren't working as they should. Trying to solve my problems verbally with the supplier the inevitable reply was there had to be something wrong with my wiring/connections.

With an interconnected system such as mine it is very hard to isolate the problems as the instruments all “talk” to one another. The depth/speed transponders going to the chart plotter in lieu of the individual units makes it impossible to isolate the units and test them one at the time.

Kenneth, who’d promised to help commission/debug the system was only available to do this if I could take the boat up to Adelaide, 80 kms up the coast, as his time availability was limited. So I arranged for a trip up to get things sorted. On arrival Kenneth took stock of the problems as I understood them, checked/tried a few things and then got in touch with the Navman technicians interstate. After re setting some parameters, things seemed be working better and we then took the boat out to calibrate the auto pilot, after which everything seemed to function well.

Kenneth left and we departed for our cruise. Halfway across the Gulf and John commented that in his opinion the instruments were wrong and indeed the wind data did appear to be incorrect.

Subsequently I had problems with the depth and the speed data as well and when trying to resolve/identify the problem was inevitably told that it had to be a wiring issue (faulty joint, pinched cable etc.) In trying to find it I pulled the boat apart about 3 times, tracing wires looking for kinks, re doing connections, without success.

After 3 months and in advance of the 07 Lincoln Race I finally located the local service agent for Navman and he agreed to go through the system for me in detail. For this I had to visit Adelaide again, which was rewarded by a fantastic run under spinnaker (23 knots), didn’t know the wind data though.

Graham, the service agent, arrived after I’d stripped out the boat, spend 2 hours checking everything and ran 2 additional wires, not called for in the installation manuals (NMEA connections GPS>Radio & Auto Pilot). The problems were still there and he then tested the transponders, Wind / Speed / Sonar, by using other units he had in stock and found all 3 of mine to be faulty, 2 of them (Wind & Sonar) were intermittent faults. He had replacements brought in overnight from Sydney and after installation / calibration everything worked.

Now all I had to do is learn how to use the instruments.

Usage

Most of our sailing initially was day trips and short duration cruises in SA waters and I used the instruments as follows:

SB Helm

GPS – Mostly by positioning the cursor on our destination we’d get the bearing / distance in the bottom LH corner and used that to navigate. When warranted the chart would be studied for navigational hazards.

Tide info.

Anchor watch

Speed over ground (SOG) > Speed thru water comparison to establish current flow.

Sonar Chart – Depth and ground conditions, plus occasionally fish finding.

WIND – speed & direction both apparent and true. Used to determine reefing, 1^st at 15 knots true, 2^nd at 20+ knots true, both conservative but this way the boat & crew aren’t stressed.

AUTO – Used to hold into the wind when sailing with limited crew.

Used a lot when motoring / motor sailing. Also the bearing indicator seems to be the easiest reference to steer by.

The auto pilot display also shows the rudder angle which is a vital function with 2 independent hydraulic helms as markers on the helm won’t work. For maneuvering with the motors the rudders need to be centralized and this is the only way achieve it.

SPEED – displays thru water speed, plus provides trip and total log function.

DEPTH – shows depth and allows the whole of the chart plotter screen to be used for the chart.

COMPASS – Used by some for helming but mainly a back up instrument.

SB / PORT Engine instrumentation panels

 

Port Helm

WIND – identical to the SB side, but displays independently.

REPEAT – the helms person can set this to show a wealth of info, we mostly have it set on depth and speed

COMPASS – again a stand by.

 

Nav Station

 

VHF – The radio is located inside in order to minimize noise, I have added an external speaker since, with separate switch (located top LH corner, together with sound system external speaker switch). The DSC function provides an additional safety feature + it has an in build barometer.

AUTO PILOT – located on the left, this unit provides a wealth of info and can also be used as an internal helm. Because the auto mode is much easier to alter, it the one we normally use to initially configure the auto pilot.

 

 

"More sophisticated Usage"

In preparation for the Tasmania cruise I obtained an AIS receiver, a VHF splitter and GPS receiver from Milltech Marine in the States http://www.milltechmarine.com/products.htm , which works in conjunction with the Software On Board program http://www.digiboat.com.au/ I also had to get a USB card reader and user card to allow me to use my C-Map cartridge on the computer and transfer route info to / from the chart plotter.

Whilst I have covered the use of SOB and AIS in my Tasmania trip article I will summarize the extra functionality I have achieved through this equipment (and experience):

·         SOB facilitates getting the GRIB weather files with a mobile phone data connection (E-mail), you define your own parameters and then dial up once a day to receive the info. The files are very compact and the cost was negligible. In Australia the info comes thru at 5 pm and can thus be used in planning for the next day. (When enlarging image go to "MS Explorer" maximum size, position cursor on the area, it will become a + looking glass, click and you'll get a clear focussed image.)

