The iPad was one of he best purchases we made before leaving the US.

We bought it at the last minute after realizing that buying new chart cards for our rather outdated chart-plotter could become quite expensive in the long run.

The iPad 3/4G comes with an “assisted GPS” (the basic WiFi version does not have a GPS receiver) and while in the Apple store we talked to several of the geniuses about what exactly assisted GPS is. They all agreed that I had to be within reach of cell towers for it to work. I didn’t agree then and I can now say that the GPS works just fine well over 100 miles from shore and gets a fix in mere seconds.

Our boat’s chart plotter came with one chart card that covers Cape Flattery to Mazatlan. While Cape Flattery is amazingly beautiful I doubt we will ever take this boat that far north (we sailed past boats on Puget Sound and love the Pacific North West – in summer). However, in one month of cruising we had already gone past the southern border of the chart card. Not to mention that the card is from 2004 and I just cannot justify buying new cards every year or two to get important chart updates.

When we arrived in Ensenada we realized that our marina was too new to shown up on our chart-plotter. Luckily I had downloaded the latest charts onto my iPhone and we were able to come into port using it for guidance – though we quickly determined that the iPhone screen is too small to be used on a daily basis.

iPad Navionics app being used to navigate into Ensenada Blanca, Baja Sur, Mexico. The track showing us on shore is a dinghy trip to the resort to use their free wifi.

I have heard a lot of complaints about inaccurate charts around Mexico. Maybe we haven’t been to enough places, but so far we have found the charts to be about as accurate as expected. This country doesn’t have nearly the amount of money to put into charting as the US does. Of course, being hydrographers, we give anything that wasn’t charted within the last 10 years a very wide berth! And night sailing close to shore is out of the question almost anywhere.

The iPad makes route planning a breeze.

We like to sit together in the cockpit with a cruising guide and the iPad to plan our upcoming journey. Later we transfer the waypoints to the chart-plotter on the binnacle. This way the autopilot can track our course and we can kick back and keep watches from a more comfortable seat behind the dodger (which is where I initially wrote this post on the iPad while Mike was snoozing happily until his watch started).

Since the iPad has a 10-hour battery it can make it through almost an entire night of watches without having to be recharged.

To recharge our iPad we use the electricity we make with our solar panels

We have a waterproof cover for the iPad so we can keep it at the binnacle while underway.

When the battery does run out there is no need to run the generator or inverter. We simply use the same 12 volt plug we use for the iPhones and use the electricity we make with our solar panels.

We have a waterproof cover for the iPad so we can keep it at the binnacle while underway.

Even in direct sunlight the screen is easy to see if the brightness is turned all the way up; though at night it can still be a bit bright even all the way turned down.

Turns out the iPad has many other great uses.

Not to mention all the obvious ones like endless games, Facebook, internet research, dictionary, translator, email, etc…

Boat Log

We tried keeping a hand-written log of maintenance items, trips, fuel usage,etc but soon realized that after spending months trying to convert everything we had to digital we were once again using paper! We tried several of the boat log apps available for the iPad but none had everything we wanted. Finally we realized that all we needed was a calendar. We now use the calendar app and the best part is that we can search entries. So if Mike needs to know how many times we have ran the Honda generator I simply search for Honda. From there we can figure out when it’s time to change the oil. By noting our location daily, I can cross-reference the dates with our digital photos.

Weather Updates

Aside from simply using weather websites we really like the Weather 4D HD app. For $2 we get all the weather updates we can handle in a really pretty display.

We haven’t tried this yet but we have an app that will listen to the HF radio weather fax signal and then display the weather fax on the iPad. How cool is that?!

To Do List

We use the reminders app because, like the calendar app, it can work over the “cloud” and update the other iDevices. So, if I’m out and about with only my iPhone I can update our calendar or shopping or to do list and the other iPhone and the iPad will get the same update. It’s all rather brilliant! We like to take the iPhones to shore in the dinghy because they are lighter and easier to protect from getting wet than the laptop or iPad.

Movies and Music

I like to watch movies on my night watches. Since we like to stand two long night watches it helps make the time go by and keep me awake. I can only contemplate life for so long.  When on WiFi or near cell towers we can also watch Netflix. Oh, and if you want to know how to listen to Pandora from Mexico send me an email

Internet

Here in Mexico WiFi isn’t always easy to access but you can buy Internet access by the day or month and by how much data you want. No need for a multi year plan. If you just email and do daily light surfing a month of Internet can be about $20. We have a chip for the iPad and a USB stick for the laptop and have been able to get Internet over 10 miles offshore. Great for getting weather updates!

