Running Fix
 

anybody have any cool navigation tricks to share?

We went over running fixes tonight in class.


got to go to Block Island!
Always wanted to go there.

Running Fix
 

"cavelamb" wrote in message
...
anybody have any cool navigation tricks to share?

We went over running fixes tonight in class.


got to go to Block Island!
Always wanted to go there.


You should try and get out on the water to try it.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Running Fix
 

On Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:27:03 -0600, cavelamb
wrote:

anybody have any cool navigation tricks to share?

We went over running fixes tonight in class.


got to go to Block Island!
Always wanted to go there.

Where do you sail out of?

Running Fix
 

Running Fix
 

Dave wrote:
On Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:27:03 -0600, cavelamb said:

got to go to Block Island!
Always wanted to go there.

It is indeed a very nice stop. Gets very crowded, though. Our club keeps a
mooring there for members.

Some day (in the hopefully not to distant future) we are going to cast off from
our normal mundane lives, and sail up the ICW to "Down East".

Then turn around and run for our lives from the cold!


It should be a whale of a trip.

I keep telling myself that. And self keeps saying, yeahbut first we have to
blah blah blah.

I think to make this thing happen, I'm going to have to quit listening to
that part of myself and just load up and go.

That's the only way anybody ever actually breaks loose, isn't it.


Richard

Running Fix
 

Running Fix
 

On Feb 13, 10:32*am, cavelamb wrote:

I think to make this thing happen, I'm going to have to quit listening to
that part of myself and just load up and go.

What is that part of yourself telling you?

it's hard to beat Twains advice

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the
things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off
the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in
your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

If you need an example of what can happen if you put off your dreams
to long ....just look at Nellie.


That's the only way anybody ever actually breaks loose, isn't it.

The perfect time will never come if you are waiting for it.

Joe

Richard

Running Fix
 

cavelamb wrote:
anybody have any cool navigation tricks to share?

We went over running fixes tonight in class.


got to go to Block Island!
Always wanted to go there.

Keep all three GPSs dry, and spare Lion cells on hand?
(How crass of me!)

Brian W :-)

Running Fix
 

Joe wrote:

Hi Joe!
How ya been?

On Feb 13, 10:32 am, cavelamb wrote:

I think to make this thing happen, I'm going to have to quit listening to
that part of myself and just load up and go.

What is that part of yourself telling you?

Probably what we call the "sensible" self.

The part that notices that most people don't do crazy adventurous stuff any
more. It's so much safer, cheaper, and comfortable to stay home and watch
crazy people have their adventures on TV.

I can't attribute correctly, but I recall someone quoted as saying an
adventure was someone *else* suffering from their foolishness thousands of
miles from home - or something to that effect.


Twain's advice calls to my heart though!

it's hard to beat Twains advice

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the
things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off
the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in
your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

If you need an example of what can happen if you put off your dreams
to long ....just look at Nellie.

That's the only way anybody ever actually breaks loose, isn't it.

The perfect time will never come if you are waiting for it.

Joe
Richard

Running Fix
 

On Fri, 13 Feb 2009 10:33:29 -0600, cavelamb
wrote:

Are you talking about Block Island, RI?


On the Martha's Vineyard chart.

Interesting choice of charts for navigation training, huh?

USCG uses that chart with their navigation testing for a captain's
license. As a result it is very popular for class room instruction.

Running Fix
 

Running Fix
 

Brian Whatcott wrote:
cavelamb wrote:
anybody have any cool navigation tricks to share?

We went over running fixes tonight in class.


got to go to Block Island!
Always wanted to go there.

Keep all three GPSs dry, and spare Lion cells on hand?
(How crass of me!)

Brian W :-)


All the GPS shows is course to destination.

Based on that, how does one determine set and drift?

Running Fix
 

On Fri, 13 Feb 2009 06:06:50 -0600, cavelamb
wrote:

Block Island is some exotic location where you might repair a boat.

I've done a lot of repairs there. :-)

Here are a few of my pictures from past cruises:

http://tinyurl.com/c9kbk4

Running Fix
 

"cavelamb" wrote in message
m...
wrote:
On Fri, 13 Feb 2009 06:06:50 -0600, cavelamb
wrote:

wrote:
On Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:27:03 -0600, cavelamb
wrote:

anybody have any cool navigation tricks to share?

We went over running fixes tonight in class.


got to go to Block Island!
Always wanted to go there.
Where do you sail out of?

