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High altitude navigation seems to be an interesting topic, worthy of
discussion, as many of the the methods we use in lower latitudes suffer
there.  Dodging icebergs, or shoals, or rocks, or tacking upwind and keeping
track of where you are without electronic nav seems to be pretty much the
same game from where I sit.

As to whether sailing has lost interest and fun because of electronic
navigation, I leave that to the reader.  If it has, switch to a power boat.
Before any trip, even a day trip, I pull Lat and Lon off a chart(s) and
calculate my course using various sailings etc.  I check my results against
the chart.  Only then do I enter waypoints into the GPS to see if the GPS is
accurate.  As it gives great-circle distances, and rounds down to the
nearest degree even with values over 30', I trust the sailings and chart(s).
One could state I don't have to do it that way, I don't have to learn cel
nav, but I enjoy it.  And being me, I DO have to do it.  Perhaps a bit
obsessive-compulsive, but that is how I learned.  Use every source at your
disposal.  I trust that method.

As a lose analogy, is there a reason for anyone but a recording artist (or
aspiring one) to own a musical instrument?  We have the best and brightest
on recordings we can play at will. Excellent audio gear available.  Some
people just like live music, and enjoy playing...

As I have mentioned (and given examples) in previous posts, a readout of Lat
and Lon is of little value to the user if they don't know where on the
Earth--or chart--those conceptual coordinates are.  Especially under sail,
when often one may not have the ability to head straight toward their
destination.

Bill

> As part of a useful posting, Trevor Kenchington asked
>
>> Is ice navigation an appropriate topic for the list? From what little I
>> understand of the topic, it doesn't have much to do with position fixing
>> but rather finding ways to manoeuvre around the ever-changing obstacles
>> created by the ice.
>
> ===============
>
> Why not, I wonder? Navigation being the art (or science, or perhaps better,
> craft) of getting some sort of transport (ship, aircraft, camel, pair of
> feet, satellite) from A to B in a controlled manner, avoiding obstacles and
> dangers on the way, why should Trevor suggest that the perils of ice be
> excluded?
>
> As for position-fixing, that has rapidly become of diminishing interest in
> present-day navigation, for many participants. I except, and respect, the
> few purists who continue to navigate by the old techniques, such as Robert
> Gainer. But for most others, the practical question of where-am-I has now
> been resolved. Sailing has lost a lot of its interest and fun, once you
> know exactly where you are. The continuing interest in navigation, shown by
> this list, is in other aspects of navigation which remain relevant, and in
> the history of how navigation developed.
>
> Just my opinion.
>
> George.

   

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