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but if you're not used to using light characteristics to confirm a light source, haven't allowed for variation in 20 years (do I add or subtract that westerly variation?), and can't remember when the compass was last swung (if you even know what that means), then it might be harder than you or I would perhaps expect to be anywhere approaching accurate....
Well yeah, but how accurate do you really have to be? We used to go into all sorts of places and hardly ever needed to take bearings - just keep Barfleur well on the left, keep the IOW to the right. Thinking about it how often do you really look at the GPS when there's plenty of land around, if you've checked the chart to ensure the coast is clean just keeping well off and/or following contours is perfectly adequate? It's really a poor viz/no land nearby tool.
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I am sure that nowadays, without my GPS crutch, i'd be a darned site more nervous than I was in those days....
Totally agree with you there. Being unaware of your exact position used to be normal, now it's a source of unease! I saw an old logbook recently - the guy didn't bother recording the minutes! He felt granularity of 60miles was enough for him, and it was!
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