JAXAshby wrote:
over the knee, it has to do with the the fact that navigating with DR as your
primary nav system is not necessary at all, given the low price of gps's today.
In addition, there is zero point zero need to nav at all in fog with rocks
nearby using DR.

over the knee, you need to get out on the water some time see what this stuff
is all about.

BG I probably spend more time on the water playing with/using more
types of navigational tools, in one week during any month of the year,
than you do in an entire year...... the difference is, that I've learned
to use all these "tools", individually and as groups working together
and to play off on the shortcomings of each.
GPS and DGPS are probably the best tools, to date, that a navigator has
to use, but to be used safely you need to know what the information is,
that you are getting and what the possible problems are with using that
information, straight from your receiver.
We can all tell stories of the guy who gets a GPS, inputs a number of
waypoints to get from point A to B, sets sail and proceeds to run
himself aground on some rocks, etc..
To use GPS safely, you need to understand and be able to use not only
*your* definition of DR, but the definition of others.
You need to be able to plot, to understand set and drift, etc. .... all
the things you learned with DR, to monitor what the GPS is showing and
what you need to do to keep yourself in good water.
People have used basic "DR" to get from point A to B safely for
centuries, be it in open waters or near the rocks and sadly, some have
failed to make it.
People are using GPS to get from A to B safely, but sadly some still
fail to make it, though thankfully, fewer now than before. Those that
fail, have generally been those who think that all they need to know is
the information their GPS gives them.
Simply stated, the more you know and can fall back on when your "gadget"
fails (and it will) the safer you will be.
As for "DR" .... define it and use it any way you want, but don't try
and tell me *how* it should be defined and/or used or can be used, as
you don't have the training, experience, knowledge, background,
etc.,etc., to do so.
It's a big world out there jax. Not everyone has easy access to GPS.

otn