I'm near Dallas!
We race on Lake Ray Hubbard, and go down to Galveston Bay for salt water
sailing.

Block Island is some exotic location where you might repair a boat.

Richard

Are you talking about Block Island, RI?

On the Martha's Vineyard chart.

Interesting choice of charts for navigation training, huh?


That's the standard. Sailors from all over the country are trained and
tested for that spot.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Running Fix
 

On Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:11:49 -0600, cavelamb
wrote:

All the GPS shows is course to destination.

Based on that, how does one determine set and drift?

Deviation from your dead reckoning plot, assuming you maintain a DR.

Running Fix
 

wrote in message
...
On Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:57:21 -0600, cavelamb
wrote:

Joe wrote:

Hi Joe!
How ya been?

On Feb 13, 10:32 am, cavelamb wrote:

I think to make this thing happen, I'm going to have to quit listening
to
that part of myself and just load up and go.

What is that part of yourself telling you?

Probably what we call the "sensible" self.

The part that notices that most people don't do crazy adventurous stuff
any
more. It's so much safer, cheaper, and comfortable to stay home and watch
crazy people have their adventures on TV.

I can't attribute correctly, but I recall someone quoted as saying an
adventure was someone *else* suffering from their foolishness thousands of
miles from home - or something to that effect.


Two takes on adventu

"The difference between an ordeal and an adventure is attitude"
- Robert Lipkin


"An adventure is a disaster that works out okay"
- unknown



I've had lots of the latter ones... mostly related to girlfriends. lol

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Running Fix
 

"cavelamb" wrote in message
m...
Brian Whatcott wrote:
cavelamb wrote:
anybody have any cool navigation tricks to share?

We went over running fixes tonight in class.


got to go to Block Island!
Always wanted to go there.

Keep all three GPSs dry, and spare Lion cells on hand?
(How crass of me!)

Brian W :-)


All the GPS shows is course to destination.

Based on that, how does one determine set and drift?


If you don't have a chartplotter associated with the unit, then the paper
chart is how. I don't have a chartplotter (yet)... don't really need it,
since most of my sailing is done on or near the bay, and I'm quite familiar
with the currents. For me, it mostly doesn't matter that much. When the fog
rolls in, we tend to avoid the shipping lanes and keep a good watch.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Running Fix
 

Wayne.B wrote:
On Fri, 13 Feb 2009 06:06:50 -0600, cavelamb
wrote:

Block Island is some exotic location where you might repair a boat.

I've done a lot of repairs there. :-)

Here are a few of my pictures from past cruises:

http://tinyurl.com/c9kbk4


Too cool, Wayne!
So THAT"S what it looks like there.

I'd like print a couple of those and stick them on the
chart near Block Island and Hope Town.

Makes it more real!

Running Fix
 

Joe wrote:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the
things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off
the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in
your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

The perfect time will never come if you are waiting for it.

Joe
Richard


Hey Joe,

We are trying to put together a trip down there to look at slips
and apartments.

If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to sit down with you and
hear the story over a beer or two.

How about send me a note at this address so we can hook up?


Richard

Running Fix
 

Wayne.B wrote:
On Fri, 13 Feb 2009 10:33:29 -0600, cavelamb
wrote:

Are you talking about Block Island, RI?

On the Martha's Vineyard chart.

Interesting choice of charts for navigation training, huh?

USCG uses that chart with their navigation testing for a captain's
license. As a result it is very popular for class room instruction.



Same chart we used in an advanced nav course here in Washington state.
g

Running Fix
 

On Feb 13, 2:25*pm, cavelamb wrote:
Joe wrote:
* * * “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the
things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off
the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in
your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

The perfect time will never come if you are waiting for it.

Joe
Richard

Hey Joe,

We are trying to put together a trip down there to look at slips
and apartments.

If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to sit down with you and
hear the story over a beer or two.

How about send me a note at this address so we can hook up?

Richard

Hello Richard,

Shoot me an email to joe at el lago coffee dot com

Joe

Running Fix
 

cavelamb wrote:
Brian Whatcott wrote:
cavelamb wrote:
anybody have any cool navigation tricks to share?

We went over running fixes tonight in class.


got to go to Block Island!
Always wanted to go there.

Keep all three GPSs dry, and spare Lion cells on hand?
(How crass of me!)

Brian W :-)


All the GPS shows is course to destination.

Based on that, how does one determine set and drift?

Even the simplest of handhelds give you cross track error,,, from that
it's a trivial calculation.

