Hello Bruce,

Tried to use your mailing address - no success ... sorry!

In the newsgroup aus.sport.sailing - 12-02-2005, I read with
great interest about your set up in your boat ... It is a
solution, I'm very much after.

Just recently, I bought a 'new' sailboat - 15 years old...
It is equipped with rather new Raymarine instruments - ST60
series - 230 VHF, RC 530 Chart Plotter, and 4000 tiller
Autopilot - all elements are connected in a SeaTalk net ...
The instruments are visible from the cockpit, but the VHF
and the chartplotter, are mounted ind the cabin. As I do not
want to make physical changes to this set up, and as I do
have a notebook and a PPC with a GPS (a little RoyalTek RGM
2000-thing), I'm looking for a cheap solution to my
'cockpit-chartplotter-problem' ...

I find the prices of the Raymarine hsb2 interface plus their
RNS navigations software far too stiff for my budget, and as
I already do have some sea maps from Maptech and some nordic
electronic maps = versions, that are not compatible with
anything else in the world - (called 'the living seamap' =
DLSK - but they cover all of Denmark, Southern and Western
Sweden and Southern part of Norway) ... I'm pretty eager to
use, what I have ...

I have - therefore and for the time being - reduced my level
of ambition from a totally 'Raymarine' integrated system
based on C-Map charts and RNS 5.0 - to a more modest level:
Run my notebook with the maps/applications I have (Navigator
Lite from Maptech and DLSK) - 'hook up' a USB-GPS to the PC,
and somehow 'connect' the PPC to my notebook PC (Win XP) so
I can keep my notebook 'down under' but with access from/or
'controlled by' my PPC.

I don't have bluetooth, so I will have to accept cables - or
what? ... at least in the first implementation I'm afraid
....

As I'm not at all competent within this field of 'system
integration', I would very much appreciate, if you would
accept to give me a little more detailed information about
how I should go about, if I want to implement the solution,
you have outlined in your 'letter' to the newsgroup.

I do not intend to integrate the system with the RayMarine
system. So my problem is 'only' to establish a
'cockpit-chartplotter-function' i.e. the right connection
between the notebook PC and the PPC running windows ...
Microsoft Pocket PC vers. 3.0.11171.

As I'm very 'intrigued' by the wireless solution, I'm
curious as to what it takes to implement that set up in my
case ... I have been at the vnc homepage, which I find very
interesting, but hard to understand ... my age and my weak
background within this field - unfortunately ... If you will
help me, I will be happy - thank you!

Being a Dane, I have problems finding the correct words
etc., but I do hope my mail is understandable.

Best regards


--
Flemming Torp
'Even the worst day sailing is better than the best day working'
....

Hej Flemming,

Could one of our NMEA multiplexers be of any use? We have a version that
translates Seatalk into NMEA and broadcasts the NMEA data over Bluetooth to
a PDA running standard navigation software.
Take a look at www.shipmodul.com and select MiniPlex-41BT or MiniPlex-42BT
from the Products page.

Meindert

"Flemming Torp" fletop(kanelbolle)2rp.d(anmar)k wrote in message
. ..
Hello Bruce,

Tried to use your mailing address - no success ... sorry!

In the newsgroup aus.sport.sailing - 12-02-2005, I read with
great interest about your set up in your boat ... It is a
solution, I'm very much after.

Just recently, I bought a 'new' sailboat - 15 years old...
It is equipped with rather new Raymarine instruments - ST60
series - 230 VHF, RC 530 Chart Plotter, and 4000 tiller
Autopilot - all elements are connected in a SeaTalk net ...
The instruments are visible from the cockpit, but the VHF
and the chartplotter, are mounted ind the cabin. As I do not
want to make physical changes to this set up, and as I do
have a notebook and a PPC with a GPS (a little RoyalTek RGM
2000-thing), I'm looking for a cheap solution to my
'cockpit-chartplotter-problem' ...

I find the prices of the Raymarine hsb2 interface plus their
RNS navigations software far too stiff for my budget, and as
I already do have some sea maps from Maptech and some nordic
electronic maps = versions, that are not compatible with
anything else in the world - (called 'the living seamap' =
DLSK - but they cover all of Denmark, Southern and Western
Sweden and Southern part of Norway) ... I'm pretty eager to
use, what I have ...

