Gary wrote:

Interesting point on "proper seaboats and Nav tables". How important is
a proper nav table? I am of the opinion that unless you are plotting
visual/astro fixes, a big nav table is a waste of space. And who plots
fixes these days? The nav table on my 102 footer is just where we store
the charts and sit our coffees. On my 33 footer I just fold the chart
and hold it in my hand or watch the laptop.

Comments?

I've never used the chart table on my boat for charting - it holds the
CD changer and all the other little gadgets. The seat is usually
filled with gear we're too lazy to stow. The saloon table has all the
space needed, plus much better visibility if I wanted to do nav below.

Of course, my boat has a hard top and forward steering, so its
effectively a pilothouse. There's enough room to spread out a chart
at the helm and even do a running fix in good weather. But not many
would bother to do that nowadays. And in fact, I'm probably in the
minority in that I favor paper charts over GPS and computers.

Chart tables are nice only in that they create a separate area for
certain gear away from the main living space. I'm sure that some use
it for actual navigation, but its no longer a necessity.