Plotting on paper charts

[Daydream believer]

I could go back if I wanted to, but mostly I use a Plotter. I've also moved on from steam engines and smoke signals.

Would the steam engine have to pay the london ULEZ charge? If not, it may be worth going back to it ,just to annoy a few greenies with all the smoke. It may please the stop oil activists -- until one rollered a protest group of course
Plus you cannot tell me that a ride in a nice steam powered launch up a canal on a warm Sunday afternoon with a nice lady sitting in the stern, picnic basket at the ready, is not the height of enjoyment

 

[Refueler]

I use 2 triangles and parallel ruler.

Mechanical pencils with colour leads black, red and blue.

And a pair of drawing compasses. I only use dividers to measure distances.

I do not understand why no one I have met in England would use drawing compass to mark their position with 2 moves.
No....Mark on the chart Latitude & Longitude,.. get dividers and rules or plotter... extend position, trace lines ...

With drawing compass no need for all that fuss. Done in 2 moves..

When boat is calm or barely moving - its triangles or ruler ... when boat is moving around - I use pencil compass .... when REALLY moving around - its a finger stab at chart ---- that'll do !

 

[Refueler]

Douglas protractor. Simple,no moving parts. Bought it in 1983 and good as new.

I have one of those new fangled things for visitors but never use it.

Not many have mastered the art of the Douglas .....

 

[Refueler]

I would use whatever was to hand. All you REALLY need is a ruler; ideally a parallel one (but I appreciate the comments about using them on an unstable platform). In the worst case, it's not that hard to do a "good enough for government work" job by eye and using joints of fingers, etc. to transfer distances. Dividers make that more accurate. When I was having to plot positions manually on maps, I found ten point dividers very useful, but the maps didn't have a conveniently divided scale at the margin, and the projection was a conical one, so latitude and longitude lines weren't a rectangular grid.

You are now into the realms of GRID navigation .... my Father was heavily into that .... having been a 'pioneer' of Commercial flights over the Polar region ...

 

[Humblebee]

Our RN Reserve teacher used a similar adage the other way around - True Virgins Make Dull Company

Funny I can’t remember much else of my Higher Navigation course!

The version I learnt was "Timid virgins make dull companions."
I use a portland plotter, single handed dividers and mechanical pencil with 7mm 2b leads and paper chart. I only use these when course planning, usually the night before. Once under way, use the GPS and check it against the plot I worked out earlier. Nice to keep traditional skills in use and have some reassurance when GPS gives the same values.
Variation is so small off the west of Scotland I don't bother with it.

 

[Spanjaard]

When boat is calm or barely moving - its triangles or ruler ... when boat is moving around - I use pencil compass .... when REALLY moving around - its a finger stab at chart ---- that'll do !

Good to know someone uses pencil compasses. Makes life a lot easier.

 

[Refueler]

Its funny really .... I spent years setting out charts for ships voyage - drawing the course lines / calculating distances / ETA's / days run etc.

Today ? I use the PC to work out the route / wyapoints / dist x courses ..... then transfer to plotter.
The PC can of course print the route table - giving me a paper reference ...

I haven'r drawn a course line for many years .....

 

[requiem]

Triangles for me, they give far greater confidence in bearings compared to the back-and-forth fiddling with a Breton plotter. I've also swapped a pencil lead into my W&P dividers, pretty sure it's still there.

For regular conversions I jot "TVMDC" vertically on a sheet of scrap paper; each bearing gets a new column.

That said, I much prefer to use my mobile devices for plotting; it's far quicker and reduces work & chance of error when making changes to a route.

 

[Refueler]

I used to carry a pad of tracing paper ... for plotting 3 bearing lines on ....

No need to correct for Varn / Devn ... just plot the lines based on difference of observed angle ... then put on chart - move till the lines intersect the points bearings are for ...

Must get another pad !!

 

[STATUE]

Being a luddite in this age of IT,, I can never entirely leave paper charts . So like any none politician, I compromise. So YEOMAN NAVIGATOR it is !

 

[boomerangben]

If virgin not available:

Cadbury Dairy Milk is Very Tasty.

Except I prefer dark chocolate.

 

[Daydream believer]

I used to carry a pad of tracing paper ... for plotting 3 bearing lines on ....

No need to correct for Varn / Devn ... just plot the lines based on difference of observed angle ... then put on chart - move till the lines intersect the points bearings are for ...

Must get another pad !!

Perhaps the baltic sailing requires it but I cannot recall the time that i needed to do a 3 point plot & wonder if you really have done one for a very long time if you think back.

 

[Refueler]

Perhaps the baltic sailing requires it but I cannot recall the time that i needed to do a 3 point plot & wonder if you really have done one for a very long time if you think back.

I agree that its quite some time since last used ... but its all good stuff to keep in mind ..

Some may not be aware of the 'trick' ... tracing paper is cheaper than a Station Plotter.

Lets be honest how often does anyone take compass bearings on a yacht !! On a ship with a Gyro Compass - its common place once on approaches / running a channel etc.

 

[Refueler]

Being a luddite in this age of IT,, I can never entirely leave paper charts . So like any none politician, I compromise. So YEOMAN NAVIGATOR it is !

I know some still use a Yoeman .... but I haven't seen one on a boat for a long time ....

I did think of getting one years ago - but then it means chart space needs to be 'uncluttered' !!