CaptDave,
Been going there myself since 1990, before
gps. There was Loran but it was miles out in the Bahamas. Whenever I left a cut I always looked back and made a sketch so I could find it coming back. The
charts in those days were mostly from the real olden days, old Admiralty charts, some from the 1800's. The main piloting instrument was a hand bearing
compass.
However, I much prefer the ease of electronic charts with the caveat that, for the Bahamas, you must have Explorer charts too. The electronic charts are only good if you've tested them and to properly test them you have to be in those waters. They all look good at a boat show demo but in reality might be miles out. That's what I found with Navionics.
I have found the areas where I can rely on the electronic charts and have found areas where I cannot. I always have the paper charts on the nav table. My concern is that some think electronic charts are totally accurate when they certainly are not. One should be very careful in the Bahamas when relying on electronic charts in areas where one has not used them before, especially Navionics chips.
The electronic chart makers are talking to a generation of recreational sailors who think differently from my generation. Navigation and piloting is becoming a video game. With accurate chips and reliable electronics and redundancies this is fine. I love it myself, it makes life so much easier. With accurate chips, a good plotter interfaced with an
autopilot nothing could be easier. But like all software you must read the fine print in the licensing agreement.
To set sail relying solely on electronics is to go blindly.