NavList:

Dear Brad, dear Frank,

Yes, I fully agree with what you say about modern life rafts and rescue equipment. But this only applies to professional people like pilots and|or seamen. May be novadays yatchsmen are also required (by insurance companies) to posess the EPIRB|etc equipment.

What about mere passengers of planes and cruise liners? Will there be all those electronic conveniences available on their improvised "life rafts" hacked of the salvaged suite cases and other flotsam-jetsam? A rhetoric question.

I never sunk or fell from the skies but I strongly believe that having an idea of where I am and where I am being drifted is very consolating - giving a purpose, reason and hope to not bog down under the circumstances. May be I'm naive but I still insist that Knowledge is Strength.

You seem to hint that The Raft Book is over-rated because it had only ~3~4 prints. But if such books are irrelevant - where from came modern books like David Burch's Emergency Navigation? After all - even EPIRB|etc can fail leaving people to their own devices. They better be prepared/informed on what they can or should do - and how to do it.

Regards,

Tony

60°N 30°E