Robin
Well-Known Member
A lot of what you can do with a plotter can also be done with a Yeoman, like entering waypoints directly to a compatible GPS, however on the plotter it is very easy to put waypoints in (and zoom to the biggest chart to check their position if ultimate precision is needed) and also easy to create routes. If necessary complicated but useful routes such as to take you onto your home harbour, or say through Chenal Du Four or the likes in bad visibility can be created easily, then checked by running the route in good conditions. Most plotters can be set to leave a groundtrack on screen, so if you go back along this on the plotter screen you can tweak waypoint positions if necessary to fit exactly the reality of the course you took.
We have such pre-programmed and tested routes for example for Poole fairway to our home base, for L'Aberwrac'h entry, Chenal Du Four, little Russell etc and have been glad of all at various times in fog. Indeed last year we went into L'Aberwrac'h (where there are really strong cross tides setting actross the entry and wicked reefs either side) in 25m visibilty using a combination of plotter and radar and staying exactly on the ground track. Our plotter/GPS is linked to the radar and puts a lollipop on the screen to show where the next waypoint is, so we could see the echo on the radar close by it that was the next buoy to pass. The visual and continuous flashing little boat of the screen tracking straight down the required entry line (albeit with the boat POINTING 30 degs right to offset the crosstide) is very reassuring! You CAN do it with Yeoman but it would need a bigger chart than the likely one in use and for it to be referenced ready to use - plus some nifty plotting on it to boot.
None of this is of course essential and thanfully I learned to navigate 'properly' way back in the good old(???) days pre-Decca/GPS and when a Seafix RDF was the bees knees. However it does make for more relaxed and stress free sailing. I still look at charts and still use tidal atlases and manually calculate CTS etc, our plotter doesn't do that function although I do have a laptop set up that does do that if needed and which is very good at looking at multiple what-ifs, like different speeds or departure times and so on.
I do find it worrying however that some people use modern plotters/GPS without fully understanding the basics. The classic case in point is in staying absolutely on track when crossing the Channel and therefore continually altering course to stem the changing tides, rather than (if it is safe, no rocks in the way) allowing the boat to be taken offtrack by the tides and simply offsetting the differences overall. I know one airline pilot who does this and who is convinced it is the best way!
Robin
We have such pre-programmed and tested routes for example for Poole fairway to our home base, for L'Aberwrac'h entry, Chenal Du Four, little Russell etc and have been glad of all at various times in fog. Indeed last year we went into L'Aberwrac'h (where there are really strong cross tides setting actross the entry and wicked reefs either side) in 25m visibilty using a combination of plotter and radar and staying exactly on the ground track. Our plotter/GPS is linked to the radar and puts a lollipop on the screen to show where the next waypoint is, so we could see the echo on the radar close by it that was the next buoy to pass. The visual and continuous flashing little boat of the screen tracking straight down the required entry line (albeit with the boat POINTING 30 degs right to offset the crosstide) is very reassuring! You CAN do it with Yeoman but it would need a bigger chart than the likely one in use and for it to be referenced ready to use - plus some nifty plotting on it to boot.
None of this is of course essential and thanfully I learned to navigate 'properly' way back in the good old(???) days pre-Decca/GPS and when a Seafix RDF was the bees knees. However it does make for more relaxed and stress free sailing. I still look at charts and still use tidal atlases and manually calculate CTS etc, our plotter doesn't do that function although I do have a laptop set up that does do that if needed and which is very good at looking at multiple what-ifs, like different speeds or departure times and so on.
I do find it worrying however that some people use modern plotters/GPS without fully understanding the basics. The classic case in point is in staying absolutely on track when crossing the Channel and therefore continually altering course to stem the changing tides, rather than (if it is safe, no rocks in the way) allowing the boat to be taken offtrack by the tides and simply offsetting the differences overall. I know one airline pilot who does this and who is convinced it is the best way!
Robin
