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> You are planning a leisurely trans-Pacific cruise (let's say San Francisco
> to New Zealand and back), which will take 2+ years.  Your boat is already
> equipped with a knotmeter.  You are on a tight budget and have figured you
> can spend no more than $1000 on additional navigation gear.  You can equip
> you boat any way you wish -- GPS, Loran, or any variety of celestial gear.
> (you neither own nor can afford a laptop computer)
>
> How would you spend your $1000??
> (for prices, let's use the current West Marine catalog)

First I'd get an Astra IIIb, a Knotstick (don't trust the knotmeter to
stay working), a good hand-bearing compass,
and the following books:

        Almanac
        Appropriate sight-reduction tables (note that Reed's Almanac
            contains brief but usable tables, if money is tight)
        Light list(s)
        Coast pilot(s)

with the last two being somewhat lower in priority.

With the money left after those critical purchases, I'd buy a
cheap calculator with trig functions and a GPS, with the lion's share
going to the GPS.

> PS - Opinions on a budget of only $500 would also be interesting!

I'd grab a wrench, detach the barbecue from the back of the boat, and
sell it to get enough money for an Astra.  Nav equipment is safety
equipment, and there's a floor below which one should not go. :-)
--
    Geoff Kuenning   geoff@cs.hmc.edu   http://fmg-www.cs.ucla.edu/geoff/

Software, like bridges, should be elegant and visually pleasing as
well as functional.  Ugly constructs, designs, and languages should be
avoided like the plague.

   

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