NavList:

PS. I meant to say compare electronic charts to the paper ones.....mistyped electronic a second time.   I personally consider a hardcopy chart as essential gear. I still manually check paper compass headings and course lines with a course protractor or parallels.  Makes a nice crosscheck.  I actually call the pilothouse  GPS/sounder my "stupidity insurance".  I look at the GPS with the intent to use its capabilities to check my own chart work. The gps tracking also let's me learn my vessels dead reckoning quirks such as wind drift and current set.   I can see if I guessed too high or low. If my GPS track also stays constant bearing while I steer my planned compass track I guesstimated...I planned right...