SailNet Community banner
  • SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

Navigation/Charting/Plotting Tools?

19K views 46 replies 14 participants last post by  Boasun 
#1 ·
I've been wondering about what tools I'll need at the nav station. Two I can think of right off: A pair of dividers and either a parallel rule (I think it's called?) or a pair of triangles. Those two will allow me to determine distance and bearing, correct? Watching a Garmin instructional video, there's a guy using a clear plastic, rectangular thing with a half-circle in the middle and all kinds of graduations all over. What's that? Looks like something else I should probably have? (And learn how to use ;)) Anything else, besides soft lead pencils (what hardness works best?), sharpener and erasers? And charts, of course :D If I choose to use a mechanical pencil, what thickness works best?

(This is just the Great Lakes I'll be navigating, so I think I can forgo the expense and learning curve of a sextant and celestial navigation for the nonce.)

TIA,
Jim
 
#27 ·
hello,
Some things we find that just work, and we seek no further. I've never seen a mechanized pencil on board ship, although I'm sure there are such things on some ships, somewhere. Do you equip your pencil in some type of flotation gear in heavy weather? (vbg)

The reason I like the NC-77 over some other efforts is it' simplicity. Complicating what should be simple things leads to accidents. KISS.

Just one step above the Pardey's. Or below depending on your viewpoint. 2-cycle outboard, used twice per season. Twice too often. (g)
 
#28 ·
I've never seen a mechanized pencil on or off a boat. Is that something like mechanized artillery?<G>

OTOH I've seen plenty of mechanical pencils. I've still got some #2's around, but I have no idea where I got them, I certainly haven't BOUGHT any in over 25 years.

Isn't the pink thing on the top of the pencil the PencilPFD? <G>
 
#32 ·
Oh yeah? Please post a photo of yourself on here and Giu will take the lead out of your pencil, if ya get my drift. (just kiddin') Welcome. Glad you found something to get excited about right away. I'm still waiting for Camaraderie to do his blindfolded GPS test in my old Ford truck before I become "orgasmic" and I'm the one with the truck at risk. Oh well.
 
#35 ·
That is so wrong... I can't even say how wrong it is... :eek:
 
#41 ·
When I did a lot of pencil and charting, I got an articulating plexi straight edge with a compass on it from the BBA. I used two clevis pins which I drop into the pre drilled holes which they used to screw it down to a plotting board for their BBA chartkit. This means I can set the compass / straight edge parallel to the lat lon line and rotate the straight edge to read or plot courses. I don't have to worry about losing two triangles, store them, and walk them to the compass rose on the chart I am using. I clip the chart to my desk top. My desk now has two small holes drilled in the upper left corner where the clevis pins live when the charing device is stowed.

This system is essentially fixed to the desk (though I can lift it off and stow it) which makes it very useful in a sea way. I never use my triangles or a rolling straight edge.

jef
sv shiva
 
#42 ·
tjk,
i've used the rolling plotter. It's a substitute for parallel rules and I find them both deficient. Particularly on a small boat, one must keep a degree of downward pressure for either to track accurately, and that is not always practicable. For the roller, you must push it evenly from the center, as well as have your chart well secured. I still prefer traingles due to size and flexibility of use. Never did much care for parallel rules except for running a long dr track.
 
#44 ·
I'll bet that photo was from when he had the affair with the "dog lady". Remember how he disappeared for a number of days, about the time she stopped posting about Werner von Braun the dog, and then he returned, resigned as moderator, decided to sell the boat, and buy an RV? What can you easily live with in an RV that you cannot on a boat? What type of head gear do aggressive bulldogs wear? btw, Michael Vick and Cam? You've never seen them in the same room together have you?

The pieces are all falling into place. All that's needed now is a confirmed sighting of a GPS equipped dog collar!
 
#47 · (Edited)
As for myself I prefer two triangles & one parallel ruler, two dividers (one with lead and is a compass), a cheap scientific calculator (this way if I drop it over the side am not out hundreds of bucks), and all of my reference books.
Oh! the appropriate charts for the area also (corrected to the latest LNM).
Add in my GPS and Laptop with ECDIS. My C Plath Sextant, white gum erasers (man invented the pencil but God gave us the eraser)
And my emergency land direction indicator: My cat, Isn't that rumor true that if you throw the ship's cat over board, she will swim toward land?? It is true isn't it?? Okay! okay, I will keep her on board to keep the vermin down.
Oh Heck! throw in a maneuvering board also...
Your LOPs come in straight lines, archs and hyperbolic LORAN TDs. The formulae I don't have memorized are in the Reference books.
That is about it.
Oh! Mechanical pencils and the old standby #2 pencils.
Now that is about all that I need.
Have all of that stuff but for the Boat and am looking for a new one. Well it will be new to me that is. :)
Well if you do get lost. Any direction you go is toward land. But a minor detail is that land is further in some directions than it is with other directions. ;)
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top