Gps controlled boat waypoint setting

I am wanting to build a boat to haul out a line. Basically what i want to do is point the boat in the direction I want it to travel and then power it on and use a magnetometer to take a compass reading and have the gps set a waypoint 2000 meters on the bearing and steer to the waypoint. Is this possible to do automatically without using mission planner.

I would say any system that gets your boat to a certain coordinate IS a mission planner, so by that definition the answer is simply NO.

Is this possible to do automatically without using mission planner.

Yes, and it is pretty easy. I've done it for a small electric boat.

Project a new waypoint from the current one, along a bearing line, then navigate to it as you suggest.

The basic methods are described at Calculate distance and bearing between two Latitude/Longitude points using haversine formula in JavaScript

A pitfall is that the AVR-based Arduinos don't support double precision floating point calculations and so workarounds are necessary to preserve accuracy.

NeoGPS preserves the accuracy for you, unlike other libraries. It's also smaller, faster, more reliable and more accurate. NeoGPS is available from the Arduino IDE Library Manager, under the menu Sketch -> Include Library -> Manage Libraries. There are lots of tips on the Troubleshooting Page. Picking a serial connection is important, so be sure to read this.

A few examples of using waypoints: here (maybe the simplest), here, here (and here) and here. The waypoints are hard-coded in the sketch.

Maybe you want to enter just one waypoint at a time, like 2000m that way? Lots of input choices and display choices!

Check out the "Kontikis" sold and used for this purpose in New Zealand.

http://www.seahorse.net.nz/

Of course, you'll also want a nice winch system to bring that 2000m (with fish) line back in!

jremington:
Check out the "Kontikis" sold and used for this purpose in New Zealand.

http://www.seahorse.net.nz/

Of course, you'll also want a nice winch system to bring that 2000m (with fish) line back in!

This is exactly what i am trying to do. The cost of a unit here in NZ is $4600.

I will see if I can figure it out being a total newbie.
Would you be willing to help out seen as you have do this before. I will order a GPS and see how I get on.

You might find something useful in this LONG thread on the same topic, started by a fellow Kiwi.

The Seahorse units look to be pretty well thought out, and in their web pages, the developers mention some of the pitfalls that they encountered in arriving at the final design.

In particular, magnetometers are thrown off by the motors, wiring and black sand (iron containing) beaches.

That is a really interesting project, and I imagine that a similar unit could be built for a fraction of the Seahorse asking price. I'll bet they don't sell many of them!

beretta:
This is exactly what i am trying to do. The cost of a unit here in NZ is $4600.

I will see if I can figure it out being a total newbie.
Would you be willing to help out seen as you have do this before. I will order a GPS and see how I get on.

Thanks I will read through it.
They sell a lot and there are a few different brands.