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Old 01-16-2016, 07:36 AM   #19
ranger58sb
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City: Annapolis
Vessel Name: Ranger
Vessel Model: 58' Sedan Bridge
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 7,088
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hawgwash View Post
That was my point in saying it "demonstrates the need for continued use of proper paper charts."

Quote:
Originally Posted by BandB View Post
But you indicated it demonstrates the need for proper paper charts and it does not do that. It simply demonstrates the need for some form of back up charts, but in no way indicates they need to be paper.

At any given time, my electronic charts are more accurate than your paper charts, unless you've completely updated all your paper charts through printing a new set today. Even if you ordered a set, they were outdated when received. Now, do you review all notices to mariners daily and update them manually? Perhaps so, but then you'd never have much time left for boating.

Quote:
Originally Posted by koliver View Post
Raster charts will not lose detail as the zoom changes, but vector charts will. A well publicized case in point is a recent Volvo Ocean race, Where one of the competitors, with a pro Navigator aboard and in charge, hit a well known reef in the middle of the Indian Ocean, that was only visible at a zoom level considered too close for the long distance of that leg of the trip. Had the navigator used a closer zoom or a raster chart or a paper chart, the reef would have been obvious.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hawgwash View Post
Having not yet moved to the marine digital age, I confess all I have is paper. Mostly outdated paper.

We've found it very useful to use multiple electronic charts simultaneously, and a combination of raster (NOAA, for where we boat) and vector (NOAA and C-Map). With updates. And usually at different zoom levels on each plotter or device, for a combination of context and detail.

I think the only specific discrepancy I've really noticed is about one nearby bridge clearance notation, present in raster and one vector but not the other vector... but that may have been about zoom level. It wasn't important to us at the time, so only noted as an interesting factoid. But it also suggested multiple charts -- and chart forms -- is a good thing.

While we do keep some paper on board... I tend to think "proper" charts don't have to be huge, bulky, soggy... and I like being able to easily erase soft waypoints and routes afterwards so "the chart" can be re-used without so much potential confusion afterwards. Or being able to save those for recall later... and so forth.

One of our GPS units has trouble finding a fix in one area of the lower Delaware Bay. Dunno why, but its the differential unit so I suspect it's about receiving (or not) the land-based correction signal. Even in that area, by golly, those other three GPS units on board (not even counting our phones) all seem to work fine.

So unless all the satellites all fall out of the sky at once... maybe that then means the paper might come in hand in case electricity completely disappears... but generally if that happens I'd guess we'd have other things to fix first.

Good to have paper? Yes. Mandatory? Not for us. Useful? So far, not for us. Still have it? Yes, mostly cluttering up the place...

-Chris
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