Jim Donohue wrote:
As I projected responding will do little good. The way they are fixing
this Jeff...is to plug in multi GPS. Don't you think it odd Jeff that the
fix for over-reliance on GPS by making the system even more dependent on
GPS.

Where does it say that?


And you do read strangely...multiple independent position receiver
inputs...turns automatically in your mind to multiple independent
sources...I wonder why this is? Like your use of "form" could it be you
can't find the right language so you substitute your own?

Two identical GPS's are not "independent". They may help in some
failure modes, but certainly not all.

However, the recommendations also talk about the need for for techniques
other a large pile of GPS units. In particular, the cruise lines were
advised to:

"ensure that all watch officers
adhere to sound watchstanding
practices and procedures, including using
landmarks, soundings, and navigational
aids to verify a vessel’s position,
relying on more than one source for position
information, and reporting to the
master any failure to detect important
navigational aids."

You seem to keep forgetting about this part. This was the specific
advice to the cruise lines, and by implication, their ships' officers.
All of the other advice had to do with the design of the hardware,
which, while somewhat interesting, is not directly related to the
actions of the deck officers.

So what lesson can the typical daysailor/coastal cruiser take from this?
Is it that they should always run two GPS's and continuously compare
the answer? I don't think so, though there may be time when its prudent
to have a second one handy. The advice is clearly to not be so over
reliant on a single source, and to use traditional piloting techniques:
landmarks, soundings, navaids.



One of the reviews of this grounding pointed out that weather was in fact a
factor. It was so good that the crew was complacent. Given your line of
reasoning we could simple claim the good weather made the crew complacent
causing all of the other items that you ascribe to over-reliance on GPS.
Kind of silly but then so is your interpretation. Why not presume the NTSB
people meant what they say?

Why do you ignore what they say? Their specific advice to the seamen is
to remember to use piloting and not to be so reliant on a a single
source for position.