The Garmin Foretrex 201 is a great little GPS unit with user customisable displays, 5 min countdown timer etc which fits into our type of sailing well and also duals up on the mountain bike with good handlebar mounts and memory space for routes.

What I don't have is a good software package that will display the routes as well as upload / download routes etc. What I particularly need is detailed mapping with Bridleway and footpath info here in the UK. Can anyone recommend a particular software for this purpose <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Wayne,

The only people who have decent bridleway / footpath coverage are OS, so you need to get something that has access to the OS maps, and they're not cheap.

I've been looking at MemoryMap (www.memory-map.co.uk). You can download a free copy with a demo map (the demo map is Swansea Bay!) You can get a decent amount of the UK at £130 for 1:50,000. They do 1:25,000, but they're expensive unless you want just a small amount of the UK.

By the way, if you're interested in free maps have a look at http://www.openstreetmap.org.uk - a free map created by people with GPS receivers, and http://www.npemap.org.uk/ a map made of old out-of-copyright OS maps. With a bit of effort, you can plot GPS tracks over either of these.

Paul

OK, I love you Brits, especially the language barriers we face with all your cute words, but I have to ask, what the -heck- is a Bridleway?? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I'm guessing it's some type of back road, unpaved?

Our Gamin's here in the USA don't have most dirt roads or foot path info on them.

And the -word- on the little Garmins is they don't stay on their straps very well, several sailors here have complained of them popping off and going overboard. Have you found a better mount?

Us Brits get very excited about public rights of way - routes, often over private land, that the public has a right to use, usually because the locals have been doing so for as far back as anyone can remember. These routes are classified into footpaths and bridleways (and then public highways). Horses and bicycles are permitted along bridleways, but not footpaths. Arguably you don't need a map to distinguish bridleways and footpaths because people will tell you when you get it wrong...

Physically, a bridleway can be anything between a tarmac road (if, for example, it follows the route of someone's driveway) to a path that you would have trouble walking along, let alone getting a horse through.

Paul

Yup the Brits are the best at cute little English words.
Bridleways are exactly as they sound, you can ride your horse, mountain bike and walk along said Bridleways at any time of day. They may meander through peoples gardens and estates but no one can prevent you entering their property as long as you stay on the Bridleway. We also have " footpaths " and "RUPP'S" ( rural unpaved private lane )and several other forms of paths. I think there are over 200K miles of these paths in Britain and they offer some of the most accessible schemes of the western world to allow Joe Bloggs to walk ( or ride ) throughout their homelands. One of the more contentious for me issues of recent times, was the recent change in legislation which banned the use of motorcycles from most of the RUPPs from direct pressure of the Greenie and Horsie brigade. The irony was that a 1 ton horse galloping along the Rupp was allowed but motorcycles were deemed to be too dangerous.

As to the Garmin, yes they rely purely on a watch strap type pin to secure itself to a 25mm wide nylon strap. The first rope caught over your hand and the pin is going to be toast. Pity as I can't quite see the full displays from out on the wire if I place it on the boom. At the moment I'm just using it to check on actual speeds and using the timer.

<img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Well I didn't think you were going to use it to navigate around Datchet pond!! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Well Wayne got lost somewhere last Sunday and didn't make it to the finish line, so maybe he really needs it even on our pond <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Having been corrected from doing the wrong version of the course two Sundays ago and then asked why I missed a marker the last Wednesday night ( still not sure about that one ), I reckon I need all the help I can get.

As to where did I get to last Sunday, I fitted D12 as my spinnaker halyard as I was getting small rope burns from the previous halyard, but I can't get neither my Spinlock or Harken cleat to jam it in the up position. It slips through the cleat eventually releasing, causing all sorts of grief when you are out on the wire.

As I had tickets to Wasps rugby at 2.00 and having already been marooned at the start by getting myself into irons and watching you guys charge off into the distance, I decided to head home with my tail between my legs once more. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Wayne,

I had that problem on an old boat I had.

What I did was take the core out of a suitable short bit of rope (you need about a meter) and then put this onto the halyard where it will be in the cleat. takes a little time to whip both ends of the cover to the D12 but it is not impossible....

Thanks for the great explanations on the Bridleways guys. If I didn't own 6 horses, I might not know what a "Bridle" was though! Most Americans, certainly the City Folk, don't. We can't ride anywhere but on our own property, which gets old pretty fast.

All other property is "private" which means you must get owner's permission to ride there, which they almost never give, due to the liability issues if you fall off and get hurt on their land, they can be liable, other land is "Public" (owned by the town or city) in which case horses and motor bikes are forbidden, again due to lawsuits when some idiot hits a hole and falls off, they might sue the township. We actually had a City Commishoner trip on a town sidewalk, fell down, broke her wrist, and filed a lawsuit against the city, for not keeping up the sidewalks! Yes, she won about $100,000, for "medical bills, pain and suffering"! Yes, she sued the very city she was a commisoner of, because she tripped while walking on a city sidewalk, and won.

