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 *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
On Fri, May 22, 2009 at 4:09 PM, rebyl_kayak < rebyl_kayak_at_energysustained.com> wrote: > . > 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. > I really don't think a sextant would be very useful as a navigation tool in a kayak. For one thing, without some sight reduction tables and a pretty accurate timepiece you would only be able to determine latitude; and that only once a day with any accuracy. You could determine local noon but without accurate time translating that into longitude would be difficult if not impossible. Most kayakers (and most boaters, airplane pilots and automobile drivers) don't realize just how difficult "real" navigation would be without the GPS satellite system. I've been operating boats since the Loran "A" days and would prefer not to return to those days. Fortunately, I don't think it's very likely that the USA would relinquish control over the GPS system as it's now implemented. Too great a military advantage to be able to selectively reduce the navigation accuracy of a system likely to be used in any attack. Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA www.nwkayaking.net *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Not very versed in navigation (although father of some horrible navigation errors), I have to agree with Craig, again, that sextants are bad enough onboard a rolling, stamping, sailboats. Far worse than a kayak, any day! So a compass, and a GPS, makes life much easier - and many GPSs makes a compass redundant! The day WW III starts we'll have other issues than the precision of GPSs to worry about! Tord -- Be Yourself _at_ mail.com! Choose From 200+ Email Addresses Get a Free Account at www.mail.com *************************************************************************** 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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