[Rhodes22-list] New Rodes Owner

[DCLewis1 at aol.com]

Frazier,    
 
With all due respect, I disagree with Bill regarding GPS.
 
We have an Iris 100 handheld compass mounted on the bulkhead.  It does  the 
job - it’s job is to  provide a steering guide.  We’ve found that  all the 
hoopla about triangulating, navigating, etc via  compass that is  covered in 
Power Squadron navigation courses is possible in some circumstances -  but not all 
circumstances.  What is easy and reliable in virtually all  boating 
circumstances is GPS - it will tell you where you are and how to get to  where you want 
to go.  Virtually all our navigation, apart from piloting in  constrained and 
familiar waterways (e.g. approaches to our marina),  is  done with  GPS.  We 
use a handheld charting GPS that tells us in  virtually real time where we are 
on the chart displayed on the hand held unit -  there’s no need to map the 
GPS position on to a paper chart.  We know where  we are going when we leave the 
dock - we enter that as a way point on the GPS  chart - and the machine plots 
our course as it is sailed until we get to our  destination or decide to turn 
around or set a new way point.   We  steer by the compass, but we monitor 
evolution of the track in real time on the  GPS, so we know immediately if we're 
deviating (we often  deviate -  every tack is a deviation)  and where we are 
with respect  to navigation hazards and aids.
 
Our handheld charting GPS ( and I think most hand held GPS units) tracks  
speed, average speed, time on the water, total elapsed distance sailed,  etc, 
etc, - it’s all part of the package.  Also, we can hit a button and it  will 
reverse course to tell us how to find our way back via our previous way  points - 
that may be useful someday in fog or heavy rain.
 
 From time-to-time we cross-reference the GPS with our paper charts to  get 
additional info regarding bottom type, correlate hazards, etc but generally  
our hand held GPS map display shows hazards, buoys, etc, virtually  everything 
shown on paper charts.  The GPS chart displays on our unit are  provided by 
MapTech -the same people that provide paper charts.
 
I recommend a charting GPS as a safety and convenience item.  It does  not 
replace a compass, you still need a compass to steer by, but the  charting GPS 
will tell you where you are, what obstacles and nav aids are  nearby, and what 
course to steer to get to your destination.   It  will also function as an 
anchor alarm if you overnight.
 
Additionally, I have found the same handheld charting GPS to be very useful  
for motor trips, hikes, etc, and it’s fun to play with.  
 
Dave
 
 



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