"Thom Stewart" wrote in message
...
How many hours of contrary current,etc other bull ****

Who the hell cares? Is each time a pleasure sail is made is it really
necessary to log every fart, every tack made, every change in wind
speed, every tide change?

16 years ago, I set out on my first sea voyage. I was in a power boat that
was capable of doing 39 kts - according to the sales brochure.

The trip was from Chichester to Bembridge, and the distance was 6 miles
(IIRC).

I spent hours, if not days, planning the trip. I worked out the tidal
stream, magnetic variation and our course to steer. I tried to plot a
position every 10 minutes(very difficult on a power boat that is bouncing
along at 20 kts). Visibility was poor (1/2 mile). I cannot describe the
pride that I felt when the Bembridge Entrance marker appeared less than 100
yards off our port bow.

For the return trip, I didn't bother to do a passage plan. I simply
reversed the course. We ended up 4 miles west of Chichester entrance.
That was on a 6 mile trip!! Variation accounted for an 8 degree error and
the tide did the rest.

Bob claims that he has just done his first 50 mile trip. I would suggest
that there is nothing in his posts to suggest that he has just navigated 50
miles for the first time ever.


My first cross channel trip (75 miles) involved days of planning. Now I do
it in 15 minutes max.

You have many years of experience, and therefore feel confident at sea.
Bobsprit has never undertaken a long trip before, and therefore would do a
lot of planning, if he were the skipper.


Let's face it. If Bob actually did do the trip, then he wasn't the
skipper.






I don't do that kind of log keeping. I'm wondering just how many of this
group really makes a log entry and completion of every afternoons sail
around the Bay? I DON'T. I don't really keep a running log of a simple
overnite in my immediate sailing area. I enjoy sailing! I hate paper
work! Keeping a running log is dumb paper work.

Your comments are absolutely correct. I don't keep a log when I am sailing
in the Solent. However, Bob was describing a big adventure to a
destination that was well outside his normal cruising grounds.


Regards


Donal
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