Cheers
Martin

Running Fix
 

cavelamb wrote:
Dave wrote:
On Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:27:03 -0600, cavelamb
said:

got to go to Block Island!
Always wanted to go there.

It is indeed a very nice stop. Gets very crowded, though. Our club
keeps a
mooring there for members.

Some day (in the hopefully not to distant future) we are going to cast
off from
our normal mundane lives, and sail up the ICW to "Down East".

Then turn around and run for our lives from the cold!


It should be a whale of a trip.

I keep telling myself that. And self keeps saying, yeahbut first we
have to
blah blah blah.

I think to make this thing happen, I'm going to have to quit listening to
that part of myself and just load up and go.

That's the only way anybody ever actually breaks loose, isn't it.

My wife and I went through the same thing before our year-long ICW trip.
People asked if it was scary to quit our good jobs and just take
off, but as the time approached I realized it was scarier to think that
20 years hence we might look back and realize that we had the
opportunity and never did it!

For details of the trip: www.sv-loki.com/The_Trip/the_trip.html

BTW, one slightly unexpected issue with taking a long sabbatical is that
we have had absolutely no desire to work since returning. Fortunately
all of our assets are in real estate and the stock market, so our future
is secure!

Running Fix
 

jeff wrote:

BTW, one slightly unexpected issue with taking a long sabbatical is that
we have had absolutely no desire to work since returning. Fortunately
all of our assets are in real estate and the stock market, so our future
is secure!

Good to see that you didn't mislay your sense of humour along the way!

Cheers
Martin

Running Fix
 

jeff wrote:
cavelamb wrote:
Dave wrote:
On Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:27:03 -0600, cavelamb
said:

got to go to Block Island!
Always wanted to go there.

It is indeed a very nice stop. Gets very crowded, though. Our club
keeps a
mooring there for members.

Some day (in the hopefully not to distant future) we are going to cast
off from
our normal mundane lives, and sail up the ICW to "Down East".

Then turn around and run for our lives from the cold!


It should be a whale of a trip.

I keep telling myself that. And self keeps saying, yeahbut first we
have to
blah blah blah.

I think to make this thing happen, I'm going to have to quit listening to
that part of myself and just load up and go.

That's the only way anybody ever actually breaks loose, isn't it.

My wife and I went through the same thing before our year-long ICW trip.
People asked if it was scary to quit our good jobs and just take off,
but as the time approached I realized it was scarier to think that 20
years hence we might look back and realize that we had the opportunity
and never did it!

For details of the trip: www.sv-loki.com/The_Trip/the_trip.html

BTW, one slightly unexpected issue with taking a long sabbatical is that
we have had absolutely no desire to work since returning. Fortunately
all of our assets are in real estate and the stock market, so our future
is secure!






Fascinating story there, Jeff.
Kinda neat to watch the kids grow up.

so were is Summer '08?


Where is summer '08?

Running Fix
 

cavelamb wrote:
jeff wrote:
....

For details of the trip: www.sv-loki.com/The_Trip/the_trip.html

....

Fascinating story there, Jeff.
Kinda neat to watch the kids grow up.

so were is Summer '08?


Where is summer '08?

Summer '08 was a rerun of Summer '07. A month around the Vineyard, a
month in Maine, and then a week on the inner Cape and P'town. The big
difference was that instead of continuous fog in Maine we had continuous
torrential rain. This coming Summer we plan on foregoing Maine (which
will guarantee they will have glorious weather!) and spend that month
around Narragansett Bay or maybe the eastern Long Island Sound area.

Running Fix
 

On Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:11:49 -0600, cavelamb
wrote:

All the GPS shows is course to destination.

Based on that, how does one determine set and drift?

The wiseass answer is that that is what air navigation slide rules are
for.

Pilots do it at 600 mph with all the gear on their lap, or at least
they used to. When I learned to fly the navaid was VOR, which gave you
the heading and distance from a station, and you set it and kept the
needle centered. You fles over the stations rather than the shortest
distance. The gear learned to read two stations and give you lat long
and other things. Called that area nav. Very expensive and forgotten,
like Decca. You could get sextant size fixes, half a mile. In good
weather, DR would get you within sight of the destination after 300
miles without a fix, once you had the wind figured.

Who remembers Consol and Consolan. You listened to a tone and got a
line of position. All you needed was a short wave radio. That **** is
long gone and nearly forgotten. I have not thought of either for
decades.

