Easing the exploration of uncharted waters

By Bryony McCabe

From Superyacht News

A look at the latest navigation technology that is enabling yachts to go further afield while also cruising safely.

Although very little of the world’s oceans remains uncharted, depending on when an area was last surveyed, varying degrees of reliability means vessels are not able to rely solely on charts wherever they are in the world. The number of changes to the seabed floor dictates that a chart based on a survey from the beginning of the Admiralty, for example, is not likely to be accurate today. While commercial routes are kept relatively up to date by official charts, many parts of the oceans are inadequately surveyed from a yachting point of view...

…FarSounder has been installing its forward-looking sonar systems on board superyachts since 2005, with demand growing exponentially in recent years for two main reasons. “Exploring remote areas is at the forefront of today’s yachting industry,” says FarSounder CEO Cheryl M. Zimmerman. “Also, safety is important to all owners and captains, and this [technology] is leading the way in safe navigation. Charts can’t see icebergs, shipping containers or shifting bottoms. This 3D real-time system will ‘see’ if there is an obstacle ahead in the water column or along the bottom down to 50m.” 

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