Quote:
Originally Posted by froggy
Title of this thread is Chart VS GPS!!!
It should not be a case of one VS. the other.
Learning Chart navigation is a must. Dead reckoning. Plotting a course. Use of parallel rules, and compass that is fixed on the boat, and calibrated. Pair of decent binoculars. The effects of wind and current on your boat's travel.
Other tools, one is GPS unit, should be considered a supplement.
|
I would be the first to admit that if I had to venture out on the ocean, or Great Lakes, or similar bodies of water I would be a dead duck. I have none of the chart navigation abilities that you mention. I do keep an eye on my compass headings from time to time. I don't even own a set of parallel rules.
However, on Winnipesaukee, it's overkill. If you need to plot a course, most GPS units allow you to do it without too much fuss and are, for the most part, more accurate than a paper chart. It's also easier to store GPS charts and you can zoom in better.
On the Lake you are never out of sight of the shoreline and even closer to the next marker bouy. You can get from one end of the lake to the other in about an hour. This is very different from being in the Ocean where there are no visual clues and you could be cruising for days away from land.
I think charting for large bodies of water is an essential and interesting skill, however I would be astonished if very many Lake only boaters were familiar with the termininology let alone had the ability to chart a course.