Waypoints?

[Mister Rhino]

Anyone know of a source of way-points in computer readable form for the English channel area?

Thanks

 

[prv]

I'm probably going to regret this, but what would "waypoints for the English Channel" consist of, and how does one use them?

When I want a waypoint, I choose a spot on the chart depending on where I'm going, and put that spot into the GPS. If I'm being exceptionally organised, I may put two or three future ones in as well, but not often.

Would this list be full of things like "four miles WNW of Barfleur: xxºyy.zz'N, xxºyy.zz'W", "five miles NE of Barfleur: xxºyy.zz'N, xxºyy.zz'W", etc? Seems rather a cumbersome way of doing things.

Pete

 

[LadyInBed]

WP's are a personal thing!
Anyone using one from a published list runs the risk of several other boats bearing down on that WP at the same time as you.
Not a thing you want in fog.

 

[jerrytug]

Waypoints from lists need checking for errors, by plotting them on a chart.
So why use a list? I have never understood the reasoning, maybe I'm missing something.

 

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

WP's are a personal thing!
Anyone using one from a published list runs the risk of several other boats bearing down on that WP at the same time as you. Not a thing you want in fog.

.. and a good reason not to use a channel marker or anything similar as a way-point either. If it's accurately plotted you could run straight into it, fog or no fog.

Mike

 

[prv]

.. and a good reason not to use a channel marker or anything similar as a way-point either. If it's accurately plotted you could run straight into it, fog or no fog.

I've been on a boat that did exactly that!

I disclaim all responsibility since I was down below making the tea at the time

This was the first boat I'd been on with an autopilot, and it had a Yeoman plotter as well (this is before video plotters were mainstream) - so as far as I was concerned it was all amazingly high-tech. The owner had clicked the Yeoman mouse over one of the big Solent channel markers on the chart, pressed another button or two, and said "there we go - now the boat will take us there". I was impressed.

An hour or so later, while making the aforementioned tea, I heard a shout on deck and looked up to see the owner frantically hauling the wheel over. The electrickery really had steered us right up to the big steel channel buoy - and despite the last-minute efforts, we hit it a glancing blow on the port bow. No serious damage, fortunately, but a big streak of red paint to show what had happened!

Pete

 

[Sandy]

Anyone know of a source of way-points in computer readable form for the English channel area?

What sort of way points do you want?

 

[bluerm166]

Actually my gps's have a bearing to mark box,an achieved bearing box and a distance to mark box,so I keep a watch on all three as I go along.So unless you are actually using a true autopilot there is no reason why you need to pass any nearer a buoy (a confirmable,namable waypoint) than the safe channel determines.
Using confirmable named waypoints means that the gps will not be full of meaningless stuff.

 

[alant]

Anyone know of a source of way-points in computer readable form for the English channel area?

Thanks

Positions of "Lights, Buoys and Waypoints", are published in Reeds Almanac.
However, I would be guided by the above posts, before using them, since they do not indicate which headland they are hiding behind for example.

 

[johnalison]

A disadvantage of using marks as waypoints can appear on plotters is that a waypoint at the position of a lit buoy, for instance, can make it hard to bring up the information about the buoy if required. Keying in waypoints in any quantity is a mugs game and anyone doing anything more complex than local sailing would be better off with a plotter, however basic.

 

[bluerm166]

To answer the OP's question :
If you will be using a handheld gps to carry the waypoints and you do not already have Seaclear then spending £29-50 with VisitMyHarbour will give you the electronic charts and will allow you to make a route in Seaclear that includes all the points you want within minutes.When you transfer the route to your gps it will separately install all the waypoints involved so you can use either the GOTO function for any point or follow the ROUTE.

 

[lw395]

Waypoints from lists need checking for errors, by plotting them on a chart.
So why use a list? I have never understood the reasoning, maybe I'm missing something.

I think if you take someone else's waypoint list and check it, it's more likely to be right than checking your own.
The most common mistake is to be one degree out?
I like to have a few key WP's in an old handheld gps as back up.

Personally, I'm happy having exact WP's for things like buoys, then 'aiming to miss'.
It means the bearing to the WP is correct and can be checked with a compass.
But then I generally prefer to steer than program the autopilot.

 

[Fantasie 19]

Anyone know of a source of way-points in computer readable form for the English channel area?

Thanks

Solent selection here: http://www.winningtides.co.uk/solent waypoints 2014.rar

 

[jerrytug]

I think if you take someone else's waypoint list and check it, it's more likely to be right than checking your own.
The most common mistake is to be one degree out?
I like to have a few key WP's in an old handheld gps as back up.

Personally, I'm happy having exact WP's for things like buoys, then 'aiming to miss'.
It means the bearing to the WP is correct and can be checked with a compass.
But then I generally prefer to steer than program the autopilot.

That's a very good point, about checking that your own mistakes are the correct mistakes!

 

[snowleopard]

.. and a good reason not to use a channel marker or anything similar as a way-point either. If it's accurately plotted you could run straight into it, fog or no fog.

Somewhere in the North Sea I nearly ran down a few tons of steel buoy at night because the offset of the chart I was using from WGS84 was equal and opposite to the offset I had applied to miss it. SWMBO called down from her watch 'That buoy looks a bit close'.

 

[jac]

One way to minimise errors is to use the intersection of lat and long lines on a chart. This gives a wp with all 0 at the end.

 

[theoldsalt]

.. and a good reason not to use a channel marker or anything similar as a way-point either. If it's accurately plotted you could run straight into it, fog or no fog.

Mike

What's wrong with setting the proximity alarm for the waypoints on the GPS or chart plotter - useful for those too distracted to watch "distance to waypoint".