"Simple Simon" wrote in message
| Any cruising sailor worth his salt can look into and at the water
| and tell immediately if he is in shoal water by the color, wave
| action, shape, etc.

This type of ridiculous comment can only be attributed to a tropical
backwater daysailor with severely limited experience and absolutely no clue
as to sea states North or South of the tropics.



Depth sounders are simply not a vital instrument
| of navigation. I'd be willing to bet more boats go aground while
| the operator is looking at the instrument than when using visual
| clues of sea state, color of water, etc.

I never ran aground while operating without a sounder because I carried a
lead line and exercised extreme caution knowing the my limitations and those
of my vessel. Unknown harbour ... verify chart soundings, enter dead slow,
split the entries 50/50 or favour the steep topography by 60/40. Once you've
been in... you can sail back in under full press in a gale and really wow
the rubber neckers moored inside.

CM