Does any one plot a course on a paper chart?

cliffdale · 5 Sep 2003

Im just thinking with my raggie hat on, during a 100 mile passage in good visibility, it takes me 5 hours to get out of sight of land. 10 hours of just sea and ships. Land ahoy, takes me another 5 hours to get to it.

I spend about 10 minutes each hour calculating tides and plotting an estimated position and CMG. Yes I have a GPS but I still need my paper charts and tidal diamonds.

How do you speedies do it? Is it all push button electronic charts? Wham bam off we go type navigation?

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Guest · 5 Sep 2003

Re: Always

For anything more than a few miles, particularly somewhere we haven't been before. Lectronics has been known to go tits up from time to time...

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hlb · 5 Sep 2003

If I'm going a short way, say 30-40 miles round the coast. I might use nothing at all. For say CI I will stick dots on the chart plotter, then it joins them up and I press auto. Some times when I'm good. I get Tutts to then put it on a chart. Course she usualy gets it wrong, so has to copy it down again from the chart plotter. Seems a bit of a waste of time really.

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Haydn

cliffdale · 5 Sep 2003

Re: Always

Working quickly it takes me 10 minutes, thats just under a mile. If your wizzing at 30knots, by the time you have finished,your 5 miles out, I think! Takes me an hour to do 5 miles.

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hlb · 5 Sep 2003

Re: Always

Ah but. In a mobo you put flight plan in first. Much easier than braking pencils at 30 knots!!

<hr width=100% size=1> No one can force me to come here. I'm a volunteer!!.

Haydn

LeytonC · 5 Sep 2003

Yes!!

Always do, i only do 7 knots in a very tidal area so i am always checking and plotting, not only that sods law states electronics will fail when you need them most so you must be able to move back to paper and compass seamlessly

All IMHO of course.

(I have a chart plotter and a hand held GPS that runs of its own batterys just in case i have a problem with power.)

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Leyton
(EXTAR Solutions - Software that works for you)

cliffdale · 5 Sep 2003

Re: Always

So its wham bam then?

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Deleted User YDKXO · 5 Sep 2003

Yes, I think most of us do plot a course on paper charts but it is in the form a pre-flight plan done before we set off. Personally, I transfer the waypoints worked out from the chart to the plotter and then check that the courses/distances agree. At sea, I follow the plotter directions but I am regularly checking off features from the chart and relating them to what the plotter tells me. What you cannot do on a fast moving motor boat is to take traditional fixes or even GPS fixes and plot them on a paper chart accurately. Its just too bumpy. Again, personally, I keep a constant mental note of course/distance to the next waypoint so that should the plotter go blank, I'll know roughly where we are

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tcm · 5 Sep 2003

Re: Always

Yes. plotting EP's is a no-no at 20+knots, bit of a waste of time. "and here is where we were a while back" . Passage and course planning has to be done beforehand. Not sure why you wd plot an EP when you have a gps -surely a gps position transferred to chart shows how wrong/right your previously caluclated predicted position actually is, and so you can then get on with caluclating new CTS? Or (horror) do you just set off and then do a bit of nav every hour? Ah well. I always make sure we have at least two gps systems on board, cos the charts have been known to blow away

duncan · 5 Sep 2003

I will admit to not doing so in teh normal course of events - I run 2 seperate plotters both with looped track recording and carry paper charts and an up to date almanac.
If I loose the GPS signal the machines will beep at me and I can/would switch to paper based on where I am from the electronic plot.
If I loose all electrics my decision to procedd would be based on where I was and where I was going etc - ie if I had just left Poole for a beer at Cowes in the dark and rain then I would go back (or try and fix it).
Some would say I am over reliant on electronics based on this - however I haven't 'needed' them. If they failed on a normal trip I would only have an issue if I was fishing and wanted to be on a particular mark. Travelling at 20 - 30 knots you can afford to be quite generous in your clearing distances!

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hlb · 5 Sep 2003

Re: Always

Well sort of. But I know every rock for fifty miles each side of Plymouth, so not much chart work needed, less I get in verry close. But then it's just a quick look. I find the chart plotter much more accurate than by hand. Course we usualy write down positions every now and then if crossing alot of sea. So if plotter goes belly up. We knew where we were then, and know where we are going'ish. So can carry on from there. Well thats the theory anyway!!

<hr width=100% size=1> No one can force me to come here. I'm a volunteer!!.

Haydn

hlb · 5 Sep 2003

Re: Always

Ah. Every one talks about GPS or Plotter failier. But never lost charts, or where the tomato soup fell on them. Or the bit in the crease that got a bit shagged!!

<hr width=100% size=1> No one can force me to come here. I'm a volunteer!!.

Haydn

cliffdale · 5 Sep 2003

Re: Always

My EPs are done in advance. In a channel crossing (14hrs), I plot where the tide will have pushed me each hour. Tides can move me to the left/right up to six miles off course. If gps fixes me close to the tidal EP then everything is hunky dory. We alsohave wo worry about lee way as well, up to 15 degrees.

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Guest · 5 Sep 2003

Re: tomato soup

but that's why there are all the old superstitions, innit? Like never going to sea with a pig (in case the barbeque sauce gets on the charts) or naming rabbits (in case, errm, well, in case... ...I suppose)

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duncan · 5 Sep 2003

Re: tomato soup

now you have really lost me................surely if you stun the rabbit before putting it into the pot with the tomato soup you will get less splashes on the chart?

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hlb · 5 Sep 2003

Re: tomato soup

Obvious. You have not seen Tutts dishing out rabit stew!!

<hr width=100% size=1> No one can force me to come here. I'm a volunteer!!.

Haydn

duncan · 5 Sep 2003

Re: tomato soup

still looking forward to that - and still carrying around a large pot for lobsters as well come to think of it; that can go away for another year!

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lanason · 5 Sep 2003

Re: tomato soup

Never done any paper ploting or electronic - not needed

I always have a personal escort to guide me !!!! /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

either that or the banks of the river a quite a good guide.

<hr width=100% size=1>Adrian
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tripleace · 5 Sep 2003

everytime.

mind you I do it with a Yeoman plotter.

electronics converted to paper the easy way

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Col · 5 Sep 2003

Mmm !NM

.

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Does any one plot a course on a paper chart?

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