You know we have one lawyer for about every 8 citezens here,the most litigeous society in the world. Even dogs and surfboards are not allowed on most public beaches...let alone catamarans. You might hurt yourself or someone else. Better we all sit indoors and play video games I guess. That's safe. Any wonder we are so fat? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Seriously off topic, but here in Norway everybody are allowed to move about in nature as long as they stay off farmed ground. Motor vehicles are very restricted, but you can ride, walk, bike, ski pretty much everywhere, even on private property. You can camp for some days in the same spot as long as you are more than 200meters from any houses and not a nuisance for those in the house. Works well and very few conflicts except for those who wants to ride motorbikes/offroaders and snowmobiles. I like it.

This unit appears similar but I cannot see the same 'lugs' for the strap on the photo. Anyone know if the strap is any better than the foretrex?

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/keymaze-300-20957205/

Cheshirecatman

Rolf, you are very lucky to live in such a nice place! I keep hoping we will blow an engine as we pass overhead on the way back from Bombay, so I can drop in for a few days to visit...in July of course! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I have this unit, too. I strapped it to the rear beam of my Boyer Mk4 (previous boat) on the right side. When sailing on port tack, I guess it got hit with a bunch of pressurized water at speed. Water got into the display, and I couldn't read the display for a week. Then it dried out and started working again.

Tim,

I think you are a prime candidate to relocate after retirement. To a nation/area as described above !

Personally, I really like the way the Brits handle it. France has public walkways and lots of publically owned where you can roam but you always have to fight with guard dogs when passing any house or a rabid French person who dislikes official policy. England is MUCH better. The Netherlands maintain lots of public lands for recreation and allow quite alot of stuff albeit in a regulated sense. You have to be a registered member (but that is cheap) so they can track you down after serious wrongdoing or have to remain in the designated area. For landyachting we have some 4 area's in the countries were you are free to speed as fast as youd are.

Yes, Tim I would consider relocating after retirement if I was you and demote your savings in Euro's from now onwards !

Wouter

Wouter, believe me, I am counting on moving after I retire.

But I am thinking more along the lines of living on a big cruising cat (or Tri) in the Polynesian Islands. I will come visit all of you though, in the summer of course!

Eternal summer would be boring. Winters are refreshing, I just wish they would not last 4 months.

Make sure you have to do your emergency landing on Molde lufthavn Årø and I'll pick you up at the airport. Pass the club on the left hand with hopefully three to five F16s by next year, before dinner and drinks are served with our ocean view and boat talk for entertainment. 20 minutes from the airport to our place..
Or, you could just come on a visit anyway :-)

Rolf, I grew up in the North East US (New Hampshire if you can see it on a map) and lived up there for about 30 years, until 11 years ago. It's not nearly as North as most of you guys in England, Ireland, Scottland, Netherlands and Europe though, but I did live in Fairbanks, Alaska as a 5-6 yr. old kid, and remember the daylight all night in the summer, and dark all day in the winter! And I did freeze my toungue to a hand rail while licking a frozen drop... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I have now become quite accustomed to not wearing much clothes, year round, since living in FL for 11 years. The Gulf water today is 85F/29?C so we don't have to wear much when sailing either, which is nice when the women show up. That's the way I like it, year round. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I do appreciate your topless beaches however, I don't know why that is so frowned upon over here...

I remember when it finally hit me, about 15 years ago, I was living up north, but laying over in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, I think it was January. It was cold and snowing back home, but I was sitting on the beach in Florida, in shorts, no shirt, drinking a rum and something, when I thought, "Why the HELL do I live up there where I can't even sail my boat 6 months of the year?" My J-24 spent about 6 mo. a year in the yard.

Well, we might have stayed up there forever, NH is very nice, but Delta closed the Boston crew base so we were going to have to move to Atlanta, or somewhere close to ATL. My Wife chose Florida, because she was raised here and her Mother is here.

So here we are, and I must say, I don't miss digging my car out of a snowbank after returning from a 4 day trip at midnight, and then having to -dig a hole- to get into my driveway when I get home.

I do miss snow skiing and ice hockey. When I get to missing it, I put on my shorts, put the boat in the water and soon I have forgotten all about it!

But I would love to see your country up close, so maybe the airplane might develop a -problem- one night! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> And I think I can still ski and skate, so even winter would be ok with me. I won't have any warm clothes with me however. I can't remember where I put them. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

That is exactly what my wife I and say when we discuss southern England, New Zealand and other options. Not looking forward to december, november and february <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I have plenty of warm clothes and some spare skis, snowboards and other gear to break your bones on, no worries <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Just make sure you have to deviate a bit south of Bodø, as getting from Bodø to where we live is a trip in itself. Perhaps an issue with the navigation systems <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I glued the unit to the strap with Aquaseal and it's held for all this season. Prior to that, the pin popped free with some regularity.

dave