By the way, if you buy an iPad outside of the US I hear (this is not confirmed) that it will not be unlocked like the US version, meaning if you buy it in Mexico it will only work with a Mexican carrier.

Phone Calls

Really cheap/free calls via Skype or Google Voice. Why did I ever pay for a cellular plan???

UPDATE (May 23, 2012)

After nearly dragging anchor onto a rock we tried to use the iPhone/iPad as an anchor alarm. The problem is that it has to be left on (screen lit) all night and connected to power. It also seems to shut itself down after some hours which turns off the anchor alarm. I’m not a fan of having to run out into the cockpit every time we get a false alarm on the chart plotter so we now use our handheld GPS with anchor alarm. We record our track and set the audible alarm. Works great and  there is no need to get out of bed!

This article was published on April 23, 2012 in Verena Kellner’s website PacificSailors.

About Verena Kellner

Verena Kellner was born and raised in Germany as an only child to German parents. In the late 80s Verena and her parents set off from Germany on their 38 foot sloop Joy to immigrate to California. In 1992 they became proud US citizens.

After high school in San Diego, Verena received her degree in geography and cartography from a small northern California college.

Not knowing what to do next she applied to every job that sounded fun and ended up on a hydrographic research ship in Alaska where she met “her captain”, Mike. Right away she set out to sell him on her dream of going cruising again. After Alaska became too cold and wet, they moved to Portland Oregon where, for the next five years, they focused all their energy on saving up for their big adventure.

Thanksgiving 2011 they spent their first night aboard their new boat Camille – a 38 foot sloop.

Verena’s favorite past times are photography, creating websites and cooking. Always looking for new galley ideas she set up a website where boaters can share their galley recipes and tips: www.galleyswap.com.

Verena and Mike are currently cruising the Sea of Cortez and have plans of sailing west in 2013. They share their adventures on their website www.pacificsailors.com.

Read also on this website

• A cruising bookworm loves her new Ebook reader, by Carolyn O’Brien

Do you use an iPad or tablet aboard? What for? How useful is it for you?

Let us know.

Email kathy@forcruisers.com or leave a comment below.

My world has changed!

After 9 years of cruising the Caribbean I am no longer pleading with visiting family and friends to forsake extra shoes, hats and toiletries so that they can pack and carry the most recent best sellers in their one precious piece of luggage now allowed by many airlines.

I no longer search the book exchanges for a book by any author, in English, that I have yet to read. Book exchanges were initially a source of pleasure and out of desperation we were introduced to authors that we probably would not have experienced other than there were no other books available. Some of these same authors have become our favourites.

The world changing event for me happened after a trip home.  With my bags packed two days before our departure to return back to the boat, I realized that my bags were overflowing and overweight and I had yet to pack one book.

My reader can hold about 160 Ebooks in memory

I made an instant decision to investigate and purchase an Ebook Reader.  I didn’t want a super deluxe version just one that would provide me with the ability to obtain and carry books that I would like to read without taking up precious space in my luggage.

The reader I chose can hold about 160 Ebooks in memory and has a slot available for an SD card in case 160 books are not enough. It is a paper-like background which allows me to read even in bright sunlight.

One of my favourite features of the reader is that I can choose the font size which is a wonderful bonus as my eyesight seems to have deteriorated over the years.

The best thing is that even with a very poor or weak WiFi connection I am able to download new books in less than 30 seconds. The Ebooks are a fraction of the price of paperback books and new releases are available at the same time or even earlier then in stores.

Since I bought my Ebook reader my husband and daughter have both purchased their own. The initial outlay is not insignificant but over time I think the Ebook Readers will pay for themselves by the reduced cost of the Ebooks .  I usually carry mine in my purse and so far the only disadvantage I have observed is that I am turning into a book worm.

Rick and I chose the Sony PRS-505 model

Rick and I chose the Sony PRS-505 model (now discontinued) and my daughter chose the fancier PRS 600 “Touch Edition”.  The Sony reader requires a computer to download the books and works with an iTunes Store-like interface.  They support multiple file formats including Adobe PDF’s, ePub, blogs, RSS newsfeeds, JEPG’s, and Sony’s proprietary BBeB (“BroadBand eBook”).

