So .. you went over a reef and you forgot to punch the quicksave button before you grabbed the buckled rod. Can you find that reef again?
Yes if you understand how your plotter works. Most GPS units will automatically track your doings while you drive the boat or whatever and store this on a chart or plot. Using the plotter is how I bottom fish or find crab pots. In the worst case scenario of fogged in and can't get home because of no route saved, you could even get home using the plotter. There is also a means to clear the plot if it gets too busy. Make sure you learn how to do this so that you will not do it accidently and lose what you have plotted.
The newer units have built in maps that show details like jetties, bouys and reefs. My friend tells me that his X15 Lowrance maps are detailed enough to not need routes or plots to follow.
Find the section of your owners manual that describes the plotter function and read it. On the Lowrance LMS 350A, The plotter is a screen that is blank except for traces that show where you have traveled and some waypoints if you have saved any. North is up and the size of the area shown on the screen is adjustable using soft keys. Also, the scale is shown along the edges. The smallest scale is 0.1 miles or about 600 feet. The largest 100 miles. You can estimate distance by knowing the area covered by your plot screen. If you are on the 0.1 mile scale and 2 points are 1/2 a screen from each other then they are about 300 ft apart. This is a very handy tool because distance judgement on the water is unreliable at best.
You can try to figure out unnamed waypoints at a later time by using the 100 mile scale and seeing which group of identified points the unknown one is near to. At least then you know which port the unknown point is used at. Make it a rule to name that waypoint right when you save it and avoid the 'mystery waypoint' problem.
All of the waypoints that you have saved that fall within the area of the plot shown on the screen are displayed as numbered dots.
The 'boat' is displayed as a blinking dot. Most GPS units will allow you to mark the waypoints or other points of interest with different Icons or symbols. This allows you to mark bouys one way and fishing spots another way so you can tell the difference without having to remember the numbers.
Back to the bottom fishing example. The plot gives information that you need to know.
1) What direction is the boat drifting? (The direction the plotted trace is pointing is your course)
2) How far have you drifted? (estimate by guessing how much of the screen you covered and consider the scale of the plot)
3) Where is the point to start the drift to hit your spot? (Put the boat in place so that the destination is on the same course your drift has)
You approach 'the spot' for the first time, circle upwind and shutdown for a drift. Usually the drift course is most influenced by wind. After a few minutes you can look at the plot display and see which direction the blinking cursor is moving. If you missed the reef then you just move the boat back to the beginning of the drift, so that your reef is on the predicted course of your drift. Make sure you allow enough drift time (distance from the spot) to get your gear on the bottom and working before you get to 'the spot'.
For example if you are drifting due south then get back to the north of the spot a few hundred feet before you drift again.
This is a great way to practice with your plotter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lost at sea?
You cross the bar and go Salmon fishing. While you are out there the fog rolls in and you can no longer see the beach. You have no route made for the harbor in question and you have no idea how to get home safely. Besides telling you that you screwed up, let me tell you how to get home.
Avoid the above situation by doing Navigation exercises. It's like avoiding a heart attack by going to the gym. As you use various ocean ports, lay down waypoints and make routes as described in lesson 2. Test these routes when you use that port again. This will completely avoid the dreaded lost at sea scenario.
If your electronics holds up you say ...
Well you can also make notes in your logbook about the distance traveled on each leg of your route and the heading you would follow on each leg. Then you use the compass and a watch and do what is called 'dead reckoning'. You estimate the distance traveled by timing each leg and holding your speed steady. You cannot accurately correct for current or wind but with practice you can get close.
Please realize that this type of navigation requires tremendous amounts of practice and steady nerves. I would recommend it only for a desperate situation. If you want to learn more about it practice on calm days and use the GPS to check your work. Before GPS, this is how many people found the fishing grounds.
Remember that the Coast Guard will rescue you if you ask for help on VHF 16.
OK lecture over .. You can follow the trace you made on the way out to the fishing grounds. This will get you home if you did not clear your plot. Select the appropriate scale for your plotter that shows enough detail for you to follow the trace. Usually I use 1 mile or less. The smaller the scale, the easier it is to follow the trace exactly. Keep your new trace as close to the one you are following as possible. Go slow and make sure you follow the trace as drifting off of it will put you near obstacles you can't see.
Sounds hard Eh? It is until you practice it several times in nice weather. I cannot emphasize this enough, practice makes perfect.
Don't wait till you're in trouble to decide to use your magic box.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Any questions?
