"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 09 Nov 2008 10:19:28 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote:

Sounds like a good time to have light gathering binocs.
I think Wayne can make a reco on that.

Good 7 x 50 binoculars are hard to beat when you really need to "see"
something at night. Our radar and chart plotter(s) are the primary
lines of defense however. First Loran-C, and now GPS and
chartplotters, have made navigation so easy that it's hard to believe
we ever blundered around with out it. When we first started cruising
back in the 70s it was not unusual to sail all day without a reliable
confirmation of the DR plot. At least once or twice a season a small
boat would emerge out of the haze, out of sight of land, pull along
side and ask for directions to somewhere. Typically they wouldn't
even have a compass or chart on board.


Still happens. When kayaking at Pt. Arena couple weeks ago, friends in a
boat pulled up along side a guy in a pontoon yak and asked where he was
going. He said to shore, and they had to point him 180 degrees and told him
to follow the guy in the rowboat. He did not even have a compass. He was
looking at the fog bank, thinking it was the cliffs. Guy in rowboat is very
cool. Used to be a commercial fisherman out of Pt. Arena and still loves to
fish and goes out most days for a fish or two. You can launch non powered
boats for free from the pier via a hand winch. Was for the commercials that
moored their boats on buoys. Pull up with the rowboat in back of pickup,
hook up straps and launch boat. Reverse when you come in.