Set and drift? Why would you care, when there is no reason to know.
When you can just set the true course and keep the needle centered.
GPS gives you something to steer by, not a starting point for
calculation.. You center the needle and and go straight there. In a
fast powerboat speed and heading changes show up quickly. Did I
mention that it will display a speedometer.What it does is store fixes
and calculate the speed and course. It will show track on a lat long
grid.Assuming you have the features of a ten year old handheld.
I bought a handheld about ten years ago that did everything damn near.
If it could cook Id have married it. Could have a
compass dial. Did maps.Had a 3x3 screen with red lighting. Took 8 AA
or the lighter socket. While many electronics run on anything from 6
to 36, it is in fact, 12 V. Eats batteries. You could remove the tilt
adjustable antenna and use a remote cable. Eagle, the freshwater
fishfinder makers.

I get the impression you have never been near a GPS.

If all they did was lat long to sextant accuracy, they would still
sell.

Casady

Running Fix
 

On Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:36:43 -0600, cavelamb
wrote:

I'd like print a couple of those and stick them on the
chart near Block Island and Hope Town.

I'll EMAIL the originals to you if you'd like. Let me know if you
have any size restrictions.

Running Fix
 

Wayne.B wrote:
On Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:36:43 -0600, cavelamb
wrote:

I'd like print a couple of those and stick them on the
chart near Block Island and Hope Town.

I'll EMAIL the originals to you if you'd like. Let me know if you
have any size restrictions.


Thanks Wayne.

That's a kind offer, but for a small print, the ones on the net would do fine.

That first one of the surf rolling in on block Island would sure be nice to
frame! Send me that one?

As for restrictions? Probably, but 5 meg comes thru all the time.


Richard

Running Fix
 

jeff wrote:
.....
we have had absolutely no desire to work since returning. Fortunately
all of our assets are in real estate and the stock market, so our future
is secure!

I guess that was intended as a 'sad but true' kind of epilog to the
adventure?

Thanks for sharing.

BrianW

Running Fix
 

Brian Whatcott wrote:
jeff wrote:
....
we have had absolutely no desire to work since returning. Fortunately
all of our assets are in real estate and the stock market, so our
future is secure!

I guess that was intended as a 'sad but true' kind of epilog to the
adventure?

Thanks for sharing.

BrianW

Well, its not that bad - our house is in a prime location so its value
has held up well, especially compared to locations we are considering
for our final retirement in about 4 years. The stock market lesson is
obvious with hindsight: at the moment you think you have "enough,"
diversify into stable investments.

In an effort to live within our new budget, we do not have a "home
marina" for the summer. The last several summers we've spent 8+ weeks
traveling on the boat, so a slip for the couple of weeks we were home
was a huge luxury. Now we'll have to minimize our "home time" and spend
almost the whole summer aboard. Life is rough!

One odd thing is that our boat, which depreciates 5-10% a year was
actually our best investment last year!

Running Fix
 

jeff wrote:

One odd thing is that our boat, which depreciates 5-10% a year was
actually our best investment last year!

Ha! I had an airplane like that - it nominally doubled in value in the
five years I owned it. But I should mention annual CofAs, a tire here,
a transponder there.... :-)

Brian W

Running Fix
 

The 1210 TR chart (Martha's VIneyard to Block Island) is one of the
"frozen datum" charts. The chart was "frozen" in the 1960s so they
would not have to keep rewriting the textbooks & exams every time the
chart was updated. Obviously not for actual navigation anymore! -- but
they are fun to look at for the flavor of the cruising ground.

Another TR chart is the 116-SC, which shows the N part of Long Island
Sound in the vicinity of Mystic CT and close-up charts of some rivers
in CT -- useful to train on for in-tight navigation.

And it's interesting to look at the 39 TR chart, which shows the W end
of Lake Erie. Interesting because it's a Polyconic projection, not
Mercator -- used for the Great Lakes. Some folks who are trained on
the coasts & move to the Great Lakes have trouble with this. These
charts also use statute miles, not nautical miles -- an odd sensation
of always "getting it wrong" when you have become accustomed over
years of experience at estimating how fast you're going & how far
you've traveled over ground.

Running Fix
 

, jeff wrote:
BTW, one slightly unexpected issue with taking a long sabbatical is that
we have had absolutely no desire to work since returning. *Fortunately
all of our assets are in real estate and the stock market, so our future
is secure!

And you can take that to the bank!

DSK