Taking your boat out on the water can be a fun and relaxing. To make sure that you have a safe trip, it is recommended that you have a guide to keep you on track and make sure that you don’t hit anything that will damage your boat. While paper charts and a compass were used in the past, a Marine GPS Chartplotter has also become an indispensable tool.
More Than Just GPS
A marine GPS chartplotter is more than a typical GPS that is found in your car or cell phone. On the water, you need to not only be aware of where you are going, but also of what is hiding in the water underneath your boat as well as of any relevant weather patterns. A Marine GPS Chartplotter gives you all of this information to keep you safe while you are out in the water. Furthermore, it can help keep you on course and even provide a tracking signal for rescue ships, should you run into trouble.
Advantages Over a Handheld Device
One major advantage of a marine GPS Chartplotter over a handheld device is the size. While there is a general thought of “smaller is better” in today’s society when it comes to technology, this is not always true for when you are out on the water. A GPS Chartplotter is larger and needs to be mounted, but it will also provide a larger display and larger buttons- which is actually advantageous when you consider the fact that the ocean isn’t always the calmest environment.
But I Don’t Go Out Too Deep
Even if you don’t plan on sailing into deep water, you still need a marine GPS Chartplotter. Most boating accidents actually happen close to shore because, without proper navigation, you are actually more likely to hit something and damage your boat than you would if you were in deep water.
The use of marine GPS has become standard in training courses for sailors and can be as important as a lifejacket to keep yourself and your passengers safe. While a marine GPS Chartplotter will not replace paper charts completely on your sailing trips, it will help keep you safe and signal help should you get into trouble.
