Navigation In The Spirit of The Ancient Seafarers But With A Current Twist
Marine electronics includes a multitude of electronic devices from a GPS to Satellite TV. The smaller the boat the less electronics is needed but even the smallest boat can benefit from a boat GPS and a portable fish finder. Small watercraft can always benefit from a fishfinder to sound out the bottom or to help in finding fish as well as a GPS unit to note down locations you want to remember.
As you increase the size of the boat you will want to add a radio for communication, which is much a safety feature as a device for routine communication since you can’t always depend on a cell phone for remote locations. Radar is an addition that is often made as you reach the’ship’ category. When we get to the yacht or ship category you will have electric fuel systems and probably an electronic compass.
%Video%
A solar battery charger might be an emergency resource to prevent the loss of power to all of this vital equipment though it is by no means a requirement. As with any electronic equipment, your marine electronics will need to be properly maintained because you don’t want to end up lost in the middle of the water, unless you are looking for adventure.
Wooden ships were steered by the stars and the skillful use of a sextant, but today the weekend boater would be lost without maritime electronics..
We have become used to the convince of modern technology, but what do we do if the technology breaks down? If you are going on a trip in your own boat you should have back up equipment or have some experience in celestial navigation. Man has become dependent on his technology in todays world.
Today many students have become calculator dependent and find even simple addition problems difficult unless they have a calculator. This might seem unbelievable but I have seen this tutoring math to High school students over the last 10 years. Back in the stone age we used slide rules. 50 years ago engineers used slide rules to do the math that we do today with calculators,but you will find that very few people remember how to use a slide-rule today.
The more complex the technology the more likely we are to be lost without it. You shouldn’t worry about getting lost at sea if there is an equipment failure, because there are requirements that demand that navigators be trained in celestial navigation and hopefully yours will have practiced a little since finishing the course..
