Navigation

[alanporter]

I have just been thumbing through some old logbooks. It seems that the
last time I recorded a "running fix' was in 1991 when my old Loran C was on the blink. I couldn't find any reference to "doubling the angle on the bow". I reckon modern electronics have taken all the fun out of navigating. Or am I just showing my age ?

 

[snoozydude]

Gidday
I got the best information about manual naviagtion from my new GPS on its first trip out.

I was just learing to use it and struggleing to trust the waypoints I had put in late the night before.

The message read "Battries Low" and from now on I use the GPS to test my manual navigation.

Though I do agree that in this era it seems people are eager to believe without question anything on a computer screen.

 

[Evadne]

It only takes the fun out of pencil and paper navigation if you turn it on. I use this sort of thing at work and I go sailing to get away from it.
I did finally succumb to buying a gps a couple of years ago, and it gets used (a) when we're not sure where we are, which is about twice a season, (b) for the hell of it or to find out an accurate eta. when the brain isn't working at its best. It doesn't tell me all the things I really need to know when navigating, such as HW and tidal streams so its use is limited to position fixing anyway.

 

[trouville]

I always have my chart on the cockpit nav table,and chart my progress by log depth and compass (when land arrives). Im often surprised that during a passage how often i find something i never noticed before,

Ive found several comfortable sand banks, ideal to stop for lunch or breakfast before going on! These days though with GPS theres getting to be a parking problem!In summer.

As i plan my cruise for this year, i was really amazed to find how chartplotters have taken over from paper. And as the year before my alternater "went wrong" and cooked a battery, it was ruined, only useful to throw overboard!

In my case i have 24v engine starting batteries charged with a dynamo boats services alternator and a seperate alternator for the SSB battery.

I happend to find the boiled battery when i stoped on the Vada sand bank for lunch and had to open the locker! I wondered then as i looked around me at single engined MOBOS and small sail boats that had one alternator charging one or two batterys.

Imagin chart plotter gps nav lights cabin lights the normal 26 footer on route to corsica or from Corsica to ibiza what would happen if their batterys boiled? No doubt whenit was discoverd the first thing would be to switch the engin off.

Then no light no nav no VHF and no way to start the modern small diesel??? Is this e-chart GPS really progress??

 

[alant]

I remember when on my first 'formal' nav class being taught about running fixes & mentioned the 'doubling the angle on the bow' method, only to be advised it was too inaccurate.

 

[sailing_gibbon]

Re: Navigation and charts on the net

Does anyone know where on the web the "well known electronic charts of the entire world can be found?" As mentioned in Yachting World this month?

 

[Benbow]

[ QUOTE ]
I remember when on my first 'formal' nav class being taught about running fixes & mentioned the 'doubling the angle on the bow' method, only to be advised it was too inaccurate.

[/ QUOTE ]

Which translates as "instructor doesn't understand it".

 

[Swagman]

GPS Navigation

I can recall an overnight Ocean Race off Western Australia possibly 18/20 years back when we were reliant upon an early handheld GPS to beat our rivals in.

The American's went to war and switched off the GP system - I recall early morning WA time. It was most frustrating as we had not logged every tack we had been taking to cover our closest rival.

Appreciate this may never happen again, and we now have pending Gallileo making us / EU more self reliant, but it's served me as a reminder of of the risk one takes in trusting only electronic devices - even though I love to use them!

Cheers
JOHN

 

[alant]

Agreed!

 

[BrendanS]

Re: GPS Navigation

The US have never turned off GPS globally. It's something of a myth.

Back in the time you were talking about (18-20 years ago) the GPS system was only running on 11 developmental satellites (not the current system of many more fully developed and functioning ones) and the same as developmental Egnos system in Europe now, did not guarantee fully functional 24x7 up time - I suspect you had issues, as with far fewer satellites up, any problems with one or two of these developmental satellites would have deprived you of a good fix.

 

[Peppermint]

Re: Did one about two weeks ago.

It put me about 200yds from where I was known to be. Ho Hum!

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Re: Did one about two weeks ago.

Peppermint....

I wonder however, how many people out there wouldn't know what a running fix, and especially one derived through something like 'doubling the angle' was if it smacked them in the face?

They probably did it on their YM theory course 12 years ago... and have never used it since........

They are the ones that will get wacked by a GPS or electrical failure......

 

[BrendanS]

Re: Did one about two weeks ago.

I know how, and I've done it (hum, two years ago?)

I practice many manual chart fixes, just to keep my hand in, but haven't used this in anger, ever. but I'm a power boater, so not expected to know any of these arcane practices! <g> In a small power boat, it's easier to stop and take several fixed bearings than to take running bearings at 30+knts where bouncing around, not one bearing is likely to be at all accurate.