Posted by Laurence Monkhouse on October 29, 2007 at 10:24:59 from 82.27.31.220 user Laurence_.
In Reply to: Re: Longitude, was Time Ball, was Signal Stations posted by Andy Clayton on October 28, 2007 at 12:52:46:
Navigation is a fascinating subject and modern gps takes all the satisfaction (and frustration) out of doing it.
True in many ways. I have always felt a childish wonder when land appeared over the horizon where I expected it - it almost feels like magic. And I would never fail to keep a plot of some sort when out of familiar waters.
But a GPS really does have its uses. There was one evening when we were approaching the Belgian coast (which has nasty offshore sandbanks) with a Force 7 behind us. We had picked up all the marks, and were 99.999% sure that we were on course, but couldn't see Ostend light ahead. That .001% was enough to make us decide not to risk going on in the dusk, and we had a most unpleasant night at sea instead of eating mussels and chips in Ostend. A GPS would have just given us the confirmation that we needed to carry on into harbour.