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Larry

wrote in news:636e24c6-6ce3-4d99-93b8-
:

Well, the title says it all. Maybe a hundred years ago it was cool,
but there is really too much traffic in most places now for folks to
have unattended helm, even for a few seconds. Why do they still do it?

You need to get out more. What you say is true in the waters around the
overcrowded cities and various ditches people seem to find fascinating to
go boating in. But, on the ocean, you can travel for days and never be
in VHF range with a soul, once you are away from the channels into those
cities. Even going up the East Coast of the USA, you can travel for
hours and never see another boat or ship, especially one that needs your
attention. The sea is still just a vast, empty place, away from the sea
lanes....and oh so peaceful!

Our helm is attended by a Dell Latitude laptop running "The Cap'n" nav
software steering a B&G Network PILOT electro/hydraulic autopilot, except
after the crew hits the rack when we switch the autopilot to WIND so we
don't have to fool around with sail setting in the dark needlessly. It
simply follows the wind all night, leaving us in peace, mostly, to sleep.

There are always 2 crew on watch, 24/7, but they don't really "steer", a
mundane job that grows old very quickly after day one at sea. Fishing,
lazing around half naked in the sun, ham radio and a little necessary
maintenance are much more interesting. Let "George" steer the boat.

Even on powerboats, if you have an autopilot, you don't need to steer
them at sea. You set a course, the autopilot keeps it. You have to look
forward more often because you're moving faster so the horizon comes up
quicker where you have to look again to see what's ahead.

Driving down a ditch just SUCKS!