Jim Donohue wrote:

You are still full of BS otn.

LOL Of course I am, I'm a career seaman. The difference between us is, I
know when I'm BSing, but you have neither the experience or knowledge to
know when I am, else you'd know I never BS about navigation safety.

I make no suggestions not to use all
techniques...just that under many conditions all you got is the GPS.
...... and as just as many conditions, all you got is the "old"
methods..... i.e., it's a rare case when you can't make helpful use of
the natural conditions occurring around you, if you know what they are
and how to use them.

Survival at sea is probabilistic. If the Gods are on your case no amount of
deciphering the currents and wave shapes will save you.

Not always true .... often true, but not always.

You really think
you can detect a floating container when you can't see the bow?

You want to explain what that has to do with navigation? The discussion
is navigation, not collision/allision avoidance.


In most circumstance it is probably 80 or 90% GPS/chart...10 or 20% to all
of the other things you can do. In heavy weather and deep water it is
pretty close to 100% GPS.

Depending on the vessel and navigational equipment available, there's a
good chance that if you were in charge of a watch, for me, you would
change your ways real quick or find a new berth at the first port.


Under any circumstances the chart situation in some places is pretty sad.
For instance of the errors in the Pacific Coast of Mexico have been known
for many years...but we still await a fix. The purveyors deny responsibilty
shifting it to the charting agencies. The charting agencies show no desire
to fix the problems in our lifetime. Mostly Gov at its worst.

G I can't disagree with any of this. However, from involvement in
creating a new chart, I do know that many cartographers are trying with
limited resources to correct and upgrade our charts, with results that
could indeed be better, but their failure has more to do with idiot
politicians, than dipsquat beauracrats.


And to risk a broach because you feel uneasy? Because the waves don't look
right? Becasue you think you hear something? Sometimes I think you have
never been to sea...the number of people who hear or see things at night is
well known. Had a Captain on one occassion deploy his anchor in a 1000
fathoms because he could hear the freeway and knew we were about to go
aground. Sure he was extreme but virtually everyone has the problem to
some degree. It would take a very clear indicator before I risked my boat
against a GPS/Chart position.

LOL I think I said this once before ..... you must be a lawyer.
Go back and read what I said again. I said "if it's possible". You do
what is right for the conditions and vessel you are on .... and this MAY
involve risking a broach. YES, if the waves don't look right, you weigh
your options and proceed. YES, if you think you hear something you
shouldn't, you weigh your options and proceed ("proceed" may mean "stop").
One thing I've learned from reading your post.... you may know
celestial, you may know radar, you may have some deep sea time, etc..
BUT, the only thing you MAY be any GOOD at, is reading a GPS, and I'm
not too sure of that.
BG As to having been to sea ..... EG "I've wrung more salt water out
of my socks than you've ever floated on", to quote an old Bosn I knew.


otn