Paper Charts Now Unnecessary

[micah719]

very often see vessel assist pulling in sailboats who have run out of diesel(on a nice breezy day).

And no shame at all? What's the thing sticking out of the deck for then....the mind boggles.

[nigel1]

Originally Posted by micah719

And no shame at all? What's the thing sticking out of the deck for then....the mind boggles.

Putting the TV antenna on I guess

[noelex 77]

Backs ups of vital systems are essential on a long distance crusing boat.
I think many people are expressing the view that a chartplotter on its own is not enough. I agree, but does the backup map need to be paper?.
Electronics fail, so do liferafts, EPIRBS, radios rudders etc. a prudent sailor creates some redundancy in the vital systems, where possible. Other systems such as say the keel (for a monohull boat with a single keel) we accept that backups are not possible and there is some risk that a failure may be catastofic and probably fatal.
Electronics fail more often than keels so more redundancy is needed ( although the consequences of failure are less severe). So 2, 3 or more independedenty systems are needed, but this is easy and cheap.
We place our faith and lives in the hand of electronics most of the time we fly with only a couple of layers of redundancy. Some of these systems are absolutely vital, unlike simple mapping. Even a modern car has electonic systems that are essential for control and safety.
These electronic systems are more functional and safer than the mechanical systems they replaced. The same revolution is occurring in the mapping systems on pleasure yachts.

[wolfenzee]

Originally Posted by nigel1

Putting the TV antenna on I guess

A TV antenna goes under the thread "Your might be a live aboard if...", most of that lot wouldn't call vessel assist unless they sinking.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by wolfenzee

Some people stay close enough to "civilization" and tech support, ... I have heard of people making a distress call when thier GPS or radar go down and very often see vessel assist pulling in sailboats who have run out of diesel(on a nice breezy day).

Well, here's the thing: not everyone has 20 years' experience and can *safely* sail their boat into a dock for the fuel they really will need (see reference to safe docking above -- grin).

I really did hear a power boater call for coast guard guidance to the entrance of a channel (a very easily spotted channel) because his GPS went down, but the incident stands out becuaue it is NOT common. The CG, by the way, did not view the man's "problem" as something they deal with.

[daddle]

So...what do our ever careful paper chart proponents use as a backup in the event the paper charts are lost? (e.g. Fire, flood, piracy, blown overboard, plague of insects)

[wolfenzee]

They could anchor the boat near the marina and take the tender in to get fuel, a mechanic or at least a much shorter tow.

[zeehag]

HAY!!!! I RESEMBLE THAT TV ANTENNA REMARK--- geeez--at least ye let me have a chance to remove it before ye commented ,,LOL....

[wolfenzee]

Considering most live aboards know what they doing when it comes to boats...a TV antenna just confirms it.

[zeehag]

rofl--my boat came with it--now i do not have one.. but, now my mizzen spreaders are gorgeous with new point...and the spreader hardware is now perfect!!. this musta come because ditched that obnoxious tv antenna....hhmmmmmmm

[Sailor g]

Originally Posted by wolfenzee

Some people stay close enough to "civilization" and tech support, ... I have heard of people making a distress call when thier GPS or radar go down and very often see vessel assist pulling in sailboats who have run out of diesel(on a nice breezy day).

My favorite story like this is about the boat we heard call for Vessel Assist because their engine quit while entering the Marina del Rey channel. Vessel Assist asked the normal -how many people, life preservers, etc. All ok until they asked them to put down the anchor... there was some discussion, then they came back and said uh, we don't have an Anchor.

Now, I'm pretty understanding. People learn as they go except... 3 yrs later and they still go by with no anchor!! They belong to a local yacht club so I know they can afford it and they are not racers-so no excuse.

[micah719]

It's facepalm time....

[conachair]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

My chart plotter also gives me predicted currents in interesting places like inlets that can be extremely useful.

My paper chart can't do that.

Interesting. Wonder how it does that. I always thought that chartplotter data was the same data as paper charts anyway, nothing new. Maybe it does some funky interpolating. Doubt I'll ever be able to afford a luxury like a dedicated chart plotter , certainly the not the charts for cruising anyway. But the laptop does all that's needed and much more. Like spider solitaire for those offshore night watches Does any chart plotter have spider solitaire?

[Exile]

Originally Posted by conachair

Interesting. Wonder how it does that. I always thought that chartplotter data was the same data as paper charts anyway, nothing new. Maybe it does some funky interpolating. Doubt I'll ever be able to afford a luxury like a dedicated chart plotter , certainly the not the charts for cruising anyway. But the laptop does all that's needed and much more. Like spider solitaire for those offshore night watches Does any chart plotter have spider solitaire?

Dunno, but your laptop will do currents, tides, moon, etc. with some of the widely available software. No internet required.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by conachair

Interesting. Wonder how it does that. I always thought that chartplotter data was the same data as paper charts anyway, nothing new. Maybe it does some funky interpolating. Doubt I'll ever be able to afford a luxury like a dedicated chart plotter , certainly the not the charts for cruising anyway. But the laptop does all that's needed and much more. Like spider solitaire for those offshore night watches Does any chart plotter have spider solitaire?

How does it do it? It's known information that can be gathered, but it's very convenient information to have right with depth sounder and a digitized view of the channel ...

It doesn't READ the currents ... just as a tide chart didn't predict the 2' overages we had during TS Debby. It's a chart plotter. It's not your brain. You still have to think.