I've been using several books to aid Suzanne with learning basic nav skills.
Dispite Mooron's comment that Radar is a "basic" component for the novice, it's
not covered at all until (Colgate, Seamanship series and so on)
Some of these books are up to 4 years old. I'm guessing that NEW books will
show that learning radar is a basic nav skill that a person should start with.

RB

Bobsprit wrote:
I've been using several books to aid Suzanne with learning basic nav
skills. Dispite Mooron's comment that Radar is a "basic" component
for the novice, it's not covered at all until (Colgate, Seamanship
series and so on)
Some of these books are up to 4 years old. I'm guessing that NEW
books will show that learning radar is a basic nav skill that a
person should start with.

Bob, any 14 year old that has played with a flight simulator on their PC
knows how to use radar!


--
Wally
www.makearatherlonglinkthattakesyounowhere.com
Things are always clearer in the cold, post-upload light.

Bob, any 14 year old that has played with a flight simulator on their PC
knows how to use radar!

Suzanne never had a flight simulator on her Mac. Could that be the problem?

RB

The Captains Master wrote:

Bob, any 14 year old that has played with a flight simulator on
their PC knows how to use radar!

Bwaaaahahahahhahaahhaah!
Thanks for that Wally, a lightening up is always a good thing eh.

I've just been playing Delta Force, and the radar in that seemed pretty easy
to use. :-)


--
Wally
www.makearatherlonglinkthattakesyounowhere.com
Things are always clearer in the cold, post-upload light.

Bobsprit wrote:
Bob, any 14 year old that has played with a flight simulator on their
PC knows how to use radar!

Suzanne never had a flight simulator on her Mac. Could that be the
problem?

I doubt it. It does strike me, however, that things like radar and GPS are
rather easier to get to grips with than the traditional methods with chart
and compass. All that triangulation stuff, having to account for compass
variation and deviation, tides and currents, would be quite a bit of
learning for someone who's new to it. I haven't done this in a 'live'
nautical context yet, but do have a fair amount of land-based map & compass
experience.

A while back, I was working my way through a book called Coastal Navigation
(which is apparently to RYA Yachtmaster standard) which uses a series of
worked examples and comes with a sample chart. I'm about half way through
and have so far got just about everything correct, but I can see how it
would be harder for someone without prior experience.

FWIW, I think that radar and GPS are easier to learn, and should therefore
be learned first - on the basis that some sort of skill in knowing one's
course and position is better than none. I'm not saying that radar and GPS
should replace the traditional chart, compass, tide info, etc, but that less
skill is required to get use out of the hi-tech kit - you can learn more
basic nav skills (understanding of coordinates and how they relate to the
chart) and get use out of them quicker. Then bring the traditional skills up
to match. I would definately have the compass cover off, though...


--
Wally
www.makearatherlonglinkthattakesyounowhere.com
Things are always clearer in the cold, post-upload light.

I doubt it. It does strike me, however, that things like radar and GPS are
rather easier to get to grips with than the traditional methods with chart
and compass.

So you think that learning charts and compass first is a mistake? Should I
start Suzanne on electronic nav aids before she's had more practice with
traditional methods as Mooron Suggests?

RB

Bobsprit wrote:
I doubt it. It does strike me, however, that things like radar and
GPS are rather easier to get to grips with than the traditional
methods with chart and compass.

So you think that learning charts and compass first is a mistake?
Should I start Suzanne on electronic nav aids before she's had more
practice with traditional methods as Mooron Suggests?

I'm saying that I reckon it would be easier to navigate effectively *sooner*
if one goes for nav aids first - less learning curve. Speaking as an
experienced land navigator, I can see that there's quite a lot to using the
traditional nav tools on water. From a standing start, someone looking to
use traditional methods only would have poorer skills until the learning has
been surmounted.

I do think it's important that the traditional skills be learned - charts
and compasses don't need batteries. My point is that one is safer with
effective nav aid skills, than with an semi-effective half-set of
traditional skills.


--
Wally
www.makearatherlonglinkthattakesyounowhere.com
Things are always clearer in the cold, post-upload light.

From a standing start, someone looking to
use traditional methods only would have poorer skills until the learning has
been surmounted.

Well, this speaks well of my wife, who seems to comprehend the nav stuff
readily and far better than I did at first.
It varies from person to person. I don't think it's safe to start with learning
electronics first, since they may fail you first. By far, the charts and
compass are more reliable so a sailor should learn them first.
This is why various texts start with chart/compass based nav.

RB

CANDChelp wrote:

Well, this speaks well of my wife, who seems to comprehend the nav
stuff readily and far better than I did at first.
It varies from person to person. I don't think it's safe to start
with learning electronics first, since they may fail you first. By
far, the charts and compass are more reliable so a sailor should
learn them first.
This is why various texts start with chart/compass based nav.

Given the reliability of modern electronics, I would say that someone with
partial knowledge of traditional skills is more likely to get into
difficulties than someone who is comfortable with nav aids - provided he has
learned to operate a battery charger, of course...


--
Wally
www.makearatherlonglinkthattakesyounowhere.com
Things are always clearer in the cold, post-upload light.

"Bobsprit" wrote in message
...
| I doubt it. It does strike me, however, that things like radar and GPS are
| rather easier to get to grips with than the traditional methods with chart
| and compass.
|
| So you think that learning charts and compass first is a mistake? Should I
| start Suzanne on electronic nav aids before she's had more practice with
| traditional methods as Mooron Suggests?

Now Bob.... you're reaching with that comment almost as much as when you
claimed to be "helping" Suzanne with her navigation. Electronic navigational
instruments can easily be learned in conjunction with standard methods of
basic navigation.

Unfortunatly you have shown clearly that you are ignorant of both...

CM