 

 

·         Route planning on the laptop using SOB enables you to consider the weather and study the hazards you might encounter on a much bigger screen. Once the next days route was fixed I transferred it to the Chart plotter using the User card.

 

·         Once the route is activated, the next day, it would provide a course heading, distance to way point, time to go to WP and total distance/time to destination. In the illustration the planned route can still be identified, red line with dotted corners, the actual track we sailed, the black line (the interruptions caused by the computer hibernating).

 

·         We also got into the habit of displaying VMG (velocity made good > speed toward target) beside the actual speed so we could tell the effectiveness of the sailing trim / direction.

 

·         AIS provides me with the confidence that in future I will not hesitate to depart on a cruise at nightfall and sail thru the night, providing the crew is up to it and it’s suitable weather. This screen shots shows the situation after both ships taken avoiding action earlier.

 

·         We have also learned to use the WIND, SPEED instruments in testing our sail trim effectiveness.

Warranty Issues

As I mentioned previously all 3 transponders, the Speed paddlewheel, the Sonar sensor, and Wind vane / rotor had to be replaced within 3 months. Establishing that they were faulty was the problem as the faults were intermittent and it was the service agent’s experience that resolved it. To my knowledge no field testing instruments are available for this purpose which is not very customer oriented by the manufactures of the equipment, as I understand this applies to all the makes. This is where being able to use the unit on a stand alone basis would help the DYI installer to isolate the problem.

After 6 months both the Wind LCD numeral displays started to malfunction (partial numbers) and were replaced under warranty via Graham, the service agent.

Prior to the Tasmania trip I noticed that the Wind LCD displays were playing up again and I contacted Navman (Navico) direct, who, took my word for it and came to the party by sending replacements I was able to install prior to departure. The faulty units were returned after we'd departed.

Next the Sonar transponder started to play up, working intermittently after the start of and during the Tasmania trip. Once I was able to contact Navico, on the East coast of Tasmania, they agreed to replace it and endeavored to send a replacement unit, but we never managed to coordinate a pickup successfully and I didn’t receive the unit until we got back to Adelaide. Thankfully it was an interment fault and somehow it came good whenever we needed it the most.

If it had reached us, replacing a thru hull (especially one of different diameter) is fraught with danger, as you need to slip or, in our case beach the boat to do it. I will look to fix the replacement transponder inside the hull by removing some of internal laminate and core material and bedding the transponder in silicone against the external laminate.

During the Tasmania trip the LCD on the other 3100 displays, SPEED, DEPTH, AUTO and REPEAT also started to play up to where they were unreadable or could only be read taking considerable care. On my return I contacted Navico and after some discussion they agreed to fix them for a fixed service fee (the units were out of warranty). To my pleasant surprise they not only replaced them with new units, they did so at no charge.

In Hindsight

The 3100 SPEED and DEPTH at the SB helm are not really required as all the info displayed can be provided by the chart plotter. Even so, if I were to start again I think I’d still put them in as it is convenient to have the info there, in large numeral, at a glance.

Next time I’d arrange the transponder connections / instruments to be able to function, as stand alone configurations and make sure they work individually before interconnecting the suite of instruments (and do that in a fashion that allows progressive checking).

Prior to installation record the serial numbers of the equipment as they can be hard to get to afterwards.

I’d also eliminate thru hull transponders.

I think the choice of a cheaper brand of instrument, Navman was sound and I’d do it again especially now that they offer radar as well.

The nav desk console / instrument space needs to have lots of room for future expansion and provide for easy access for this as well as maintenance. Also there bound to be in line fuses located in this space and these require access at the most in opportune moments.

I believe computers will be the heart of future systems, if not already so. In my case the laptop caters for entertainment (dvd’s, music, movies thru little flat screen TV), navigation planning, back up GPS, weather forecast, shipping hazard identification, ship log. Hence all instrumentation should be able to be connected/transmit data to a computer and preferably in a better format than NMEA. Direct transmission of navigation data from computer to the instruments, chartplotter, I’d look for as well.

Use of a computer in the system has the potential to do away with some of the instrumentation, like a chart plotter, by utilizing appropriate software.

Other ship systems, engines, electrical equipment, tank senders, will no doubt also be able to report back to the computer in future.

But I’d still look to set everything up so it can function on a stand alone basis, just in case!!