Gadgets come and go, but basic skills live forever

In the 48° North Sailing Magazine, which focuses on the sailing scene in Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alaska, Managing Editor Richard Hazelton reminds us in the April 2014 editon that no matter of technical advancements can replace basic skills…

If you know where north is, all the rest falls into place. Our first two navigation rules for the kids were to know which way was north, and don’t hit anybody. Pretty basic but they do apply to most cruising endeavors.

There was also the five minute rule: At any time they had to be able to look around and figure out exactly where we were within five minutes. Easy to do if you’re paying even a little attention of what’s around you. Tougher when you come up from down below after traveling for a couple hours.

This had to be done without any electronic aids – of course there were a lot fewer of those when they were young than there are now. We worry about today’s kids with their faces in their phones all the time. Perhaps we should also take a look at ourselves.

Mankind has always looked to the stars for guidance, so I guess it’s just natural to accept one’s course being beamed from above. It’s also pretty easy to get mesmerized by all the electronic charts with weather and depth overlays and little arrows pointing the way to the next waypoint. But how many modern cruisers today could pass the five minute test? Hopefully quite a few, but I tend to be biased that sailors pay more attention to wind, tides and what’s around them than most boaters.

The new aids to navigation are miraculous indeed, and aid greatly in helping keep boaters safe and on course. But there’s something about just watching where the sun comes up, or using the Big Dipper to find the North (Pole) star, that not only naturally orients you, but puts you in touch with all those mariners through time who did the same thing to find their way.

“Second star to the right and straight on ‘til morning.”