jeffie, no RDF on any sailboat gave "accuracy" to withing 5*, let alone 2*.
Your statement just shows you have no idea how RDF works.

wondering if you've passed Portland or Monhegan the RDF
is very handy.

that is "5 degrees" by your estimation above? yeah, un huh.

millions of people sailed before the GPS was invented.

No kidding?

wanna take a guess how many of those who wandered around in a fog with granite
ledges in the water made port? For your information, approximated 25% of ALL
commercial shipping vessels made in the last 50 years of sail powered shipping
sunk before the boats were retired. one in four. That is what fog and granite
is for, to sink ships. ask around with the old timers and see what they did
say 40 years ago.

btw, well into the 1970's and even into the 1980's a cheap tranistor radio from
Radio Schack was considered an acceptable alternative to the commercially
available RDF units for recreational sailboats. Why a cheap radio from Radio
Schack? Because the cheap radio had a more directional antenna than the better
quality radios. I believe Hal Roth used a Radio Schack radio into the 1970's
and carried it as back up even later.

Getting "within 20 seconds of turning back" is
NOT something that happens to an experienced mariner in this situation.

really? you mean that career merchant marine was inexperienced? I kinda think
of him as a bit more seaman than some clown plowing through the granite ledges
of Maine listening to rock music radio stations (and a couple of dit dah dah
dit dah stations) to determine where he was.

btw, that paper sextant you said you carried and used in the fog to tell where
you were, didn't the moisture in the fog cause the paper to fall apart?