I have - therefore and for the time being - reduced my level
of ambition from a totally 'Raymarine' integrated system
based on C-Map charts and RNS 5.0 - to a more modest level:
Run my notebook with the maps/applications I have (Navigator
Lite from Maptech and DLSK) - 'hook up' a USB-GPS to the PC,
and somehow 'connect' the PPC to my notebook PC (Win XP) so
I can keep my notebook 'down under' but with access from/or
'controlled by' my PPC.

I don't have bluetooth, so I will have to accept cables - or
what? ... at least in the first implementation I'm afraid
...

As I'm not at all competent within this field of 'system
integration', I would very much appreciate, if you would
accept to give me a little more detailed information about
how I should go about, if I want to implement the solution,
you have outlined in your 'letter' to the newsgroup.

I do not intend to integrate the system with the RayMarine
system. So my problem is 'only' to establish a
'cockpit-chartplotter-function' i.e. the right connection
between the notebook PC and the PPC running windows ...
Microsoft Pocket PC vers. 3.0.11171.

As I'm very 'intrigued' by the wireless solution, I'm
curious as to what it takes to implement that set up in my
case ... I have been at the vnc homepage, which I find very
interesting, but hard to understand ... my age and my weak
background within this field - unfortunately ... If you will
help me, I will be happy - thank you!

Being a Dane, I have problems finding the correct words
etc., but I do hope my mail is understandable.

Best regards


--
Flemming Torp
'Even the worst day sailing is better than the best day working'
...

Hello Meinert,

Thank you for your proposal Meinert. I have also been visiting
your homepage. Very interesting and inspiring! By reading many of
the 'letters' in this and other news groups, I have seen your
many relevant comments. Being an 'electronic amateur', I'm not
sure, I fully understand your input in this case. Sorry for that.
Maybe a little clarification from my side can help, as I find
myself 'fighting with incompatible solutions' so to speak ...

On the actual RayMarine Seatalk-system, that is totally
integrated, I do have a
"PC-SeaTalk-NMEA Interface Box Product Number: E85001:
Interface adapter used to connect PCs running RayTech
software to the Raymarine SeaTalk data network. Can also be used
to connect NMEA 0183 devices and computers running NMEA 0183
compatible navigation software to the SeaTalk network."

The above text is taken directly from
http://www.raymarine.com/raymarine/P...duc t_id=2976

Unfortunately, I have not been succesful in establishing
any kind of meaningful communication between that interface and
my notebook applications DLSK and Maptech Navigator Lite ... I'm
still trying to figure out, what the problem is: The serial
cable? The serial to USB cable? The serial port on the PC, The
E85001 box? Right COM port? Conflict? or ... or ...

Back to my problem: Among other things, I have a
Scandinavian navigation system -DLSK - in case you read some
Danish - here is a link:
http://www.kms.dk/C1256BBB0028D4B5/(AllDocsByDocId)/3C9CB235258BF63CC1256BDB002B4EC6?open&page=detleve ndeskort2&omr=KORT_FRITIDSSEJLADS
it is not compatible with anything else. (I am afraid, that this
link is a bit too long or what?).

The DLSK-system consists of 3 CD's with some two hundred
sea maps covering the waters around Denmark, Southern Norway, and
Western Sweden, harbours, and differenet themes. I used to work
with this system in combinantion with my old Garmin GPS on my
former boat. That did cost me a notebook - unfortunately -
because the PC did not like the 'salt taste of Kattegat' ... but
it worked ... until ... That program does not run on a PDA. As I
would like to keep my new notebook 'down under' protected from
the wawes of Kattegat and Skagerak, I'm trying to figure out how
to use my PDA (that does not have blue tooth, but a little
RoyalTek GPS unit) as a screen 'reflecting' the monitor of the
notebook, that runs the DLSK application/maps. It is in no way my
intention to try to integrate this system with the Raymarine
Seatalk System - except, maybe, for the use of the GPS, as I
would like to use the Ray GPS on the notebook two - via the above
mentioned interface: Seatalk --- NMEA.

If it was not for the DKK, £ or $, I think I would buy the
RayMarine package ... but as I think I have most of the
components for establishing a 'cockpit-chartplotter-solution', I
think that will be, well ... my short term solution. (My
'captain' supports this view point very strongly). As she is
saying: We have always been able to mange with all the paper maps
.... and ... isn't she right?

