New system for 34' sailboat

[fferraz]

Hello my friends from the Raymarine Forum!

I'm looking for a complete new system for my 34 foot sailboat here in Brazil.
There's no electronics presently installed onboard, so I'm starting from scratch. I'd like to have wind, depth and speed information and a good chartplotter, for now. Maybe later add AIS and radar.
My steering uses cable, but for now I'll stick with my good old AutoHelm 3000, but anyway, it'd be nice to have the possibility to add a modern autopilot in the near future.
Propulsion is sails + a 46hp engine (old engine with no data output other than RPM) and hull material is fiberglass.

My budget for this is U$ 2000.00, maybe a bit more if needed. What do you suggest? After some research, I'm interested in the i70 system pack and maybe the a78 Multi-function display, but I'm open for other ideas, specially cheaper ideas hehehe...

Regarding the a78, would it be ok for a wet cockpit? Or should I use it inside the cabin? My cockpit has limited protection and water sprays will be constant under heavy weather. Also, would I be able to view the instruments data on it too? Could I use just one transducer or will I need 2 (one for the i70 and one for the sonar)?

Also, since I'll be buying this in the US, is it possible to get it with charts for South America, or maybe without charts?

Thanks in advance for your attention!!

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

Welcome to the Raymarine Forum fferraz,

While Raymarine's MFD's are designed to meet the IPX6 standard for protection against water ingress, touchscreen performance may be adversely impacted when operating the MFD. For this reason, Raymarine's e-Series and eS-Series MFDs feature HybridTouch interfaces, permitting buttons and a UniController to be used instead of the MFD's touchscreen when operating in wet conditions. As such, it would be recommended that an a-Series MFD be accessorized with a RMK-9 Remote Keyboard when such MFDs will be operated in wet conditions. Should an a78 be purchased, then it would be recommended that a compatible thru-hull transducer be used for sailboat applications. Otherwise, your suggestion for the a78 and i70 System Pack would be a good recommendation. The E70203 a78 MFD does not feature charts, permitting a Navionics or C-Map chart card to be separately purchased for use with the MFD. The E70203 a78 MFD's package also includes no transducer.

[fferraz]

Hey Chuck, thanks for the reply!
Ok, nice tip about the remote keyboard, I'll look into that!
So, about the transducer, I'll need the CPT-110 (Plastic) or CPT-120 (bronze), right? That's nice to know because many packs come with the CPT-100 already...
Well, ok then, I'm just gonna look a bit more into the options between a7 or a6 MFD's, specially because of the transducers and charts that come together.

Thanks again, Chuck!

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

fferraz,

Q: 'll need the CPT-110 (Plastic) or CPT-120 (bronze), right?
A: Correct.

[fferraz]

Hey Chuck, let's say that I want to keep the a7 or a6 inside the cabin on my main pannel, and use another display for the cockpit, this way protecting the main display and also serving as a backup unit too... Would the dragonfly products be an option for that? Would they be able to use the same transducer for the sonar and also show the information coming from the i70 system if necessary?

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

fferraz,

Dragonfly displays are designed for single station, stand-alone applications. Dragonfly displays are not designed for dual-display or multi-display installations and have no communications interfaces to permit them to be networked with other devices. Dragonfly displays are not compatible with transducers designed for use with the ax8 MFDs, eSx8 MFDs, and CP100.

[fferraz]

Chuck, if I want to buy only the MFD and the sensors, would that work ok?
What transducers and etc you recommend for wind, depth and temperature, to use with a6? (please include possible hubs or networks I would need for that)

One other question. Do Raymarine provide global support and warranty? If I buy in the USA and then have to repair it here in Brazil, will the warranty cover it?

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

fferraz,

Marine Express is the only authorized Raymarine dealer in Brazil. Marine Express will only perform warranty repairs on products purchased from Marine Express.

Are you seeking fishfinder features with the a5? MFD? If so, are you seeking 600W conical 50/200kHz, CHIRP/DownVision fishfinder features, or simply seeking Chartplotting/Radar features in the MFD?

[fferraz]

I'm not so interested in fishfinder features... What I want is chartplotter, wind, depth, speed and temperature.

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

fferraz,

Then an E70162 a65 5.7" Multifunction Display with Wi-Fi, No chart card would be recommended. The Raymarine i70 Sailing System Pack PACKAGE CONTAINS:
1ea E22172 i70 Instrument (include 400mm SeaTalkng Spur Cable)
1ea E70010 ITC-5
1ea A22154 DST800 Transducer (supports depth, speed, and water temp)
1ea E22078 Standard Wind Transducer
1ea A06031 Backbone Terminator
1ea A06074 Inline Terminator
1ea A06068 Backbone Cable 9M
1ea A06049 Power Cable

As you will need an additional spur socket to interface the a65 MFD to the SeaTalkng backbone, the a65 may be interfaced to the i70's second SeaTalkng spur via an appropriate length of SeaTalkng Spur Cable as long as the SeaTalkng spur comprising the i70 and a65 does not exceed 5m.