Auto Guidance on Garmin - any good?

Copinsay · 20 January 2012, 10:02

Hello

Does anyone have any experience of the "Auto Guidance technology searches chart data to suggest the best passage to a destination" available with Garmin g2 Vision charts?

Garmin: BlueChart g2 Vision

While I'd not want to routinely just rely on that (nor wholly rely on it at any time!), I can see that it could have its uses at certain times - eg need for a quick change of course en route.

I just ask as that would be another factor to influence a chart plotter purchase... Do other makers offer this functionality?

Comments welcome

Many thanks

Steve

Leapy · 20 January 2012, 10:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Copinsay

Hello

Does anyone have any experience of the "Auto Guidance technology searches chart data to suggest the best passage to a destination" available with Garmin g2 Vision charts?

I've used it out of curiosity initially but now when the kids are driving so they've got a course to follow without me continually looking over their shoulders. Seems to work fine...

Poly · 20 January 2012, 10:24

JK used it for some of our trip from Oban to Redbay and back last year. It certainly seems to work, and with the autopilot is an interesting experience in trusting the tools! The clearances that it uses are a bit narrower than I would do if picking waypoints - but probably fine.

You may not want to use it for steering an Italian cruise liner close to shore though!

Copinsay · 21 January 2012, 18:27

Hello All

Many thanks for this and the caveat re rocks in Italy.......

Do you know if, when it calculates a route, does it take into account tides or just calculate a basic ground track with no account of tidal streams?

Equally, in terms of draught, does it just work on LAT, or more cleverly look at depth clearances (I guess you'd need to tell it what clearance was needed) at different states of the tide?

Many thanks for your help

Steve

Portnahaven · 21 January 2012, 20:33

I use the auto guide on my garmin 6000 and find it very handy. I agree it will take you closer to shorelines, and in shallower water than i would like. You can improve this by increasing the Safe Depth (chart depth datum), and it will move you away further from shallow water. You can also increase in navigation preferences Safe Distance from Shore.

sirib · 23 January 2012, 22:05

I used the auto guide on my round Britain last autumn. I would say its fantastic, when you are in unfamiliar territory, things are getting a bit rough, there is no option to pull out a chart, the auto guide comes into its own and really helps make a sound decision to change course for a friendly port which wasn't on your original passage plan. We didnt use it much, I would say about 8 times, but each time it choose the course we would have expected, very quickly and easily. Really good to know its there.

I never found the garmin Blue Chart tide calculations accurate, so we would always take a safer option and make sure there was more than enough depth.

Copinsay · 24 January 2012, 11:11

Hello sirib

Many thanks for that - those were just the sort of circumstances where I thought it would be really useful.

Best wishes - the round Britain trip sounds like fun

Steve