T&T: Aids to Navigation

[Bob McLeran]

Without a chart (or forward looking and side-scanning sonar) how are you 
going to know what is in the next yard ahead of you without some sort of 
chart (as inaccurate as it may be) or a navaid (better than nothing)? A 
depthfinder shows the depth where you are currently; your eyes can't see 
anything (for the most part in many waters) below the surface. Waves 
crashing over a bar or current swirling around an object below the 
surface are obvious indicators of bad things in the water, but those 
types of indicators don't occur very often.

<><><><><><><><><><><><>Mozilla Thunderbird<><><><><><><><><><>
Bob McLeran and Judy Young                  Manatee Cove Marina
M/V Walkabout (soon to be "Sanderling")  Patrick Air Force Base
Defever 41 Trawler                           Melbourne, Florida 



On 6/20/2007 9:42 AM, LRZeitlin@aol.com wrote:
> I think we all put too much faith in charts, ATONs, and their electric 
> analogs.   For most boaters on the TWL, removal of a few ATONs would have a minor 
> impact on their boating activities.
>   
<snip>
> The moral: Nothing beats your eyes and an accurate depthfinder when 
> approaching unfamiliar shores. Charts are just a first approximation of the waters 
> surrounding your boat.
>
> Larry Z