[Rhodes22-list] Navigation

[Herb Parsons]

I'd suggest you buy another GPS that has charting capabilities, and use
your current one as the backup.

Herb Parsons

S/V O'Jure
  1976 O'Day 25
  Lake Grapevine, N TX

S/V Reve de Papa
  1971 Coronado 35
  Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana Coast

>>> salm at mn.rr.com 1/18/2005 2:50:32 PM >>>
Hi all,

Mary Ann and I are starting to plan a sailing trip on Lake Superior
this
summer.  Perhaps trailering to Thunder Bay and sailing around the
islands on
the Canadian north shore.  We've got some friends that do this every
year
and we want to go with them.  I'd feel a lot safer going with another
boat
or two.  

I'm starting to feel fairly confident with my boat handling skills and
I
have a good first mate, (and a good boat) but I don't know much about
navigation.  Obviously, I'll need up-to-date charts, a good compass and
a
GPS.  But beyond that, I'm not sure where to start.  We have a
hand-held GPS
on Fandango that I've used to check my speed, but that's about all I've
used
it for.  I know I'll have to familiarize myself with its other
features.
But you just take the lat. and long. reading and plot that position on
the
chart, right?  Is it much more complicated than that?  What if the GPS
goes
down?  Do you carry a spare?  I don't really see myself going to the
bother
of learning celestial nav with a sextant, but maybe that's being
foolish.
Anyone have any advice?

Thanks,
Slim

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