Sailing Magazine
Unlike, Paper, Rock, Scissors, this is no game and literally, utterly deadly serious. The following is actually about more traditional forms of navigation and your obligations as a skipper. It is the definitive statement in the great digital versus analogue debate.
GPS and Chartplotters have been a tremendous development aiding in both the accessibility and ease of use when it comes to navigation. As such, they have also introduced a whole new category of sailor to the wonders of the ocean. However, the perception is incorrect. It is the Skipper’s responsibility to have Admiralty (Hydrographer) Charts with them. After all, safety at sea begins and ends with you.
If you’re familiar with Daylight Savings, then you know that when you change your clock, you’re meant to change the battery in your smoke alarm. How is this pertinent? Well have a look at this analogous situation. Think of changing your clock as changing your cruising locale. You’re required to notify Pantaenius Insurance of this, but it should also be a trigger for you to go out and get the corresponding, and up to date charts. Your ‘batteries’ if you will.
You see 95% of the world you want to explore does actually require you to have paper charts on board and use them. It’s also mandatory under your Pantaenius policy to carry the appropriate ones for your current cruising area and also meet that country’s statutory safety regulations. After all, you would hate to be in a catastrophe and for the insurer to discover you do not have any or the correct charts on board.
Read the full feature HERE
SAILING Publications, the publishers of SAILING Magazine, SAILING Gybeset and the “Talking SAILING” blog, have an association with Sail-World (www.sail-world.com). Sail-World is the biggest circulating sailing news blog in the world. Enjoy.
