How often are chart plotters used in home waters?

[NormanS]

Because I was talking about using the mk 1 eyeball as visual reference and sailing in home (known) waters in decent conditions. What do you think people did before GPS? in any case, there is more to GPS than just reading off lat long. A marine GPS should allow you to put proximity waypoints on local hazards that will sound an alarm if your Nav lets you down and you make a closer approach than you'd like. You know about those, don't you?

Are you seriously suggesting "putting proximity waypoints on local hazards that will sound an alarm.....etc etc). You would be a lot better with a plotter, and it will show you all the local hazards at a glance.

 

[bitbaltic]

Are you seriously suggesting "putting proximity waypoints on local hazards that will sound an alarm.....etc etc). You would be a lot better with a plotter, and it will show you all the local hazards at a glance.

I'm sorry you'll have to enlighten me. Remember my OP was about home waters in decent conditions/visibility. The assumptions were that you know the buoyage and can see and recognize the marks whilst out and about. The point being that you don't need to glance at any instrument to know the whereabouts of most local hazards. You know about them, that's what makes you a local. Isolated or particularly dangerous things are suitable for proximity waypoints but that's all I was suggesting.

You seem to suggest that I should crawl out of my berth with my eyes glued to a plotter screen because there are hazards out there. Thank you for your concern but I know the marks and that was assumed in my OP. do you need to stare at a plotter to cast off into buoyed familiar waters in good conditions? I guess not. So why suggest I ought to glance at a plotter to reassure myself the local hazards are still there?

 

[NormanS]

Well it is you who is advocating placing waypoints around your hazards. If you really know your home waters, you won't need these way points, so you won't need a GPS. All i'm saying is that if you are going to use the GPS facility, you may as well benefit from it by using a plotter, but by all means, please yourself.