Boating

PLANS A, B AND C

H

eaded out to fill the

fish boxes? Nobody

wants to burn a

hundred gallons of fuel for a

few peanut dolphin, nor do

we want to spend five hours

chumming for yellowtail

snapper only to release

80 percent of them because

they were too small. Hence

the need for homework.

First, seek advice from

locals who live in the area

you plan to fish. Find

out what’s been running

and what your best bet will

be when you go. Plan for

a primary target species,

with one or two alternatives.

Then go back to your

electronics, remembering

that many of the systems

you use on board can also

be accessed through your

home computer as well for

planning purposes.

To start, try something

like Roffs Ocean Fishing

Forecasting Service

(roffs.com). Using this (or

a similar) service combined

with a weather function

(SiriusXM satellite weather

is one example) on your

MFD can put a bull’s-eye on

your fishing area. Science

shows that each species

of fish prefers a specific

temperature range. The

weather function provides

satellite images of sea-

surface temps that guide you

to the greatest probability of

finding your target species.

Not fishing? Perhaps

you’re interested in a sunset

cruise to a waterfront dinner

restaurant and back, but

you see lightning over in

the direction you want to

go. SiriusXM weather also

shows real-time satellite

images of lightning so that

you can track it. A quick

look shows that the storm

you see is rapidly moving

away from you rather than

toward you. The evening is

saved. Onward.

THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW

T

he majority of recreational boaters knows two things
about multifunction displays: How to position the cursor
on a waypoint or destination and how to press “Go To.”
Often on the way to the destination, the current, wind or both will
have their ways with the vessel, pushing it off course. The effect
of wind is called “set” and the effect of current is called “drift.”
Most nonprofessional helmsmen simply follow the ever-changing
“Bearing to Waypoint” heading on their displays until, ultimately,
they reach their destinations. However, this is an inefficient process,
since, because of set, the course the GPS suggests between
departure and arrival resembles an arc instead of a straight line. A
feature that resolves this is called the “cross-track error” or “steering
director.” It takes your “course made good” (CMG), analyzes it and
provides a “crab angle,” or a heading to steer, that compensates
for set and drift. If you believe the shortest distance between two
points is a straight line, then this is how to steer one. Save time and
fuel all at once.

Use your electronics

to effi ciently plan out

your fi shing day, with

backup plans in place

should Plan A fail to

happen. This can help

you save time, fuel

and, of course, money.

PHOTOS: (FROM TOP) JIM HENDRICKS, COURTESY RAYMARINE

68 BOATINGMAG.COM APRIL 2016