Talking to a fellow traveler here about hand-drawn charts from the 50s. It got me thinking about 'digital drift.' We trust our GPS to the inch these days, but I still keep a physical compass and a paper backup on the bridge.
To the sailors and tech folks on here: what’s the one piece of 'analog' gear you’ll never strip off your boat (or out of your life)?
ho I still have paper chart and compass, I do my estimate on paper, even if I double check with GPS. Just to make sure I don't lose the skills.
Nw you can guess my age 😉
@sailingnews If you rely 100% on the blue dot on the screen, you’re just a passenger. If you’re keeping a dead reckoning log, you’re the navigator. Plus, when the sun is beating down and the glare makes the MFD impossible to read, or the alternator decides to give up the ghost, you’re the only person in the channel who isn't sweating.
What’s your go-to chart? Around here, I’ve got my old NOAA 11428 for the St. Lucie Inlet so marked up with pencil notes it’s practically a diary.
Mike Sullivan
SailingNews