Trading my color chart plotter for a sextant

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by RickD

But if you're going to use a GPS, computers and autopilots to get you across the ocean and you have a power failure... what do you do?

And if you are going to take a bath, for heaven's sake you better know how to make soap out of whale blubber.

And if you are going to eat a sandwich you better know how to churn butter.

yada, yada.

Life is finite. Some skills you just gotta let go as they really won't be needed. I'll learn celestial navigation becuase I think it's a cool party trick. I don't suppose I will ever use it in anger...

Originally Posted by sandy daugherty

You don't know who you are? Welllll....... Here are some simple questions:
Is your mast made of wood or aluminum? I like your wooden mast

Would you rather read Herman Melville or Tom Clancy? The mate reads me to me

Would you rather holystone your teak or hose off your non-skid? Watch you holystone teak

Does your First Mate have a beard and an eye patch, or hand cream? - Both? His name is Bruce...

Do you illuminate your nav lights with a match or a switch? That's the mates job - the hairy guy with the eyepatch and hand cream ;-)

When its cold out, do you sail in barefeet or boatshoes? 10 North X 10 south - What's cold?

When someone asks you to name seven stars, do you think of Spica or Spike Lee? - Japanese cigarettes

Given a choice between belt, suspenders and duct tape would you choose all the above or none of the above? You can beat your mate with a belt but you can't beat your fish


Tha way I can sit in my plastic chair on my plastic bridge deck and salute the rising and setting sun with a word of encouragement to my dust and varnish coated neighbors, hard at work maintaining my million dollar view!

If you spend your time at the dock oggling other people's boats, doesn't that make the concern about GPSs being wiped out by nukes a bit moot?

[RickD]

Life is finite. Some skills you just gotta let go as they really won't be needed. I'll learn celestial navigation becuase I think it's a cool party trick. I don't suppose I will ever use it in anger...

Perhaps you're right. Let those skills go, they are obsolete. Me, I'm glad I can navigate by the stars on land, and make a fire from items I found. You're certainly right about life being finite - and both of those two things have saved my life and lives of others in the past. Being lost in a jungle or in the mountains without any food or water is a bad thing, especially when you had no control over the situation. Fortunately, I learned those skills and knew how to rescue myself. Fortunately, all those people telling me "We'll never use algebra or trig" were also wrong. I've used both of those as well. (Accounting, well, accounting sucks, I hate it, and refuse to use it.)

(And I can make soap and churn butter, lol)

[witchcraft]

We still us our sextant although it is not a really good one it is adequate. One day I would like to buy a nice one for my partner as a gift. There is one in particular that an old friend owns I have my eye on. I am hoping to negotiate for it, since he has lost much of his vision.
Fair winds
SV Witchcraft

[mojo]

large screen color chart plotters are the only way to go.

[silver heels]

Back in the day I was a navigator in the Marine Corp, flew in C-130 transports. Been around the world shooting sun, moon, and stars.
Still have the knowledge to do today, but would not choose to be primary navigation equipment, only as back-up. Easy to miss Azores by 15-20 miles shooting stars. With GPS that would never happen.

phillip

[Talbot]

RickD
For years, my son would probably have laughed at anyone considering soap making a survival skill. Luckily the discovery of girls led to an even more important skill, the application of soap and water followed by deoderant.


Silver Heels

15-20 miles. I know a buble sextant is more difficult, but last time I used a sextant (Rio to madeira trip) I was severly disgruntled if I was more than 5 miles in error. Even at 15 miles, you will see the change in current direction, clouds and the direction of travel of birds at sunset.

and if that fails, watch the aircraft!

[imagine2frolic]

GEEEZE,

This is just like a multi vs. mono. Some people still hunt, and fish. Most spends hundreds of times the money it cost to go to the grocery, and purchase what they pursue. What a bunch of handicaps with a crowd mentality.....

I wonder how many of you here still hunt, and fish, or have another hobby that is not cost effective? Then you will belittle the man for hanging onto an old skill.....i2f

[sandy daugherty]

If you wind the clock, squint at the sky, and tap the barometer, you're a crusty.
If you glance at the weather when you check you messages, and squint at the little screen on your blackberry, you're a Tron.
If you tap the maple tree, tell time by shadows, and squint thru the rifle slit at ATF agents, you're neither, because we're talking about Sailing here.

Boy Scouts and Wilderness survival instructors note: The post is for entertainment purposes only. No harm or criticism was intended, no animals were eaten, and Bear Grylls is still the coolest snake eater on TV.

[silver heels]

Talbot,

I'm not saying that happens often, I've never been lost, just not exactly where I though I was. Eventually, you will get there.

To me, to go back to a sextant after using a chartplotter does not make much sense. I guess if I had never had to use a sextant for navigation, I would have some curiosity.

Been there done that, not going back.
phillip

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by imagine2frolic

GEEEZE,..........
I wonder how many of you here still hunt, and fish, or have another hobby that is not cost effective? Then you will belittle the man for hanging onto an old skill.....i2f

Hmm.... well since I sill have a boat (and sail) and neither of these hobbies are cost effective, I guess it is still alright to fish and hunt a little.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by RickD

Being lost in a jungle or in the mountains without any food or water is a bad thing, especially when you had no control over the situation. Fortunately, I learned those skills and knew how to rescue myself.

I suppose when my boat and I are lost in the jungle I'll be real sorry - LOL...

Actually when I was flying a lot I did take a 5-day survival course. I took the "begginer" course and we were allowed our clothes and 5 pounds of gear for 5 days.

I took 20 quarter pounders and ended up gaining 3 pounds...

Seriously, it was an interesting week. Some cool skills were taught. It was 1983. Somewhere those skills are in the memory bank but I have never used them in anger.

Didn't I read somewhere that more people have summited Everest than have circumnavigated in a private yacht?

I'd take the gear if I was crossing an ocean but I wouldn't consider it "vital" preparation to know how to use it. If electronic navigatino failed I reckon I'd have plenty of time to learn how to use it.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

.........
Didn't I read somewhere that more people have summited Everest than have circumnavigated in a private yacht? .......

I believe that it is "circumnavigated solo" but I am not sure if it was "solo nonstop" or just "solo".
Anyone know more??????

[Wotname]

Thinking more about the quote, IIRC, it was "circumnavigated solo by way of the Horn" - still not sure about the "nonstop" bit.

[Robertcateran]

Back to the topic,
A sextant can be very useful for coastal navigation. I like to check where I am using known heights and known positions on the charts and thus have a very accurate knowledge of where I am- especially if I have an up to date view of the reefs and bars from looking on GoogleEarth