Boating Tips: Chartplotter Orientation

North Up Orientation

North-up orientation is a view on your chart plotter in which the north direction is in the “up” position, in other words at the top of the screen. Some people find this view helpful because they can relate the view to a compass and have a view of their navigation at large.

Heads-Up Orientation

In heads-up orientation, compass directions don’t matter as much. In other words, the screen display is similar to driving a car, in that whatever is on your left or right appears on your screen in the corresponding location. The top of your screen isn’t showing “north”, but rather what is directly in front of you/the direction that you are heading.

How-To

You can adjust your chartplotter’s orientation simply by navigating through your settings. Because this is such an individualized topic, it helps to try both settings to see which you prefer.

Stop by your local MarineMax store, one of our associates would be happy to assist you in walking through your electronics and showing you how they work. We’ll see you out there.