In short - that was my reason for asking Bruce for some
more information about his solution with a combination of a
notebook (in the drawer) running the navigations package and the
PPC in the cockpit - 'controlling' the notebook with some
software called vnc, something, by the way, I don't know anything
about. But his statemenst made me curious. I have also tried to
address this question to some it-related newsgroups ... so far
without a useful answer ...

Do you think your NMEA multiplexer could play an active
role in my situation? Or are we talking on different subjects? If
so, I do apologise. As to the Maptech application, that can be
run on a PDA/PPC (I don't know the real difference between these
two terms): As my PPC has its own GPS unit, I don't think I would
need any multiplexor in that case - right? And the PPC unit can
not read the C-Map charts that are used in the Raymarine chart
plotter ... do you know whether the RC530 could output some
useful information to the PDA/PPC?

Again sorry for my language. There are so many words I know
in Danish ... and I'm a little confuse to be honest - so I'm
trying to make myself understandable - hope you are tolerant and
flexible ... Best regards



--
Flemming Torp
'Even the worst day sailing is better than the best day working'
....

"Meindert Sprang" skrev i en
meddelelse ...
Hej Flemming,

Could one of our NMEA multiplexers be of any use? We have a
version that
translates Seatalk into NMEA and broadcasts the NMEA data over
Bluetooth to
a PDA running standard navigation software.
Take a look at www.shipmodul.com and select MiniPlex-41BT or
MiniPlex-42BT
from the Products page.

Meindert

"Flemming Torp" fletop(kanelbolle)2rp.d(anmar)k wrote in
message
. ..
Hello Bruce,

Tried to use your mailing address - no success ... sorry!

In the newsgroup aus.sport.sailing - 12-02-2005, I read with
great interest about your set up in your boat ... It is a
solution, I'm very much after.

Just recently, I bought a 'new' sailboat - 15 years old...
It is equipped with rather new Raymarine instruments - ST60
series - 230 VHF, RC 530 Chart Plotter, and 4000 tiller
Autopilot - all elements are connected in a SeaTalk net ...
The instruments are visible from the cockpit, but the VHF
and the chartplotter, are mounted ind the cabin. As I do not
want to make physical changes to this set up, and as I do
have a notebook and a PPC with a GPS (a little RoyalTek RGM
2000-thing), I'm looking for a cheap solution to my
'cockpit-chartplotter-problem' ...

I find the prices of the Raymarine hsb2 interface plus their
RNS navigations software far too stiff for my budget, and as
I already do have some sea maps from Maptech and some nordic
electronic maps = versions, that are not compatible with
anything else in the world - (called 'the living seamap' =
DLSK - but they cover all of Denmark, Southern and Western
Sweden and Southern part of Norway) ... I'm pretty eager to
use, what I have ...

I have - therefore and for the time being - reduced my level
of ambition from a totally 'Raymarine' integrated system
based on C-Map charts and RNS 5.0 - to a more modest level:
Run my notebook with the maps/applications I have (Navigator
Lite from Maptech and DLSK) - 'hook up' a USB-GPS to the PC,
and somehow 'connect' the PPC to my notebook PC (Win XP) so
I can keep my notebook 'down under' but with access from/or
'controlled by' my PPC.

I don't have bluetooth, so I will have to accept cables - or
what? ... at least in the first implementation I'm afraid
...

As I'm not at all competent within this field of 'system
integration', I would very much appreciate, if you would
accept to give me a little more detailed information about
how I should go about, if I want to implement the solution,
you have outlined in your 'letter' to the newsgroup.

I do not intend to integrate the system with the RayMarine
system. So my problem is 'only' to establish a
'cockpit-chartplotter-function' i.e. the right connection
between the notebook PC and the PPC running windows ...
Microsoft Pocket PC vers. 3.0.11171.

As I'm very 'intrigued' by the wireless solution, I'm
curious as to what it takes to implement that set up in my
case ... I have been at the vnc homepage, which I find very
interesting, but hard to understand ... my age and my weak
background within this field - unfortunately ... If you will
help me, I will be happy - thank you!

Being a Dane, I have problems finding the correct words
etc., but I do hope my mail is understandable.

Best regards


--
Flemming Torp
'Even the worst day sailing is better than the best day
working'
...

