Next message: Emory Jones: "lv-ab: Chart plotter"
Why would you need paper charts? (Okay, here come de
> flames!!)
Instead of flames, how about an intelligent discussion
of the merits of paper charts vs electronic...up here
in Georgian Bay, where we have lots of granite instead
of sand, every single boat I can recall this season
that came in with a hole in the bottom, or damaged
keels, outdrives, props...was running with electronic
charts. Not some - all of them.
Why?
There was an excellent article last spring in a
British boating publication about the vagaries of GPS
- including the fact that there are moments when the
system is off substantially by hundreds of yards, that
there are holes in the coverage, that there are in
fact numerous problems with it. That the satellites
are getting old and not being replaced in a timely
fashion, and that the triple built in redundancy is
approaching or past its planned useful life...
Rick, you may have travelled many safe nautical miles
using electronic charts, but I suspect that you would
have done the same with paper charts...you sound like
a competent boater.
The fellow who asked the question is new to his big
boat and to cruisng - and the last thing a new boater
needs is to develop a dependency on electronics
without learning the basics of plotting, navigation
and the skills that will keep his keel off the bottom
and his boat safely on course. Electronic goodies,
while useful, do nothing to teach boaters the
fundamentals that they need if the faeces hits the fan
and they need to save their boat, their life, or the
lives of their crew.
Proof? Well, how about the guy who called a mayday in
- when his chartplotter failed out of sight of the
coast? I'm sure anyone on this list could cite a dozen
similar examples.Funny, yes, but frightening too!
Sure, electronics are handy, I use my GPS all the time
and it makes navigating a lot easier - but I rely on
the paper charts and they are ALWAYS in the cockpit.
And, I owned that GPS for a year before I started to
use it on a regular basis - because I wanted to be
certain that I was comfortable navigating my boat
without it. I can say with confidence that if my GPS
fails, I won't be calling in a Mayday to find MY way
home. There are way too many boaters out there who
can't say the same - and we do them no favour by not
saying, clearly and loudly, that they must learn how
to walk with charts and a compass before they run with
a gps.
Whew, is it getting hot in here?
Wally
s/v Gypsy Wind
Dufour 34
=====
The hours spent sailing are not deducted from your time on earth...
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