The benefits of a paper back up course plot

[gplume]

I had a couple of interesting experiences last week while out on a week long cruise. One I think is very much worth shareing in the age of electronics. Whenever I go anywhere outside of Narraganset Bay (my home area) I always plot a paper course as a back up, and keep the paper chart on the bridge with me. Never thought I would need it, but just recently it came in very handy. Was traveling up Buzzards Bay from Pocasset to Newport to beat out the swells from Bill. Around the New Bedford/Fairhaven region, I hit an absolute wall of fog. Less that a 1/10 th mile vis. No problem radar GPS...I know where I am...and what's around me, didin't even slow down ( I only go 16 knots at cruise anyway). Commented to the wife ...isn't this great, we know exactly where we are...electronics are great. I would say roughly 1/2 hour later, somewhere off Westport.....GPS went poof....off, no screen, nada. Fortunately, I had everything on paper. Pulled out my plots, and ran from my approximate position using a compass course and a watch....time honored STD approach. Anyone coming in to Newport knows an early swing coming from Buzzards Bay will get you on to Brenton Reef. Any way, ran my course for the allottted time. Turned the radar range up, and saw I was just about square with the opening to the bay, turned in...and made it in to Newport with just about zero vis and no GPS. My point.....this would not have been so seamless had i not had the paper back up in arms reach. Any way, I thought we all might a reminder that the the electronics do go down once in a while, and at the worst time.

My other intersting experince....coming out of Cape Cod canel with the tide and against the wind (about 6-8 foot zero period almost standing waves)......Burried ol' Berty deep...surprised I didn't blow out my windshields. Now I am starting to see why everyone glasses these over.....its not just for looks. Bob....I reading you now loud and clear on the structual improvement.

[In Memory Walter K]

That's what scares the hell out of me with all the new multiple images on one screen units. Saves space but gives up redundancy if the main screen goes. I feel safer with separate entities with backups. I have 2 gps', 2 lorans and 2 radios on my bridge and a separate Radar and depth recorder. Thank God you know how to do the compass/watch navigation. Not many do any more. Walter

[randall]

i have an old hand held GPS that you can plot co ordinates on the chart with. thats what i did before i got a real one with a screen chart. my dad used to talk to me about navigation a lot. imagine flying 300 miles at night through flack and enemy fighters to a pin point target.....with no GPS...and get home again before you run out of fuel.

or you could sail around the world with magellan.

giff...nice job of navigating

[Harry Woods]

Electronics backup and knowledge of chart navigation is critical. I'l bet there are a fair number of the faithful with no chart backup on board. A few years back my iCom unit that backed up my Northstar crapped out. I took it off the boat to replace it and a few days later Walter had a post that all iCom units around the world crashed. After sending it back for a tech tuneup, it still functions. When your sixty miles from the beach, it always pays to use the belt and suspenders approach.
Harry

[BCBertie]

Absolutely agree, paper charts are a must. Also, must have redundant electronics, and that does not mean two gps units plugged into the same electrical source! I have a nice Raymarine E-80 setup but I also have a Garmin handheld and my iPhone running Navionics charts.

It's also important to practice the skills so that you can use them effectively when the crap hits the fan. Make sure you run the systems at the same time and cross-check their data, so that you are used to all the different displays.
Make "sail plans" and practice them in good weather when you can see to check whether you're good enough for when you can't.

Good on ya, Giff!

John

[White Bear]

Giff: Summer of '67. I'm bringing a 37' Egg Harbor from Maine to Long Island and run into very heavy fog after leaving the canal. I made the exact early turn you described and wound up inside Brenton Reef. A very few tense moments highlighted by an incorrect radio position fix by the USCG were resolved by the sighting of a numbered buoy which enabled me to get back on track with my dead reckoning plot. I'll never forget the entrance to Newport and the big following sea that took me into the harbor. Loran was off for repair. GPS would have been nice back in the day.

[randall]

i tried to run in dense fog from montauk to block using only the compass, watch and chart. hey....i only missed by two miles.

[Carl]

i tried to run in dense fog from montauk to block using only the compass, watch and chart. hey....i only missed by two miles.

Take tide and wind into account?

[randall]

tried to....and thats only fiifteen miles....lets sail to england with nothing but a compass. hey magellian, columbus...they didnt even have a chart.

one of the greatest recounts of balls to the wall navigation and exploration:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Barrows-Boys-Fe ... 1862075026

[Harv]

That's what scares the hell out of me with all the new multiple images on one screen units. Saves space but gives up redundancy if the main screen goes. I feel safer with separate entities with backups. I have 2 gps', 2 lorans and 2 radios on my bridge and a separate Radar and depth recorder. Thank God you know how to do the compass/watch navigation. Not many do any more. Walter

Walt,

Both my dad, and my Uncle Stu taught me as a child, how to navigate with only a watch, compass, chart, depth recorder, and most importantly, the direction of the seas. On the south shore of Long Island, that usually (but not always) meant the seas were on your tail coming home. Even if the depth recorder went out, we still were able to measure the depth manually, but that took a lot of effort. So before the days of radar and loran, we were able to go many miles offshore and still get to where we were going and back home safely.

[Bob H.]

Gif, Good thing you plotted those courses before we had a few beers a few weeks back...We did talk about the west end of the canal...can get VERY NASTY...glad you punched your way through...BH

[Harry Woods]

Giff,
The July issue of Salt Water Sportsman has an article on page 12 entitled "Ancient Mariner". It discusses dead reckoning and other navigation basics. It is good reading and right on track with your post.
Harry