[PCW] Electronic Equipment

[Guy Mandigo]

My short time in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary has taught me that Aids to Navigation (ATONs) can be destroyed or moved.  Furthermore, dredged channels can begin silting up as soon as the dredge has departed.  Personal local knowledge is the best source of cruising information ... and only if it recent.

The Coast Guard requires up-to-date paper charts of the waters to be steamed on board all commercial vessels.  They are an excellent source of information and should be used as back-up to any and all electronic navigation equipment.

Before my boat leaves the dock, everyone is properly wearing their PFD and the ChartKit next to the helm is open to the appropiate page, even though the chartplotter and depth finder are humming merrily along.

Guy Mandigo
Mill Bayou
Ruskin, Florida

-----Original Message-----
>From: Dan or Judy Kernell <djkernell at yahoo.com>
>Sent: Oct 29, 2009 10:55 AM
>To: Power Catamaran List <power-catamaran at lists.samurai.com>
>Subject: Re: [PCW] Electronic Equipment
>
>Okay guys.  If you can not trust the charts for navigation - what do your
>trust.  When I travel between day marker to day marker or other navigational
>aids I have to trust the people placing the day markers.  It is great to use
>the auto pilot that has a track feature to adjust for wind or current.  This
>is actually more accurate steering between point to point than hand steering.
>You cannot do this with a laptop with navigation software.
> 
>Have a great day. 
> 
>Dan
>
>--- On Wed, 10/28/09, Bill Carlson, Sr. <bcarlson at erols.com> wrote:
>
>
>From: Bill Carlson, Sr. <bcarlson at erols.com>
>Subject: Re: [PCW] Electronic Equipment
>To: "Power Catamaran List" <power-catamaran at lists.samurai.com>
>Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 11:20 PM
>
>
>Charts are an APPROXIMATION of the physical realities - - relying on them cost
>me over $6,000 in prop, hull, and rudder damage.
>Bill
>
>
>On Oct 28, 2009, at 12:16 PM, <2elnav at netbistro.com> wrote:
>
>> ----- Original Message ----- >
>>> We love picking a waypoint on the chart and
>>> letting the auto pilot take us to within 10 feet.
>>
>>
>> REPLY
>> That is not such a good idea.  This summer there was a news story of a
>cruiser in Alaska doing exactly that.  It resulted in  the boat  ramming a
>charted rock  doing  extensive  damage amounting  to $$ thousands.  The
>owner's complaint that the chart was inaccurate was quickly rebutted by
>several  cruisers who pointed out the errors  leading to why  the boat had
>rammed the charted rock at  five knots or better.  One cruiser who had
>anchored nearby at almost the same time said he had taken one look at the area
>and decided  it was not sound seamanship to cut it that close.
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