Wayne.B wrote:
On Tue, 25 Jan 2005 01:59:45 GMT, otnmbrd
wrote:


When they left Bermuda they had three systems available for Navigation.
GPS, Loran, Celestial.


====================================

LORAN has always been worthless in Bermuda unless something has
changed in the last 10 years that I'm not aware of. Prior to GPS we
used to lose electronic navigation about 400 miles offshore.


Worthless in what way? Accuracy or reliable signal? I ask, because that
was not my experience.
Assuming you are correct and this applied to the ship also, would you
agree that as they approached the Nantucket-Boston Safety Fairway that
Loran became useful?
I ask because it does not appear that they were having a problem with
Loran reliability at sea, but also because it's use became more
important as they approached land, if, as I say, they were GPS Centric,
when others systems could have "saved the day".

otn

On Tue, 25 Jan 2005 03:21:21 GMT, otnmbrd
wrote:

Worthless in what way? Accuracy or reliable signal?

Reliable signal. My experience with LORAN in Bermuda is somewhat
dated and things may have improved, or you may have better equipment
on large ships than we did on sail boats in the late '80s. By the
early 90s everyone was using GPS so LORAN didn't get much attention
after that. My present boat has two very decent LORAN units aboard
and neither are connected, mostly for lack of antenna space. Don't
really miss them with 3 GPS units, 3 chart plotters, and two radars
available.

I ask, because that
was not my experience.
Assuming you are correct and this applied to the ship also, would you
agree that as they approached the Nantucket-Boston Safety Fairway that
Loran became useful?

LORAN should have been quite usable in that area in my experience.
The only time we had difficulty with coastal LORAN was during severe
thunderstorms. One of my units would also jump out of sync
occasionally but the error was so large as to be immediately obvious.

On Tue, 25 Jan 2005 03:21:21 GMT, otnmbrd
wrote:

Wayne.B wrote:
On Tue, 25 Jan 2005 01:59:45 GMT, otnmbrd
wrote:


When they left Bermuda they had three systems available for Navigation.
GPS, Loran, Celestial.


====================================

LORAN has always been worthless in Bermuda unless something has
changed in the last 10 years that I'm not aware of. Prior to GPS we
used to lose electronic navigation about 400 miles offshore.


Worthless in what way? Accuracy or reliable signal? I ask, because that
was not my experience.
Assuming you are correct and this applied to the ship also, would you
agree that as they approached the Nantucket-Boston Safety Fairway that
Loran became useful?
I ask because it does not appear that they were having a problem with
Loran reliability at sea, but also because it's use became more
important as they approached land, if, as I say, they were GPS Centric,
when others systems could have "saved the day".

otn
According to the report, the loran was behaving correctly near
Nantucket, where it mattered. Nobody believed it.



Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC J36 Gjo/a


"Accordions don't play 'Lady of Spain.' People play 'Lady of Spain."

Rodney Myrvaagnes wrote:


According to the report, the loran was behaving correctly near
Nantucket, where it mattered. Nobody believed it.



Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC J36 Gjo/a


G GPS Centric

otn

otnmbrd wrote:
Rodney Myrvaagnes wrote:



According to the report, the loran was behaving correctly near
Nantucket, where it mattered. Nobody believed it.



Rodney Myrvaagnes
NYC J36 Gjo/a


G GPS Centric

Nobody actually checked the Loran until after the grounding, when it
revealed a 15 mile error. The depth sounder was on but the alarm was
turned off. The radar did not show the entrance buoy in the correct
place, and that was ignored. Lights on Nantucket were seen when they
should have been 30 miles away.

GPS Centric