In addition to the new releases and best sellers, it’s easy to find many free books available on Sony’s Ebook store, as well as at public libraries and on other websites.

There are a number of competitors and even more emerging with different features.  So while we are very happy with our choices, it’s worth investigating before joining us as ‘Ebook worms’.

About Carolyn O’Brien

Carolyn and Rick O’Brien have cruised aboard their Bayfield 36 sailboat, Wind-Borne III, since leaving Toronto in 2001. They have travelled down the east coast of the United States, the Bahamas, Eastern Caribbean, Venezuela and the ABC Islands.

Although they still venture up and down the island chain, they now refer to Carriacou, Grenada, as their home away from home.

You can read more about their travels on Wind-Borne III’s website, www.Wind-Borne.com

More info

• Sony Ebook Readers
• Amazon Kindle Wireless Reading Device
• Barnes & Noble Nook Ebook Reader

Related articles (on this website)

• 3 tips for flying back and forth from the boat
• My Bookshelf, A Mental Voyage – Part 1 (Admiral’s Angle column #42)
• Taking Passions Cruising (Admiral’s Angle column #41)

Do you have an eReader on board?
We would like to hear your opinion! Share your own advice in the comments below or email us: kathy@forcruisers.com

I’m going to start off the Favorite Tips category on the Women and Cruising blog with a small project that we’ve found very useful aboard Hale Kai:

Like most cruisers I am superstitious: I figure if I have the all the Users, Service and Technical Manuals for the equipment aboard our boat, I probably won’t need to use them! The problem is that most equipment is shipped with bare-bones users manuals these days. However, these same companies often offer the same Users Manual PLUS Service, Technical and Troubleshooting Manuals in Adobe PDF format for FREE download on their websites.

This is a great service for us cruisers who will be maintaining our boats far from service centers.

We can maintain a complete technical library for the equipment and software we have aboard, without bookcases full of printed manuals. Of course, we still carry any Users Manuals that came with our equipment, but we supplement this with manuals that we store on our computer’s hard disk.

And if you’ve ever bought used equipment without a manual, or bought a used boat and can’t find manuals for the gear that came with the boat, now you have a convenient way to get the missing manuals.

So, when you have a good internet connection, download Users and Technical Manuals for the equipment aboard your boat.

We don’t print out the manuals, because that would largely defeat one of the key purposes: saving weight and space aboard.

We just call them up on the computer if we need them.

An added plus: you can use the Search feature in Acrobat to find what you want.

How to Find the Manuals for Your Equipment and Software:

Often, the easiest way is to select the SUPPORT or DOWNLOADS tab from the manufacturer’s website.

• For example, from the Icom Radio homepage, select the Supports tab. On the main support page, you will find an option labeled:

Product Documentation

Download instruction manuals, brochures and product documentation from our Download Database.

Download Database

Scroll down the Download Database page until you find your product number.

• Another example:

Many of us have Freedom Inverter/Chargers and Link Battery Monitors from Xantrex.

Xantrex offers User Manuals plus all sorts of technical bulletins from their website.

Again, if you follow the Support tab on the Xantrex site, you will reach the Xantrex Product Support pages, where after entering your product, you can see all the relevant documents available for free download.

Most manuals are 1-10Meg in size, so it’s best to save this task for a time when you have a fast internet connection. When you download a manual, save it under a name that will identify it later when you are looking for it. (e.g., Name it “Link2000InstallationInstructions.pdf” rather than accept the cryptic “docserve.pdf”.)

Whether you need a manual for your PYI Shaft Seal, your Maptech Offshore Navigator program, your Garmin GPS or Chartplotter, your Andersen winch, or your Spectra Watermaker (click on Technical Support), you will find manuals and troubleshooting bulletins online.

There ARE manufacturers (eg Frigoboat, KISS Wind Generator) who display their manuals directly on their web pages rather than in PDF form. Usually, you can still download these through one of several methods:

• Save the webpages as a web archive
• Save or print to a PDF file (This requires a full version of Acrobat, you can’t do it with the free Adobe Reader)
• Copy and Paste what you want to your word processor

Be sure to carry one or more jump drives with you. If you need a manual or technical bulletin and don’t have internet access on the boat, head into an internet cafe and download what you need to your jump drive. I’ve done it several times ….

Do you have a favorite tip to share?

Email kathy@forcruisers.com.