Where are we now?

I am kind of a sucker for older instruments and plotting tools. A few years ago while I was on four months of temporary duty in Japan, I started collecting slide rules. OK, so I was kind of bored and I discovered Ebay! The other engineer with me and I had a lot of fun biding on these collectables. I already had a few slide rules left over from my college days in the early 70's. Now I have about 20 of all types. Picketts, Posts, pocket size, full size, circulars. I tried to buy one of every style and brand. I was good at using them in college and my early days at Boeings. The last few years at work, it was really fun to pull one out and show the young engineers. Most of my slide rules are older than the engineers. Even though I use calculators, I keep a slide rule on board the boat as well as a time-speed-distance circular slide rule. The time-speed-distance slide rule is a usual item on most well found boats I have been on. My dad taught me to use it when I was 12. I am definatly not afraid of picking one up and using it if there is a need. I often find them quicker for some calculations than the calculator, especially if acuracy beyond three places is not required.

Along with my slide rule collection, I like to collect other drafting, plotting and navigation tools as shown below. The three arm protrator is Soviet Union navy surplus. My oldest sextant that I have had for over 40 years is not in this picture. Seems strange to think that a kid in junior high would spend hard earned money buying a sextant and learning how to use it!


Onboard the boat I keep several plotting instruments(parallel rules, paragliders, triangles, protractor, dividers) for use on paper charts or plotting boards. Always useful for plotting position when using the handbearing compass or plotting courses. These are all skills that have not gone away even with modern devices onboard. They are still taught and tested for advanced endorsements.

And yet, look were we are now. This is the nav station onboard my boat. Actually more instruments than are probably needed. My boat is not that large and does not have a fancy sit down nav station like a lot of cruising boats. Oh, the counter top is also the top of the icebox!

I do like the GPS chartplotter and the computer with navigation software. I have a complete set of electronic charts from San Diego to the Artic Ocean. When motoring, the GPS slaved to the autopilot can steer a better course than I can. The radar gives me more confidence when travelling in the fog. This is pretty much it. No fancy chart plotter in the cockpit. There is an instrument in the cockpit that displays "numbers" from the GPS(SOG, COG, CTE, BTW, DTW, etc), plus there are also the usual wind, speed and depth displays.

All these things are part of a sailors well stocked toolbox!