Some interesting responses thank you.
Dear Mr Bartling, You are absolutely correct, IF one knows the principles (aquired by hard slog in the classroom or with lots of practical experience & practice plots) the easy going approach can be carried off. I am not criticising the RYA syllabus - it is an excellent teaching technique. I just worry that people often (as Bulbous suggests) lack the confidence to move on. Detailed paper plotting has its place, but is not necessarily the best, or most effective, technique for solo sailing pilotage.
In my view, there are too many esoteric discussions of detailed principles of navigation & col regs on here that bear little relationship to the real needs of conducting a small leisure boat at sea, especially if short-handed.
I hadn't considered the idea before, but I think Bilbao Bagpuss has hit the nail on the head. It is probably a lack of self-confidence that leads people to NEED detailed calculations.
GPS is nice, useful, effective & simple. I have used it to give me extra confidence to rock hop the N passage of the Swellies, but I am always aware that it could fail at any time - even if it doesn't often fail, Sod's law says it will happen at the worst possible time.
Puts tin hat back on & ducks back into fox hole to wait for incoming flac.
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