[elhanley]

I''ve navigated offshore in a lot of different boats and developed some firm opinions. My preference is a stand-up chart table facing outboard with a comfortable belt. Standing allows you to see all over a large chart without moving it. Facing forward or aft while sharply heeled is not stable, and makes one side of the chart almost inaccessible. A side benefit is all the storage space you are not wasting underneath. Orientation with the boat''s heading is meaningless. You are not going to give steering direction in terms of "turn 35 degrees to port." You will say "Come to 275 degrees."