When all else fails, smartphone navigation can be a great back up to help get you home. Pip Hare explains how it\u2019s doneSetting depth shading can help route planning if using a phone for emergency navigationNo matter how good navigation apps have become, using your smartphone as a main method of navigation is just not a good idea. The screen is tiny and you\u2019ll struggle to get a global view of what is ahead and how quickly you may arrive at critical points on your passage.
\nBut when all else fails it can be a great back up to get you home and a useful tool for situational awareness. I have ended up using my phone on several occasions when caught out. Here are a few of my tips for making the most of your pocket-sized computer and staying safe on passage.
\nBe prepared
\nHowever you navigate it\u2019s always a good idea to have a \u2018road book\u2019 or passage plan made up before leaving the dock. If you haven\u2019t done this preparation and end up reverting to emergency smartphone navigation then get yourself to a known position \u2013 head offshore to deeper water if necessary \u2013 and hit pause for a while.
\nThis could be hove-to, or just plodding along with the jib rolled at a low, controllable speed to give yourself enough time to map out a course.
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Visualise your depth
\nDue to screen size it\u2019s difficult to \u2018walk the course\u2019 on a phone, but before heading straight into \u2018following the dot\u2019 try to get an overview of your passage and write down the key points where you need to change course or pay attention.
\nAn easy way of getting this overview is to adjust the depth shading on your app. Most apps will allow at least two areas of shading in different colours. Initially set one of these up to reflect the draught of your boat and current conditions.
\nFor example, if sailing with a draught of 2m and conditions are relatively flat, set the first shading to 4m and leave the second one white. This will allow you to zoom out to view the whole passage.
\nAlthough you will lose the detail you will still clearly see any areas that could pose a problem, enabling you to route around them.
\nIdentify each of these areas, make a note of where they are and roughly what time on passage you will near them, and then zoom in to see the detail.
\nLooking at the data in this way will enable you to set up a course quite quickly before doing a final check \u2018walking\u2019 along your line at full zoom.
\nGo old school and use a pen and paper to make those notes, then when the planning has been done leave your shallow water shading set up to suit the passage.
\nIf a second shading option is available then add this to allow quick verification with your depth sounder of where you are on the route, for example, by setting it to 10m.
\nUsing waypoints
\nInserting a waypoint into your phone can be as easy as touch and go. Press the screen and a line to follow will appear with a course and distance. But there are a couple of common sense points to observe when marking these positions:
\nEnsure you are zoomed in enough to place the waypoint at exactly where it needs to be. It\u2019s tricky to get this level of accuracy on smaller screens.
\nOnce a route has been established, carefully search down it to ensure there are no surprises or dangers along the way \u2013 the depth shading tool can be useful for this.
\nAuto-routing functions, which automatically create a route from destination to dock, are a great way to quickly get going, but ensure you have the correct specifications for your boat in the settings.
\nEspecially if you regularly sail on different vessels, having the correct draught and safety margin is essential.
\nNever follow the auto-route blindly, always check the length of the route zoomed in before following it.
\nUse markers to highlight areas of concern or \u2018guard zones\u2019. Depending on which app you use, markers are often placed on a different layer of information and so will stay visible even when you zoom out and lose other information. It can be useful to use markers instead of waypoints.
\nLimitations
\nAs good as smartphone navigation apps are, the limitations should be taken seriously so never set out with your phone as a primary means of navigation.
\nIf there is any chance you\u2019ll be using smartphone navigation as a back up make sure you have downloaded all the charts you might need.
\nZoom in: The dangers of navigating at too low a zoom level are well documented.
\nWet weather: This is a perennial problem for touch screens and, in the wet, phones can be impossible to operate.
\nLook out of the boat: Always back up your position and your plan with visual real world data. Look out of the boat and match your surroundings to the screen. Use the depth sounder to confirm your location.
\nGPS: The GPS in an average phone is reasonably accurate but can lose signal, or have a delay in position reporting. Never rely on it to be 100% correct, so if it becomes your only means of navigation set higher margins of safety on your course.
\nUseful tools
\nHere are a few tricks for using the in-app tools to help with navigation:
\nClearing bearings: Use the measuring tool to mark clearing bearings, which can be visually checked with a hand-bearing compass as you sail. This is great for making landfall.
\nRecord your track to show the effects of tide and wind shifts: Displaying the track can show the distance between COG and heading, as well wind shifts if sailing to wind.
\nLaylines: To estimate where you should tack, work out what your next heading should be based on current course and estimated tide, then place one end of the measuring tool where you wish to end up and lay the other end across your projected track.
\nFirst published in the January 2020 edition of Yachting World.
\nThe post Smartphone navigation: Pip Hare\u2019s top tips for sailing by iPhone appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When all else fails, smartphone navigation can be a great back up to help get you home. Pip Hare explains how it\u2019s doneSetting depth shading can help route planning if using a phone for emergency navigationNo matter how good navigation … <\/p>\n