How do you plot?

[tlloyd1983]

I prefer to use a pair of Nav triangles, over parallel rules, but was wondering how everyone else position fixes.

[Steve]

Can you add a distinction between rolling rules and Capt. Field's pattern to your poll?

[tlloyd1983]

I can't now. Forgot about rolling rules to be honest, I shouldn't of, a friend takes a set of ebony WW2 era rules with him when he goes on ship.

[Steve]

Rolling rules are where it's at IMO. Far faster to use than Capt. Field's. About the only time I'll use Field's pattern is when I need something longer than a roller.

[tlloyd1983]

Triangles are pretty damn quick as well! Especially for doing bearings.

[CharlieDelta]

Love triangles. But use rules for long lines.

Will change poll options when I get home.

[tlloyd1983]

Also, on the chart work subject, has anyone sailed on a paperless ship yet? We were pretty close on the last one, all publications (Tides, ALRS, etc) were digital, but even with 2 independent ECDIS systems, we still had paper charts as well.

[size4riggerboots]

I plot while stroking a white cat and sniggering evily. My henchmen carry out my plots, generally incompetently. Any applicants who feel that they could do a better job than the current lot will be duely considered. I'm going to feed them to the sharks next week and will be needing replacements.

[CharlieDelta]

Yup. Well we had a folio of paper charts but it was pretty small, not generally used except for passenger track overview. If we didn't have ENCs we'd use paper charts, but that was only a problem once, in Chilean fjords.

[Clanky]

I plot while stroking a white cat and sniggering evily. My henchmen carry out my plots, generally incompetently. Any applicants who feel that they could do a better job than the current lot will be duely considered. I'm going to feed them to the sharks next week and will be needing replacements.

Made me chuckle.

I have always preferred nav triangles to any kind of parallel rule and as for the paperless ship, you can have as many independent ECDIS systems as you like, but I have seen so much bridge gear collapse in a heap that I don't think I could ever really trust it.

I remember one trip to the Falklands in particular where the lecky and myself spent almost the entire trip trying to keep one radar, one gyro and one chart pilot computer going, sent for bunkers in Rio on the way back and no paper chart onboard, got one in the Falklands, last corrected in 1993 or something, loaded the license for the electronic chart for Rio and the last chart pilot crashed, managed to get it back again, but no-one really trusted it so all the nav was being done on the paper chart with the ECDIS as back up.

I have never seen so many PI's on one chart before!

Myself and the lecky were on the bridge for standby and it was a little tense up there!

[tlloyd1983]

Not to mention that their are some areas, especially new ports in China, where new port builds and extensions are springing up on a day to day basis, where they haven't made an ENC of the area yet. In such cases, you usually receive a paper chart from the agent, often a Chinese one. Better than looking at a polygon on the ECDIS, and you know there should be a port there! Take Yangshan, even though the Admiralty issues a good paper chart for the area, the ENC provided by them was shocking, it was missing half the wharf!