Jeff Morris wrote:
Wally wrote:
Given the reliability of modern electronics, I would say that someone
with partial knowledge of traditional skills is more likely to get
into difficulties than someone who is comfortable with nav aids -
provided he has learned to operate a battery charger, of course...

This depends a lot on what you call "partial knowledge." I'd agree
that I'm happy that most small boat operators can now have GPS since
they will never learn running fixes, not would they appreciate the
"cocked hat." However, they should at least understand the basics
of the chart notation, the concepts of a bearing line, and (depending
on location) the meaning of variation. Without stuff like this, its
hard to use a gps intelligently.

I thoroughly agree.


Also, I don't remember ever going
through a season without at least one GPS "outage" of some type -
either a bad cable or dead batteries or sailing into a "gap" in the
charting. If this happens to someone without basic skills they are up
the creek!

Wouldn't you say that dead batteries is a more fundamental failing than not
being able to use chart and compass? I assume that, by 'gap in the
charting', you're talking about those GPS chart-plotter thingies - but, the
GPS should still be able to give lat/long, which can be found on the paper
chart. (At no point have I said that nav aids should be a substitute for the
traditional tools, to the extent that the latter should be left ashore.)


--
Wally
www.makearatherlonglinkthattakesyounowhere.com
Things are always clearer in the cold, post-upload light.