Integrated Electronics System

[Sawdust]

Surely agree with him. Same-o on my commercial boats. To do it again, one of those pieces would be a C-80. :lol:

When I taught this stuff to commercial skippers and mates upgrading tonnage licenses, I insisted on a line on a paper chart, a navigation log made out -- and only then any helpful toys. Not a bad idea now if in unfamiliar water.

It frightens me when I see friends venture out in strange areas with a single, or even three pieces of electronics without a clue if the equipment fails.

Every morning when I go to the workshop I say "'Mornin' friend" to my old sextant. Still have my old lead line -- and my dividers and parallel rulers are on my desk. They remind me how fortunate I am to be able to do all of this electronically. Experience has shown that the electronic gadgets are only as good as the alternators, batteries, wiring, and systems that support them. I've had all of them quit at one time or another.

Boat Navigation for the Rest of Us by Captain Bill Brogdon is one of my favorite pieces of reading material. I highly recommend it.

Off my soapbox to go chase monsters of the deep.

Dusty

 

[Byrdman]

WOW: A lot of feedback on a simple one line question... This is dear to the hearts of all of us. I need to toss my wooden nickle in here.
First: Dusty and others: I want to put a stand alone digital depth finder on FreeByrd (our TC24, Hull#51)... Which one would you suggest for THIS boat and do you see any issue with mounting the transducer on the port sponson due to the Raymarine SYSTEM being already mounted on the starboard side sponson of THIS boat. I made a week long trip with ZERO depth finding ability on my boat, other than a brother who was way knowledgeable of our waters, and several C-Dorys around me that I could ask for depth reading...(to check my brother of course...grin)
Second: I make it a point to write down my departure point with a new high tech device that writes on paper at any angle...no matter if even writing on the flat surface of the ceiling for extended periods of time...a #2 pencil. If departing thru a pass, or cross creek channel, I add that point....too, because I have to get back there in order to have a chance to get back to where I departed. Like the entrance to Destin Pass or Perdido Pass on the Gulf (both very narrow must hit the channel or rocks...) and on these two short, quick, narrow channels, I have 3 "spots" to hit... dead center of pass channel between the narrowest point of the rock walls, and about 50 yards both out and in the pass....as to keep me ON LINE going thru the pass...during high current/wind/confused seas times...
Back to my river trip of late...I found that I "SHOULD HAVE" taken this same "3 spots lined up" in a row for entrances to cove channels off the Cumberland River...where we have boated for years...
You see, my best navigational aid (Brother Mike) was on the lead vessel of our convoy who had left after dark from Cherokee Steak House and Marina.... and we were headed to our known good ancorage in Spencer Creek, where we have boated 1,000 times over in the dark.
I was tail end of convoy...but the only boat without depth finder... Mike and I made the decision he would be point/lead boat, and I could watch all boats...and just follow. The bad part was the slowdown/stop we made at the entrance of Spencer Creek...crossing... the exact point I have many nights sat in my favorite chair at Mom's by the fireplace and watched the experienced tug pilots FIGHT to stay in channel against changing currents and winds...and very narrow channels... BUT, was able to see the "row" of left/right buoys with my radar....and simply put my boat in reverse as to stay within "the channels" and not drift out/down river into the "turning" channel.
Without having watched the pilots before, I feel sure I would not have had the thought that I was moving quickly with wind/current...and due to not having depth finder, and being the last duck in the line, been the 1st boat to "swing" down river the most..and been the 1st strike. ..... No, I was not real comfortable, but, I knew I had about 12" draft, and 5 other boats ...of which none had called in a grounding strike... BUT... You bet your bippy that I was glad I had watched all those pilots and their previous fights...
And, at this point I find it very fitting to throw out the joy it is to have gatherings and take a look-see how and why other folks have rigged their boats the way they did.... and the ability to openly discuss goods/and differences of folks who HAVE AND DO USE OUR BOATS....not just a slick paper add in our favorite boating mags, or a salesman who has spent entirely too many hours on those flat, "comfortable" concrete floors....just selling the boats...without pounding rain, blinding fog, underminding currents... And before anyone throws a spear at me...I am not knocking salesman....just making a point that once in and on the water...the true life of a boat takes place....not in the showrooms and boat shows.