I fully concur that "the competent navigator always relies upon as many sources of navigational information as possible -- including ones that might not have existed at the time a vessel was constructed."
That was not my point.
This replica of L'Hermione, the ship that transported La Fayette to America during the Revolutionary War, was constructed with great effort, at great expense, and with much attention to detail. The project called for the use of traditional construction methods to the extent possible but, one presumes, also had to meet modern safety norms.
It would be possible -- and not imprudent -- for L'Hermione to make this transatlantic passage using 18th-century navigational methods while simultaneously using GPS to verify celestial lines of position and fixes, and radar and AIS for collision avoidance.
Last spring we sailed from Norfolk to Bermuda using traditional navigational methods: DR and celestial. To our general satisfaction, we made landfall in Bermuda after about five days.
Throughout the passage, however, we monitored the GPS to ensure that we were not too far off our planned route. We also monitored radar and AIS for collision avoidance. We did not find it necessary, however, to use information derived from modern technology to alter our course. We used modern technology as a safeguard only.
Much has been written about using celestial navigation as a back-up if GPS fails. We used GPS as a back-up in case DR and celestial failed.
L'Hermione could do likewise with a competent celestial navigator aboard.
From: NoReply_LuAbel@fer3.com
To: jacksonmcdonald@hotmail.com
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 17:11:01 -0800
Subject: [NavList] Re: L'Hermione en route to America next summer
Jackson:
Do you mean for 18th century navigational methods to be "tried" or
"demonstrated" or "relied upon?"
If the last, then I'd classify the captain as a fool. The competent
navigator always relies upon as many sources of navigational
information as possible -- including ones that might not have
existed at the time a vessel was constructed.
On 11/18/2014 2:01 PM, Jackson McDonald
wrote:
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