With the help of the instrumentation and all the information at your disposal, you should be able to differentiate which data is most relevant at any given time. For example, depth will be less significant if you are crossing the English Channel than if you are entering a port with the tide ebbing.

We recommend setting up a screen with multiple pages so you can quickly and easily access the page that contains the relevant information. Screens on instruments like the Triton include up to 8 pages of data, giving you the option to customize them to your needs. Additionally, some instruments will automatically change pages if you wish. A simple user interface will allow for quick selection of the most relevant data.

How do screens get the information they display?

The data measured by the system are: Wind Speed ​​and Angle (Apparent), Boat Speed, Course and Depth. (Depth is the exception because, apart from applying an offset, it is not used in any other calculations.)

Wind Speed ​​and Angle are measured at the top of the mast using a wind arm consisting of a weather vane and wind cups. The angle the weather vane points to is measured relative to the ship's centreline and is shown as Apparent Wind Angle. Apparent Wind Speed ​​is measured in knots by calculating how fast the wind cups are turning.

Boat speed is usually measured with a log fitted across the hull of the boat. The flow of water against the log blades causes it to rotate, the speed of rotation being equivalent to the speed through the water or Boat Speed.

Depth is determined by another sensor (sometimes combined in a single through-hull transducer with the boat's speed sensor) that emits high-frequency sound pulses. The sensor "listens" to the echo reflected by the seabed and, similar to radar, calculates the distance by measuring the time elapsed from the emission to the reception of the pulse.

And that's all for our tips this week, but don't miss the next chapter where we'll go a little deeper.