Hey Paddlewisers, How many of you are using electronic charts in conjunction with a GPS unit for kayak navigation? I've had a Garmin 12 for a couple years but always relied on a paddling buddy to do the pre-trip waypoint & chart preparations. I finally took the plunge & bought some software (Ozi Explorer), a PC-GPS cable, a color printer & waterproof paper, downloaded some BSB charts and have been having loads of fun getting ready for an upcoming trip in BC. Still somewhat a novice, so far I've come up with a few key things to keep in mind: 1) Generally speaking, one waypoint every 50 feet is adequate for most navigational needs. 2) This will require approximately 17.4 waypoints for each acre to be covered. 3) Given #2 above, and that my Garmin 12 holds 500 waypoints, this means that I can only paddle an area of 28.7 acres, a square area 1118 feet on a side (roughly 0.1864 NM) 4) Given #3 above, any trip longer than 0.1864 NM is without adequate GPS coverage and is therefore foolhardy and dangerous. 5) At a paddling speed of 3.5 Knots, I can paddle from one end of GPS coverage to the other in about 3.2 minutes. 6) Given #5 above, I can safely eliminate camping gear, food, water and spare clothing from my equipment list. This will save a good deal of money which can then be spent on more software. 7) If anyone know where to buy a waterproof laptop computer with an integrated tool for cutting close-cell foam, please let me know. Craig Olson Lummi Island, WA *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Craig Olson wrote: > ... Still somewhat a novice, so far I've come up > with a few key things to keep in mind: > > 1) Generally speaking, one waypoint every 50 feet is adequate for > most navigational needs. Wow! You can get by with only one waypoint every 50 feet?!? Well, I suppose there is a certain appeal to this sort of asceticism. ("Less is more", and all that.) Personally, I don't like to limit myself in this way, particularly with the new WAAS-capable receivers that have an RMS error of 3 meters. I prefer one waypoint every 30 feet or so. > ...<snip of a lot of complicated math>... > 5) At a paddling speed of 3.5 Knots, I can paddle from one end of > GPS coverage to the other in about 3.2 minutes. > 6) Given #5 above, I can safely eliminate camping gear, food, water > and spare clothing from my equipment list. This will save a good deal > of money which can then be spent on more software. I'll let you in on a little secret: Use some of that money to buy MORE GPS RECEIVERS! Then you can increase your waypoint capacity up to the weight-carrying capacity of your kayak, minus weight of the paddler, divided by the weight per GPS receiver, times 500. I hope this is of help. Dan Hagen Bellingham, Washington *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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