Breaking News: New 74' Spencer sportfish sinks...

Reefs and rocks and reef lines don't move very much for hundreds of years, just like inlets don't move either.

Exactly. I've found even 10 year old paper charts to be accurate around 99.5% of the time, and the .5% they're not accurate, neither would a chart made last week because the area shoals so much. The major worry with old paper charts is if they change a channel completely and move all of the markers.

Really, ALL of the charts on electronics are taken directly off of the latest paper charts.....duh

All electronic charts are copied and taken off of the latest paper chart...hello

That's why I said, "assuming it's the latest paper chart." Our electronic charts are constantly updated. Many carry old paper charts. Now, when we do use a paper chart, we print a current one. It's one thing when you're traveling areas you travel regularly and know like the back of your hand, but when I'm traveling to new areas or those I'm not as familiar with I want to be sure my chart has all the possible updates. How current it is is far more important to me than what media it's on. Now, I also don't try to look at my charts on a 10" screen. Size is important.

But 99.5% of the stuff on paper charts does not change. As someone else said: reefs, rocks, and islands don't move. Inlets and stuff that do constantly change won't be accurate on even the latest paper or electronic chart. Electronic charts are made from paper charts. But needless to say it is best to have the latest chart.

Paper charts are far better than your normal 12" electronic chart display for plotting a course. On a 12" display which most people have or even smaller, you can either see a large area and very little if any detail, or a lot of detail in a very small area, but not both. On a paper chart you have both, on 1 page. Also, most chart plotters don't have approved course lines and routes. Most all paper charts do and have the necessary waypoints on them making it easy peasy or fool proof to be right. Add to that the charting error I've seen on all forms of electonic charts of putting the boat up to a 1/2 mile off on the chart of it's present location and charting a course on electronic charts is a disaster waiting to happen. It's one thing to do a quick course in deep water from Port everglades to Bimini, a different story of the devils backbone or across the bank.

The 0.5% can be tragic. And we don't use 12" displays. But we also have the ability to print current charts when needed. Now we don't have any 10 year old charts because we weren't on the coast 10 years ago.

As to charting error, there's plenty of that using a paper chart too. People do get confused and even lost. A lot of it is how you've gotten to this point. You used paper for decades. We had electronic from day one and learned it first and paper second. We have captains from both schools. However, our older captains have become more comfortable with electronic with larger displays available.

If you don't have the latest corrected paper chart or you are not correcting your own paper chart as needed, you don't have the latest data. Duh!

And all paper charts are not created equal.

Here in the Bahamas the private Explorer charts are what the vast majority of people use. There information is far more up to date and accurate than the government charts. Some electronic chart brands have the rights to use Exporer charts and some don't.

Then there are programs like this: http://www.caris.com/news/story.cfm?ID=296

I've found the Explorer charts are not as good as they used to be since the owner died. I like the new Maptech set. It covers the entire Bahamas in one Chartbook.....I was using the Explorer ones, but am happier with the Maptech and don't have to mentally convert from meters.

But how can that be? Reefs, rocks and islands don't move or grow up over night?

The explorer charts don't seem to have as good closeup charts now. It's also split up really weird and they don't go from 1 page to the next page like the maptech charts do, so you have to read the edge of the page to find on what page the ajoining chart is on then flip through and find it. Then you have the meters deal, which I prefer feet in shallow water as there's more distinction on the smaller scale I feel.

Update, The insurance company paid the owner in full for the boat, he's now in a Viking, I heard a 72'.... The Spencer will be sold for salvage, all parties involved, sea tow, the yard etc. we're paid in full... End of Story...

Aw come on, some of us need to hear about some embarrassment, some dirt.
Fines for the pilot hitting a reef? Fines for stupidity?
Who paid off the dental work (gold inlays?)
Has to still be some courtroom slop happening.

Or did the little Spencer company (family) really keep things toned down?

Great news, sometimes the internet doesn't get it right. Just wanting salacious and it didn't appear.

Update on the situation. Here is a screenshot from the salvage website of the vessel for sale. Such a shame to see a new vessel end up like this

That was a 7 million dollar boat...

A friend of mine is running a new (1 year old) 74' Spencer and loves the boat and came out of Merritt's, the owner last had a 72' Merritt. He told me it cruises at 40 knots and rides great.

Another update on the story. I read on another forum that the 74' spencer was sold to a boatyard owner somewhere on the east coast of the US. The hull is being temporarily patched up in Puerto Rico, where it will be towed to St Thomas and then shipped to the east coast yard to begin the refit.

Also some good news for the owner. His new Viking 72' arrived at the yacht club in Trinidad on Friday. I went to see it yesterday, really one hell of a machine.

Yes, but nothing like a Spencer. His previous boat was a 52' Cabo express.