Choosing a chartplotter

If you are new to boating, looking at technology, or working towards an upgrade, you may be thinking about where to start investing in the right marine electronics. One core choice is navigation – getting your boat from A to B and keeping it safe while out on the water. For that reason, focusing on choosing a chartplotter is a perfect place to start your planning.

If you are buying a new boat, you may have a range of options from which to select your chartplotter, or be able to specify your preference for post handover additions and upgrades.

If you have purchased a pre-owned boat, it may already be equipped with a chartplotter. The drawbacks are that this unit might be less intuitive, slower than current equipment and not as well integrated into the rest of the boat. It might also be using out-of-date electronic charts.

As you examine your choices, you'll see that most chartplotters are now a key component of Multifunction Displays (MFDs). These screens offer a similar kind of graphically-driven information and control hub to the control screens you find in modern automobiles. Even the entry-level chartplotters in the Simrad® Marine electronics range now provide additional functionality, such as sonar (depth and fish finding) integration.

To learn more about the broader capabilities of MFDs, read our Understanding Multifunction Displays article on World of Simrad.

Choosing a chart plotter checklist

Here is a list of six questions that wil help you choose your chartplotter:

Operation – is the chartplotter intuitive? Does it have all the functions I need now and perhaps in the future?
Space – how much room is there to install one or more screens at my boat's driving position in a location where they can be read and operated easily?
Eyesight – will it be better to have a larger image to look at while the boat is moving?
Display – can I show the key features I need in one place simultaneously, such as the chart, radar and sonar.
Intended use – for example, if I am going to be fishing, would I like advanced bathymetric charts that show the shape of the sea bed in easily interpreted coloured relief? Or even user-definable marine charts enabling me to note my own features and share them?
Integration – can I exchange and display information from other marine electronics and digitally connected equipment? Equipment you might be looking to connect with will include radar, autopilot, DSC-VHF, AIS, GPS, sonar, engines, level sensors like fuel and water as well as wider equipment on the boat including entertainment, power management, lighting, security and safety alarms and control of heating and cooling

Simrad Yachting’s chartplotter multi function displays are offered in several ranges , each covering specific requirements from fully self-contained single units through to command stations that will sit at the heart of your connected boat.

Read on to learn more about each range and where to find further information.

A Simrad chartplotter for every boat

Simrad® has a very broad range of chartplotter options available, all using the latest technologies to keep your boat where it needs to be without stress. They are in use worldwide on driving positions of the smallest centre consoles and RIBS, right up to the bridges and navigation stations of large yachts.

Here’s a brief summary of Simrad’s comprehensive line-up of chartplotters options – for a more detailed summary, please visit our Pick Your Simrad® Multifunction Display page.

NSOevo3S – screen sizes from 16in-24in. Highly capable MFDs and chartplotters for luxury cruisers, large offshore sportsfishing boats and modern 'glass helm' installations where the display is completely integrated into the design.

NSSevo3S – screen sizes from 7in-16in. The premium choice chartplotter and MFD for use on cruisers and offshore sportsfishing boats with excellent integration options for Simrad and third-party equipment.

NSX™ – screen sizes from 9in-16in. The latest addition to Simrad’s chartplotter and MFD line-up with a user interface will seem familiar to any mobile phone user. Perfect for mid-sized centre consoles, leisure-oriented powerboats and dayboats with excellent integration, including radar, sonar and advanced C-MAP charts.

GO Series – screen sizes from 5in-12in. Ideal for smaller boats that need a highly capable single-display system with integration options. Includes built-in GPS and CHIRP Structure Scan® HD Sonar.