"Flemming Torp" fletop(kanelbolle)2rp.d(anmar)k wrote in message
. ..
Hello Meinert,

Thank you for your proposal Meinert. I have also been visiting
your homepage. Very interesting and inspiring! By reading many of
the 'letters' in this and other news groups, I have seen your
many relevant comments. Being an 'electronic amateur', I'm not
sure, I fully understand your input in this case. Sorry for that.
Maybe a little clarification from my side can help, as I find
myself 'fighting with incompatible solutions' so to speak ...

snip

Do you think your NMEA multiplexer could play an active
role in my situation? Or are we talking on different subjects?

I think we were. It was indeed not quite clear to me what you wanted to
achieve. I thought you merely wanted to run navigation software on your PDA
in parallel with software on your laptop, and wanted to hook up Seatalk too.
That's why I chimed in, because I thought our BT multiplexers could help
here to translate Seatalk into NMEA, feed it to the laptop via the serial
port and at the same time to your PDA over bluetooth.

But for the VNC stuff, our solution is useless :-)

Meindert

Thank you for coming back Meindert.

No, my problem is a kind of country specific, as a lot of Danes
have invested in sea maps covering Denmark, West Sweden and
Southern Norway, but the format is not compatible with anything
in the world, and cannot run on a PPC - only on a Win PC, and you
are not allowed to get some one to convert the maps into another
format etc. Otherwise, I would not have bothered - even thinking
of this solution. And, most feedback from other people gives me
the impression, that I should look for an external monitor to my
notebook, that is prohibited access to the cockpit if it is more
than 4m/sec or there are more than three clouds on the sky ....

--
Flemming Torp
'Even the worst day sailing is better than the best day working'
....

"Meindert Sprang" skrev i en
meddelelse ...
"Flemming Torp" fletop(kanelbolle)2rp.d(anmar)k wrote in
message
. ..
Hello Meinert,

Thank you for your proposal Meinert. I have also been visiting
your homepage. Very interesting and inspiring! By reading many
of
the 'letters' in this and other news groups, I have seen your
many relevant comments. Being an 'electronic amateur', I'm not
sure, I fully understand your input in this case. Sorry for
that.
Maybe a little clarification from my side can help, as I find
myself 'fighting with incompatible solutions' so to speak ...

snip

Do you think your NMEA multiplexer could play an active
role in my situation? Or are we talking on different subjects?

I think we were. It was indeed not quite clear to me what you
wanted to
achieve. I thought you merely wanted to run navigation software
on your PDA
in parallel with software on your laptop, and wanted to hook up
Seatalk too.
That's why I chimed in, because I thought our BT multiplexers
could help
here to translate Seatalk into NMEA, feed it to the laptop via
the serial
port and at the same time to your PDA over bluetooth.

But for the VNC stuff, our solution is useless :-)

Meindert

Meindert Sprang wrote:
Hej Flemming,

Could one of our NMEA multiplexers be of any use? We have a version
that translates Seatalk into NMEA and broadcasts the NMEA data over
Bluetooth to a PDA running standard navigation software.
Take a look at www.shipmodul.com and select MiniPlex-41BT or
MiniPlex-42BT from the Products page.

Meindert

"Flemming Torp" fletop(kanelbolle)2rp.d(anmar)k wrote in message
. ..
Hello Bruce,

Tried to use your mailing address - no success ... sorry!

In the newsgroup aus.sport.sailing - 12-02-2005, I read with
great interest about your set up in your boat ... It is a
solution, I'm very much after.

Just recently, I bought a 'new' sailboat - 15 years old...
It is equipped with rather new Raymarine instruments - ST60
series - 230 VHF, RC 530 Chart Plotter, and 4000 tiller
Autopilot - all elements are connected in a SeaTalk net ...
The instruments are visible from the cockpit, but the VHF
and the chartplotter, are mounted ind the cabin. As I do not
want to make physical changes to this set up, and as I do
have a notebook and a PPC with a GPS (a little RoyalTek RGM
2000-thing), I'm looking for a cheap solution to my
'cockpit-chartplotter-problem' ...

I find the prices of the Raymarine hsb2 interface plus their
RNS navigations software far too stiff for my budget, and as
I already do have some sea maps from Maptech and some nordic
electronic maps = versions, that are not compatible with
anything else in the world - (called 'the living seamap' =
DLSK - but they cover all of Denmark, Southern and Western
Sweden and Southern part of Norway) ... I'm pretty eager to
use, what I have ...

