Hello all...
I was reading a thread where a member asked about buying an new GPS system. In that thread Roger Long mentioned that the individual in question should save himself some money, buy some charts, and just learn proper old-school navigation.
This got me thinking about my own lack of navigation experience without a GPS, and brought up a few questions that I wanted to throw out there. So I figured rather than hijacking that thread I would pose them here:
In my five years of owning my boat I have never once picked up a paper chart. I have sailed all over the Southern California waterways from the Coronado Islands to Catalina, to Santa Barbra Island, and in all that time I have never once made use of any traditional navigation skills. I also don't feel that I need any traditional navigation skills and would refuse to learn if anyone tried to teach me. I do have two different GPSs on my boat, one that runs of the 12volt system and one that is charged off the system but has it's own battery if everything else on the boat went dead. Before I would buy any paper charts I might buy yet another GPS and keep that on board as well... you know "Just in case"
In my mind it is highly unlikely that both of the GPSs are going to fail. It is also equally unlikely that the GPS satellite system is going to fail for anything short of Armageddon (and if that happens I have bigger issues). I also think that on the whole the GPS is going to be more accurate than I could ever be with a pencil and paper, even if I did learn to chart on my own. Therefore, I can see no reason for learning old school skills in our modern world other than perhaps out of curiosity... but I know there are many other opinions out there other than mine.
So what does the rest of the board think? Is there any merit in old navigational skills other than wanting to claim one is salty enough to know how to use a sextant?
Take care,
-Levin
I was reading a thread where a member asked about buying an new GPS system. In that thread Roger Long mentioned that the individual in question should save himself some money, buy some charts, and just learn proper old-school navigation.
This got me thinking about my own lack of navigation experience without a GPS, and brought up a few questions that I wanted to throw out there. So I figured rather than hijacking that thread I would pose them here:
In my five years of owning my boat I have never once picked up a paper chart. I have sailed all over the Southern California waterways from the Coronado Islands to Catalina, to Santa Barbra Island, and in all that time I have never once made use of any traditional navigation skills. I also don't feel that I need any traditional navigation skills and would refuse to learn if anyone tried to teach me. I do have two different GPSs on my boat, one that runs of the 12volt system and one that is charged off the system but has it's own battery if everything else on the boat went dead. Before I would buy any paper charts I might buy yet another GPS and keep that on board as well... you know "Just in case"
In my mind it is highly unlikely that both of the GPSs are going to fail. It is also equally unlikely that the GPS satellite system is going to fail for anything short of Armageddon (and if that happens I have bigger issues). I also think that on the whole the GPS is going to be more accurate than I could ever be with a pencil and paper, even if I did learn to chart on my own. Therefore, I can see no reason for learning old school skills in our modern world other than perhaps out of curiosity... but I know there are many other opinions out there other than mine.
So what does the rest of the board think? Is there any merit in old navigational skills other than wanting to claim one is salty enough to know how to use a sextant?
Take care,
-Levin