From: "Simple Simon"

comments intersperses:

I repeat, WE'RE NOT TALKING BIG SHIP CRAP HERE!

.....and I repeat .... it's NOT big ship crap, it's Navigation .... or is your
knowledge in this area as weak as it is in other areas?


Depth sounders give a depth for sure and generally they are
pretty accurate. However, what good is a depth when a
vessel could be any number of miles along a contour or on
a flat?

Actually, can be a good deal of good if you are following that depth contour to
stay clear of an obstruction.

Answer - no good at all. What matters is lat/lon with
high degrees of accuracy.

Wrong answer. Knowing your lat/lon is important (or range and bearing from a
known point) .... the degree of accuracy "needed" depends on where you are and
where you're going.

Knowing your depth is very vague
information at best when attempting to place a fix on a chart.

Here's where your inexperience becomes most obvious.
Using a running update on soundings can and has been used to get some very
accurate fixes on a chart.

Small sailing yachts can rely on GPS so they do not need depth
sounders as much as big ships.

Wrong for so many reasons .... for one thing, only a fool relies on one method
of navigation when other methods are available to check results .... the
instances of this leading to disasters are all too numerous, be it small boat,
bigger boat, and/or ship.

When a small sailing yacht is
getting into dangerously shallow water the eyes of an experienced
will look at the wave action, color of the water etc. and be able
to ascertain the depth to a high degree of accuracy.

Bullcrap .... at best, works only sometimes .... what does your wake tell you?


Now, get out of here and go back to rec.boats where you belong.

S.Simon

LOL Think you belong in a "basic" navigation course .... you've obviously
flunked any selftaught or other courses you may have endeavored to pass on this
subject.

Shen