I have - therefore and for the time being - reduced my level
of ambition from a totally 'Raymarine' integrated system
based on C-Map charts and RNS 5.0 - to a more modest level:
Run my notebook with the maps/applications I have (Navigator
Lite from Maptech and DLSK) - 'hook up' a USB-GPS to the PC,
and somehow 'connect' the PPC to my notebook PC (Win XP) so
I can keep my notebook 'down under' but with access from/or
'controlled by' my PPC.

I don't have bluetooth, so I will have to accept cables - or
what? ... at least in the first implementation I'm afraid
...

As I'm not at all competent within this field of 'system
integration', I would very much appreciate, if you would
accept to give me a little more detailed information about
how I should go about, if I want to implement the solution,
you have outlined in your 'letter' to the newsgroup.

I do not intend to integrate the system with the RayMarine
system. So my problem is 'only' to establish a
'cockpit-chartplotter-function' i.e. the right connection
between the notebook PC and the PPC running windows ...
Microsoft Pocket PC vers. 3.0.11171.

As I'm very 'intrigued' by the wireless solution, I'm
curious as to what it takes to implement that set up in my
case ... I have been at the vnc homepage, which I find very
interesting, but hard to understand ... my age and my weak
background within this field - unfortunately ... If you will
help me, I will be happy - thank you!

Being a Dane, I have problems finding the correct words
etc., but I do hope my mail is understandable.

Best regards


--
Flemming Torp
'Even the worst day sailing is better than the best day working'
...

It would seem that our friend wishes to control a notebook and it's software
located in the cabin from a PDA located in the cockpit. If I am correct in
this assumption, I would have thought this to be impossible, since the
notebook's functions cannot be replicated in the PDA, can they?

Laplink allows you to control one PC from another (remote) PC, but that is
because they are both PC's and have the same architecture.

I stand corrected if this is not the case!


Dennis.
--
Satellite photocharts of the UK & Ireland
available, excellent detail and accurate
calibration using Oziexplorer.
Remove *nospam* to reply.

"Dennis Pogson" skrev i en
meddelelse ...
Meindert Sprang wrote:
Hej Flemming,

Could one of our NMEA multiplexers be of any use? We have a
version
that translates Seatalk into NMEA and broadcasts the NMEA data
over
Bluetooth to a PDA running standard navigation software.
Take a look at www.shipmodul.com and select MiniPlex-41BT or
MiniPlex-42BT from the Products page.

Meindert

"Flemming Torp" fletop(kanelbolle)2rp.d(anmar)k wrote in
message
. ..
Hello Bruce,

Tried to use your mailing address - no success ... sorry!

In the newsgroup aus.sport.sailing - 12-02-2005, I read with
great interest about your set up in your boat ... It is a
solution, I'm very much after.

snip
Best regards
-- Flemming Torp
'Even the worst day sailing is better than the best day
working'
...

It would seem that our friend wishes to control a notebook and
it's software
located in the cabin from a PDA located in the cockpit. If I am
correct in
this assumption, I would have thought this to be impossible,
since the
notebook's functions cannot be replicated in the PDA, can they?

Laplink allows you to control one PC from another (remote) PC,
but that is
because they are both PC's and have the same architecture.

I stand corrected if this is not the case!


Dennis.
--
Satellite photocharts of the UK & Ireland
available, excellent detail and accurate
calibration using Oziexplorer.
Remove *nospam* to reply.


Hello Dennis - Thank you for your precision - this is exactly,
what I want. I have asked the supplier of DLSK ('free
translation: The Living Sea Map = Det levende SøKort) in Denmark,
and they confirm, that their application cannot run on a PPC.
Maptech has a program, that can run on the PPC.

So - in order not to loose one more notebook - I would accept the
small screen on my PPC, if it can control the notebook PC running
the DLSK apllication ... During periods with sunshine and easy
wind, I could use my notebook as a 'cockpit-chartplotter' ... The
reason for adressing my problem to this newsgroup was the letter
from bruce:

"being one who sails about the planet on his own, i've often had
to duck below to check my nav software whilst negotiating a
passage with the remote on the autotiller, and often get
sidetracked whilst i'm there...

until now.

what i've got running now is vnc server on the laptop with a
wireless nic and vncviewer on the wireless pda, it works like a
charm and it also means i can keep the laptop more securely
stashed away in a
drawer. there's an excellent freeware version for the pocketpc
and on the pda it is much better than mstsc."

Being an amateur within this field, I'm not sure I understand
everything of the above, but it sounds as a solution to my
problem ...

