On 5 Mar 2006 10:36:28 -0800, "Da Kine"
wrote:

GPS is great right up until you get a lighting strike and everything
blows out. Those that say "that'll never happen to me" have never
been sailing in the tropics. My boat was hit along with 2 other boats
with the same lighting strike.

Can you envision one or two spare hand heldt GPS units that are
battery operated? They only cost about $100 each these days, and are
at least 100 times more accurate than a celestial fix, and usually
acquire position in less than a minute, any time of day, and in any
weather. With all due respect to celestial, it is a relic at this
point and you are riding a dead horse.

I navigated a 50 ft sloop 300 nautical miles into Bermuda with a hand
held GPS over 10 years ago after taking a lightening strike that
knocked out all installed electronics. No big deal.