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On 16 Oct 2002, at 13:06, martinhall wrote:

> Hi
> I have watched this list for some time now avidly reading and trying to
> absorb all the information passed on it.
> Last year I took the RYA offshore nav course but have problems
> implementing the content.
> I only have a very small boat and do most of my sailing in the Bristol
> channel.
> I can get what I hope is a good sight now and then but find I need to
> carry far to many books, almanacs and proformas with me?
> By the time I have looked up the information needed and filled in the
> proformas everything is wet and falling apart.
THAT is the major problem with small boats. The only solution, if you insist
on doing your celestial the traditional way, is to find a technique/system
that you are comfortable with and practice with it until you can reduce and
plot a FIX in five(5) minutes. Keeping everything below and protected.

> I do sometimes take my laptop but battery power is a problem. Can anyone
> tell me the best system to use on a small boat with limited resources on
> board
> (please don't say use a gps all the local boat clubs keep telling me
> that. I have one but I want to do it the proper way)
> Also is there any good share wear out there that can produce daily
> tables (I have one but it gives different results to my yearly almanac).
> Thanks in advance
Proper is using the the most efficient way and all the available tools to
ensure safe navigation. For coastal navigation I started by using Mid-
Latitude Sailing for many years. Now I use a HP 32SII programmable calculator
with Mercator Sailing TC & Dist. and Dead Reckoning position. And another
calculator for sight reduction. My Nav note book has a list of key position
locations in it and I plot on a "Chart Kit".

As of christmas I carry a Garmin GP76 as back up and have been toying with
CelestNav in an Palm M100 PDA. But I find the programmed calculator much
easier to use and read.


Cheers
-Dan-

   

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