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Navigation - Apps or Maps?


huami

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We get our route planned using canalplan, print this off and reference our Nicholson guides en-route. I do have apps on my phone for these but its too much faffing around plus I want to be able to see the scenery rather than peer at an app.... (got into boating to get away from all that!)

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16 hours ago, Gayzingalone said:

but which "app"

Call me old fashioned and I’m no technophobe, but trying to automate the canal boat world sort of misses the point!

 

As I said in my post, I use maps mostly, and yes I use technology too.  I use a combination of the waterways authorities websites, BBC weather, SunriseSunset, Google &c.  The point is, though, the fun is bringing all the information together to get to wherever.

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Like Athy I uses Pearson's 'Canal Companions'. Although I also have some Nicholson's, they are rarely consulted. I find the map scale of Pearson's - 2 inches to the mile -  rather than Nicholson's OS 1 inch to the mile, much better. Every one of mine has copious added notes, such as: nice mooring spots; which swing bridges have towpath side operation or need BW key or windlass to operate (handy to know when single handed as I am), visitor moorings allowed time, etc. Google maps on tablet for finding local shops etc., then noted on Pearson's for future reference.

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22 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I use the e-canal apps on Android, but as I'm tootling along I use ancient Nicholsons, which all have my favourite mooring spots over the past 30 years marked,and tell my which lift bridges are up, down or, in some cases, apparently invisible. 

This is why we use nicholsons. we too have fave mooring spots on our set. East to scribble and retain for ever. No charging etc. If it aint broke dont fix it. Many things that remain the same on such as boats is because they simply work. This is why its still the favourite choice to have a solid fuel stove.

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7 hours ago, robtheplod said:

We get our route planned using canalplan, print this off and reference our Nicholson guides en-route.

I can't help thinking that this might be overkill on a vessel where 3mph is hard to average! Head north then turn left after about 3 or 4 days isn't hard to keep up with even without a printout... ;)

:D

 

 

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For goodness sake. The original poster doesn't want real answers. He wants to piddle away money on apps he won't use and doesn't need. Few of which will be functional where one would wish them to be and none of which will be significantly better than a free version. 

 

Even real answers could be rather superfluous... Boats often come with a nice selection of guides in them. And besides... there are often only two directions to go in on a canal. And at most points having choice implies a yoghurt pot which I don't think is the plan! :-) 

 

Love and kisses, 

An App Developer (who doesn't use GPS/mapping apps/similar and so has a perfectly functional hippocampus) 

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I use to plan with Waterway Routes app and use Collins whilst moving - however, on the last trip I found the app brilliant for cruising as it it shows precisely where you are. Its set on an ordnance survey map - like Collins - although Collins does point out other interesting features. The pubs dept in Collins I find a bit hit and miss and well out of date especially as pubs close now so frequently.

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Being a hobby boater now, I spend quite a bit of time in a house, and it's quite nice using the apps to remember journeys or imagine new ones. Actually on the boat they aren't much use, give me paper any time. 

The ecanal maps do have a log facility which might be useful to track a journey or for arguing with CRT as to how long you've been somewhere, but as I usually have GPS off to save battery life I've never got it to work. 

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Athy - We bought the boat when it was a year or so old in 2006 - lived on it ever since. Don't know if the previous owner was a member. I have replied I think to something on this forum some years ago.  The boat was made at Gloucester Docks and now resides in the centre of Birmingham. 

 

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On 24/12/2019 at 16:31, Funky said:

Athy - We bought the boat when it was a year or so old in 2006 - lived on it ever since. Don't know if the previous owner was a member. I have replied I think to something on this forum some years ago.  The boat was made at Gloucester Docks and now resides in the centre of Birmingham. 

 

I've found it: you posted once in 2010 but that was in the Virtual Pub, where posts do not count towards your total. I am not sure why that is.

 

Anyway, with two posts nine years apart, you must be our quietest and shiest member!

Edited by Athy
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I cannot really fathom why on earth would anyone need technology or an "App" to navigate the canals.  It is not hard most of the time you just keep going in ones chosen direction and every few days if you are lucky you get to choose to turn tight or left at a junction. Maybe at bit more often in Brum but even there it is pretty difficult to get lost.

 

By some Nicholson or Pearsson guides is as much as anyone needs.

Edited by churchward
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29 minutes ago, churchward said:

I cannot really fathom why on earth would anyone need technology or an "App" to navigate the canals.  It is not hard most of the time you just keep going in ones chosen direction and every few days if you are lucky you get to choose to turn tight or left at a junction. Maybe at bit more often in Brum but even there it is pretty difficult to get lost.

 

By some Nicholson or Pearsson guides is as much as anyone needs.

No one needs it, but it's cheap and quite fun. And it's useful to find shops, postboxes and stuff, but mostly it's just another toy which, after all, is what a boat is for most of us. 

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