[Paddlewise] GPS, sextants and a quiet Paddlewise

G'Day Jack and Craig,

Jack,
The report on potential GPS failure finally made its way into the Australian
news and certainly did read as if it was the kind of reminder that sometimes
gets leaked out when people get frustrated with budget cuts and are worried
that it will compromise areas of importance. I'm reassured!

Craig,
Regarding sextants I suppose a kamal is about the most primitive kind of
sextant possible and quite usable on a rocking kayak. I did on a couple of
occasions try to use a modern sextant in a kayak. Completely beyond my ability
to hold it steady I'm afraid, and caused much mockery and coarse language from
my insensitive and coarse paddling buddies. But I'm guessing your intention
was to use it on land to help chart a course between crossings, which hadn't
occurred to me until you mentioned it and strikes me as a useful suggestion. I
suspect the usage would be a little unorthodox (and certainly outside my
limited range of knowledge. Once on an island I usually know where I am but
have been in situations with multiple islands or points 40 km off where I have
been unable to distinguish them because my compass was not accurate enough.
Can a sextant help?  How compact can it be and still be useful. Is there a
place for using a sextant when kayaking? I'd be keen to learn more about
this.

All the best, PeterO
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