Next message: (no email): "[world-cruising] Re: Email, SSB, TVs and other rubbish...."
On 2/5/07, Young, Derrick <> wrote:
>
> I have stayed out of this long enough.
>
> Not only do I have a sextant, stop watch and almanac, I have a lead line
> (couple actually - different weights and lengths) as well as paper
> charts. Do I have GPS, yes. Do I depend on it, no. I also have a
> LORAN-C, that I use to verify the GPS. There are some places that I
> have been where the GPS does not read accurately.
I also have those things - except for the Loran C, which I pitched.
BUT, I use and trust the GPS above all of them. I have never found GPS to
have a greater error than the other methods since SA was turned off several
years ago. Derrick, if you have identified places where GPS is not
accurate, I recommend you let the Coast Guard know. They would be very
interested. <http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/misc/enav_problem_report.htm>
In an earlier life, I had to navigate ships in most of the world's oceans.
Sometimes, we went for more than a week without a "fix" because of cloud
cover and lack of electronic systems (pre-Loran C days). GPS is much
better! And FWIW, the navigator's first responsibility is to determine the
ship's position, as accurately as possible. GPS wins every time.
Have your mate take a GPS fix some evening or morning when you're shooting
stars. You'll get a good idea of the accuracy of GPS versus celestial.
Over time, you may improve your celestial skills, but you'll never come
close to GPS accuracy.
--
Best,
Bryan Genez
"Capella" V40-158
New Bern, NC
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