RE: [Paddlewise] Cutting Up Charts

Hi all,

Here's some related experience. Not quite cutting up charts but the end
result is the same. First, I must make the disclaimer that I've not paddled
in areas where I needed anything but eye-ball navigation, mostly inland
flat-water. I HAVE sailed extensively and take particular pride in my DR
navigation, so I am familiar with the reasons for a compass rose and proper
marine charts.

That said, I find paddling with topo's more useful than marine charts.
Typically I'm in inland waters and since I don't have a depth sounder aside
from the paddle, depths contours beyond 220 cm are not very useful for
navigation, other than to predict where the surf is likely to be. I do find
the details on the topos to be real handy when trying to locate my position,
as I can normally only see the things that are close to me. That mico tower
a few thousand yards back from the shore is always hidden from view by
something close at hand, and the channel marks are somewhere "out there"
(sweeping my arm seaward.) A large-scale marine chart is great for route
planning and determining courses between islands etc. So a combination of
marine chart and  close-up topo's works for me. I use www.topozone.com and
via a graphics editor cut-and-paste sections together to create letter-size
chartlets of areas I intend to paddle or may find myself in during the
outing. On these I mark course lines between features using the DR notation
like "C115T/108M" above the line and "D3.5" below the line. I show both true
and mag courses because I use a deck compass and a GPS at times. (By the
way, make sure that steel shotgun you are carrying for bear isn't packed too
close to your compass!) The course lines can be plotted by referencing a
single lat or lon line on the topo segment once the bearing has been picked
off the planning chart, which may be an electronic chart in your computer.

After the course lines are on the topos, I laminate them with a 3M adhesive
lamination machine that I happen to have for business purposes, although I'm
going to try the waterproof papers suggested in this thread. I always
pre-enter waypoints in my GPS as it has a handy feature of allowing you to
point the unit in some direction and it will show you the waypoints that are
over there. Makes it easy to point the boat at an invisible waypoint and
note the compass course.

At the put-in I stick the charts under the deck bungies, turn on the GPS and
take a waypoint before I launch to be sure I didn't error picking the
location from the chart. While paddling the GPS is fun to watch as it shows
course and speed and a chart of the area - either topo or marine depending
on what's loaded. However, I assume the batteries will die or I'll smash the
unit with the paddle when I need it most so I'm always prepared to carry on
using the paper charts and compass.

Does that sound like I paddle in order to have a reason to navigate rather
than navigate so I can paddle? Maybe so, and I bet there are many who
wouldn't enjoy all that chart work. But I do, and it has worked out very
well so far (which hasn't been all that far.)

Regards,

Carey
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