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the entire GPS system could be turned off at any time.
You feel a clockwork watch is less likely to fail than the entire GPS system? Interesting. Of course you could have a back up quartz watch but then you'd be relying on electronics, wouldn't you.
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I would feel far more comfortable in the hands of a sailor who has (and uses from time to time) a sextant
To be anywhere near accurate you need to use a sextant daily day and night over an extended period of time, not just from time to time. You also need a stable platform. Even then you won't be as accurate as GPS. You also seem to be completely unaware of cloud. Grey stuff, ever noticed it?
Like it or not, non-electronic Nav has no equivalent to GPS. Even Decca was better than conventional Nav and that was pretty [--word removed--].
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I fear that it is an accident waiting to happen.
Far, far less dangerous than trusting an EP or even a celestial Fix over a GPS position!
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People should learn the basics and that includes being completely comfortable with how to lay off a course using pencil, ruler, protractor, dividers/compasses, tide tables and some kind of tidal atlas - and, of course, a paper chart.
You're talking about EPs? People like you who don't remember the days when the Decca was always on the blink, need to understand the limitations of conventional nav. Clockwork is not more reliable than the entire GPS system. Celestial fixes are innacurate and very often simply not possible. No matter how good you were on your precious day skipper course trusting an EP over a GPS position is just a joke.
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