Openplotter on a Raspberry pi – An Alternative to Expensive Marine Electronics?

Openplotter on a Raspberry pi

An Alternative or Backup chartplotter, AIS, autopilot etc…This is a detailed 40 minute video…so go in when you have time…Nick Bernstein, truly a warm but geeky sailor (meant in the kindest of ways!) presents a fantastic tutorial introducing how everything plays out with this open platform software/hardware solution for navigating oceans!

I just republished, from “Nick Sails” , a video that may be helpful to some of our more tech savvy viewers. I am simply helping to get this technology out there, for those who may want to explore it further. The world, and its technology is growing so quickly!

DISCLAIMER: I do not know that much about this system, but it appears that if you have some patience, some technical know how with computers, Linux, etc, that this could be an interesting alternative or at least a backup to some of the expensive solutions available for sailors worldwide. It’s inexpensive, but it may require a lot of time and learning. The hardware may or may not be reliable in the marine environment. Hopefully, someone will take this and run with it, and the prices of marine electronics will come down someday. They obviously have a long uphill climb to make it happen, but I thought you might enjoy this product in infancy…though it it very developed too, all at the same time. I’m not sure it’s ready for the big time yet!

I don’t know how reliable it would be in a marine environment, and I’m not sure where or how the support for it is, especially as you are sailing around the world with it. But it’s something that gave me pause, for sure. Someday, maybe I will give it a whirl…Comment on the video after you watch it to let me know if this is something you would like to see more about…

 

Also…he just released another one…here it is:

Part II on Nick Sails on Youtube!

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Valiant 40 Sailboat Tour (#3) Down Below Part 2. Water Tank Repair, Chain Locker, Marine Toilet, Electronics

Nick Sails on Youtube: Here is his next video in his series:

 

Who is Patrick Childress..and why a YouTube Channel?

7364 Subscribers, 34 videos, and over 3 millions minutes of watch time now!

Watch the video to find out why Patrick loves YouTube…And Read below for his background…

Who is Patrick Childress, and why a Youtube channel? Patrick and Rebecca Childress are sailing around the world on their 1976 Valiant 40,  SV BRICK HOUSE, one of the sailing world’s most famous Bluewater Cruising sailboats.

Patrick learned to sail when he was a young child, and has played around and worked around both sailboats and powerboats for half a century.  Rebecca didn’t learn to sail until she was in her 20s when the sailing bug bit her hard!p, but has been at it with both feet in for a few decades now. But we are both still really young!!!

Patrick completed a solo-circumnavigation on Juggernaut, a Catalina 27 in his younger days. He has been published in most U.S. and many foreign sailing magazines, for both his writing and photography. He co-authored a book titled “The Cruising Guide to Narragansett Bay and the South Coast of Massachusetts”. He holds his 500 Ton Masters Captains License, and is an active delivery captain and instructor. His Ham license is a General.

Captain Patrick Childress owned a home improvement business in Newport, RI but retired in June 2007 to cruise a second time around the world on Brick House.

He is also, most importantly, Captain of SV Brick House, AND married to Rebecca Taft, now Rebecca Childress! (July 4, 2007)

Rebecca Childress is an accomplished sailor as well. She has owned many boats ranging from a 17′ MacGregor, a Catalina 27′ and a 36′ Catalina, and now the Valiant 40 that she purchased a few years before meeting Patrick. (Lucky Patrick hah?)

Before meeting Patrick and heading out on this circumnavigation, she had completed numerous blue water passages between Rhode Island and the Caribbean and passages across the Gulf of Mexico. Cruising has included the Bahama Islands, New England, Nova Scotia, the Florida coast and the BVIs, all in preparation for the day she could circumnavigate.

Rebecca holds her 50 Ton Masters Captains License with towing and sailing endorsements. She is also a General Licensed Ham Radio Operator.

She met Patrick on her first NARC Rally from Newport to Bermuda. She had always dreamed of sailing around the world, and knew that a passage to Bermuda in November would teach her more about heavy weather sailing since it is usually rough that time of year.

Several years later when Patrick and Rebecca got together, they set their sites on earning enough money to cruise around the world together! Three years later, they had saved just enough money and were ready to move aboard!

First mate Rebecca became a successful Realtor in Newport, RI, and has an extensive list of Computer Certifications and experience as well.

Now they are both retired!

After almost 8 years of exploring the Globe, they decided to add another crew member to Brick House. This was while in the island nation of Palau. They got Lily, a 7 week old practically wild little tiger kitten from a local apartment building. She has grown up on Brick House, learning how to sail ( the first time a freighter passed and stirred up a wake, she vomited at the sight of it. She hasn’t been sick since, even in 50 knots of wind!) She has learned how to fish, lets us know when people approach the boat, and has learned how to swim too.  With almost 15,000 miles and 18 countries under her belt, she is a well traveled cat. On the rare occasion she gets to a marina, she decides its time for her to to see the world! I guess she takes after us!

Together, we make a great team taking our home around the world,

Here is a good place to start…and continue your sailing education:

YouTube Sailboat How To Videos…Tools we use for growing our sailing Youtube channel that have worked

 

Ever wonder if Patrick wrote any books in his life?

FLASHBACK! The Day We Untied the docklines and left

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