[ 04-06-2002, 01:37 PM: Message edited by: Pilar ]
Yes if you understand how your plotter works. Most GPS units will automatically track your doings while you drive the boat or whatever and store this on a chart or plot. Using the plotter is how I bottom fish or find crab pots. In the worst case scenario of fogged in and can't get home because of no route saved, you could even get home using the plotter. There is also a means to clear the plot if it gets too busy. Make sure you learn how to do this so that you will not do it accidently and lose what you have plotted.
The newer units have built in maps that show details like jetties, bouys and reefs. My friend tells me that his X15 Lowrance maps are detailed enough to not need routes or plots to follow.
Find the section of your owners manual that describes the plotter function and read it. On the Lowrance LMS 350A, The plotter is a screen that is blank except for traces that show where you have traveled and some waypoints if you have saved any. North is up and the size of the area shown on the screen is adjustable using soft keys. Also, the scale is shown along the edges. The smallest scale is 0.1 miles or about 600 feet. The largest 100 miles. You can estimate distance by knowing the area covered by your plot screen. If you are on the 0.1 mile scale and 2 points are 1/2 a screen from each other then they are about 300 ft apart. This is a very handy tool because distance judgement on the water is unreliable at best.
You can try to figure out unnamed waypoints at a later time by using the 100 mile scale and seeing which group of identified points the unknown one is near to. At least then you know which port the unknown point is used at. Make it a rule to name that waypoint right when you save it and avoid the 'mystery waypoint' problem.
All of the waypoints that you have saved that fall within the area of the plot shown on the screen are displayed as numbered dots.
The 'boat' is displayed as a blinking dot. Most GPS units will allow you to mark the waypoints or other points of interest with different Icons or symbols. This allows you to mark bouys one way and fishing spots another way so you can tell the difference without having to remember the numbers.
Back to the bottom fishing example. The plot gives information that you need to know.
1) What direction is the boat drifting? (The direction the plotted trace is pointing is your course)
2) How far have you drifted? (estimate by guessing how much of the screen you covered and consider the scale of the plot)
3) Where is the point to start the drift to hit your spot? (Put the boat in place so that the destination is on the same course your drift has)
You approach 'the spot' for the first time, circle upwind and shutdown for a drift. Usually the drift course is most influenced by wind. After a few minutes you can look at the plot display and see which direction the blinking cursor is moving. If you missed the reef then you just move the boat back to the beginning of the drift, so that your reef is on the predicted course of your drift. Make sure you allow enough drift time (distance from the spot) to get your gear on the bottom and working before you get to 'the spot'.
For example if you are drifting due south then get back to the north of the spot a few hundred feet before you drift again.
This is a great way to practice with your plotter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lost at sea?
You cross the bar and go Salmon fishing. While you are out there the fog rolls in and you can no longer see the beach. You have no route made for the harbor in question and you have no idea how to get home safely. Besides telling you that you screwed up, let me tell you how to get home.
Avoid the above situation by doing Navigation exercises. It's like avoiding a heart attack by going to the gym. As you use various ocean ports, lay down waypoints and make routes as described in lesson 2. Test these routes when you use that port again. This will completely avoid the dreaded lost at sea scenario.
If your electronics holds up you say ...
Well you can also make notes in your logbook about the distance traveled on each leg of your route and the heading you would follow on each leg. Then you use the compass and a watch and do what is called 'dead reckoning'. You estimate the distance traveled by timing each leg and holding your speed steady. You cannot accurately correct for current or wind but with practice you can get close.
Please realize that this type of navigation requires tremendous amounts of practice and steady nerves. I would recommend it only for a desperate situation. If you want to learn more about it practice on calm days and use the GPS to check your work. Before GPS, this is how many people found the fishing grounds.
Remember that the Coast Guard will rescue you if you ask for help on VHF 16.
OK lecture over .. You can follow the trace you made on the way out to the fishing grounds. This will get you home if you did not clear your plot. Select the appropriate scale for your plotter that shows enough detail for you to follow the trace. Usually I use 1 mile or less. The smaller the scale, the easier it is to follow the trace exactly. Keep your new trace as close to the one you are following as possible. Go slow and make sure you follow the trace as drifting off of it will put you near obstacles you can't see.
Sounds hard Eh? It is until you practice it several times in nice weather. I cannot emphasize this enough, practice makes perfect.
Don't wait till you're in trouble to decide to use your magic box.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Any questions?
[ 04-06-2002, 01:37 PM: Message edited by: Pilar ]
assout:
