02-24-2008, 01:33 PM
I highly recommend carrying a Silva Compass and a lake map. Never fails, that way your not depending on an electronic device. North is always North, a compass always works right on the water.
Most GPS also can act as a compass or at least tell you the bearing you are traveling if you are moving. By using the map to get the heading from Haws Point restrooms to the Marina ramp, you simply stay on that heading.
I have been on big lakes in the fog and had to do this. We had to compass navigate across Lake Champlian once, 15 miles as the crow flies, at 30 mph we knew that we would have a 30 minute ride, blind as to where we were. Just used the compass to stay on our heading and came out about 100 yds from our target.
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Most GPS also can act as a compass or at least tell you the bearing you are traveling if you are moving. By using the map to get the heading from Haws Point restrooms to the Marina ramp, you simply stay on that heading.
I have been on big lakes in the fog and had to do this. We had to compass navigate across Lake Champlian once, 15 miles as the crow flies, at 30 mph we knew that we would have a 30 minute ride, blind as to where we were. Just used the compass to stay on our heading and came out about 100 yds from our target.
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