GPS override

Hi,

When I first got in the marine business the deck dept used to discuss RAC's- Radar Assisted Collisions so not much has changed in 35 yrs.

I agree, that more and more people get computer and electronic minded and dependend. Thats the reason, why people end up in a river with their cars, because their Navi told them, there would be a bridge or no river .

But those electronic gadgets are mandatory items on commercial ships. Radar, GPS, INS, ECDIS, AIS, (M)ARPA and others are part of the minimum equipment list and will put a ship on the chain, if missing or INOP.

Ships are getting paperless, means, they do not have to carry the navigational paperwork and paper maps anymore, just electronic books and charts.

I also do agree on the fact, that single source navigation without looking out of the window is stupid and dangerous.

I personally believe, that any commercial skipper should be able (from the middle of the ocean) to bring his ship to safe port without any electronic devices. Just by means of a clock, whiskey compass, sextant, almanach, a ruler, pencil and some white pieces of paper and the good old mental dead reckoning. All that stuff is still part of the training of a commercial skipper, before he is allowed to take command of ship.