The major difference is, that I do not have all this wireless
gear, and is willing to experiment with the hardware I have -
including annoying cables - until my 'captain' accepts the
obvious long term solution ...

That leads me to a new question: Has anyone of you guys
experience with a flatscreen - placed in the cockpit - working as
the second monitor on a notebook - placed in the cabin? ... Are
you aware og a product, that can stand the 'hostile cockpit
environment' - is rather modest on the batteries, can be read in
daylight, and - at the same time - does not cost anything like
the RayMarine Monitor? I do have a wireless mouse/keyboard, and I
can accept the mouse in the cockpit ...

--
Flemming Torp
'Even the worst day sailing is better than the best day working'
....

Dennis Pogson wrote:

It would seem that our friend wishes to control a notebook and it's software
located in the cabin from a PDA located in the cockpit. If I am correct in
this assumption, I would have thought this to be impossible, since the
notebook's functions cannot be replicated in the PDA, can they?

No, they can't. If they could be, he wouldn't need the notebook, would he?

What he can do, and what he wants to do, is merely to view and control
the laptop from the PDA. VNC is almost certainly the answer here - there
will be a server for the laptop whatever operating system it uses. There
may or may not be a viewer for the PDA depending on what kind it is, but
there's a good chance that one will be available. I'm not sure how it
will cope with the difference in screen sizes, but the author of the PDA
VNC viewer will have thought of that and come up with something for
better or worse.

You can stick VNC into google as well as I can if you want a link.

Pete

Thank you Pete, for trying to help me out. What I want is to
protect my new (!) notebook (running WinXP) - control it from my
PPC (a windows version with MS Outlook, Navigation and MS
ActiveSync) in the cockpit - and as my notebook application
(DLSK) cannot run on the PPC and as the application cannot be
transferred to the PPC, I would like to use my PPC as a 'viewer'.
An alternative could be an external monitor to the notebook, and
then I could use my cordles mouse controlling the applikation ...
Unfortunately, monitor prices (5 - 10 KU$) for that kind of
application is prohibitive for my wallet and needs. Its a 'nice
to have'-solution, I'm after ...

I have been searching on the vnc site - very informative by the
way ... But I have not been able to see, whether my specific
problem - (i.e. PPC as the 'controller', and I don't have an
internet/TCP/IP on my boat, and the formats of the different
screens may also pose problems(?)) is being solved. I may present
to them my specific problem, as I'm not an IT-expert, and it is
hard to read through all the pages of the VNC manual, that I have
already downloaded ... so far, I have not seen a solution to my
problem.

--
Flemming Torp
'Even the worst day sailing is better than the best day working'
....
"Pete Verdon" d
skrev i en meddelelse
...
Dennis Pogson wrote:

It would seem that our friend wishes to control a notebook and
it's software
located in the cabin from a PDA located in the cockpit. If I
am correct in
this assumption, I would have thought this to be impossible,
since the
notebook's functions cannot be replicated in the PDA, can
they?

No, they can't. If they could be, he wouldn't need the
notebook, would he?

What he can do, and what he wants to do, is merely to view and
control the laptop from the PDA. VNC is almost certainly the
answer here - there will be a server for the laptop whatever
operating system it uses. There may or may not be a viewer for
the PDA depending on what kind it is, but there's a good chance
that one will be available. I'm not sure how it will cope with
the difference in screen sizes, but the author of the PDA VNC
viewer will have thought of that and come up with something for
better or worse.

You can stick VNC into google as well as I can if you want a
link.

Pete

Flemming Torp wrote:
Thank you Pete, for trying to help me out. What I want is to protect my
new (!) notebook (running WinXP) - control it from my PPC (a windows
version with MS Outlook, Navigation and MS ActiveSync) in the cockpit -
and as my notebook application (DLSK) cannot run on the PPC and as the
application cannot be transferred to the PPC, I would like to use my PPC
as a 'viewer'.

Yup, that's exactly the kind of thing VNC is for.

I don't have an internet/TCP/IP on my boat,

All that's needed is a network connection between the laptop and the
PPC. You will need this to control one from the other, whatever system
you use. I'm afraid I can't really help you with that as I know nothing
about PDAs. One way would be to get a wireless network card for the
laptop (under £10 if you shop in the right place) and for the PDA (no
idea how much these cost), assuming neither of them have one already.

Pete