But I suspect he wasn't talking about previously well-behaved boats that zoomed away straight into rocks as soon as their AP was connected to their GPS.

However, from the link about the CT accident: "The official cause of the accident was that neither the captain nor the mate had double checked the route against a paper chart and they had failed to recognize a charted navigation hazard on the plotted course – in other words, human error."

"...in other words, human error."

Seems like these types errors have been happening ever since, well, humans arrived on the scene.

Also this: "His course at the time of the impact was left two degrees, or approximately 300 yards, from the intended track line on the chart plotter". Seems like if the AP was steering to the chartplotter track, he would not have hit the rocks. Looks like it was pilot error that could have been avoided with an integrated AP.

And the comment about checking their course against a paper chart is odd. The data are the same. The error was not checking their electronic chart at the proper scale. This is similar to only having a large-scale paper chart for an area where the hazards are only noted on the small-scale chart.

To blame chartplotters and their integration is like blaming a car for a wreck caused by high speed or taking a wrong turn.

How many of you have used an automobile GPS that told you to turn at a wrong time? If someone drives into a lake following their GPS instructions, is that the GPS's fault?

Should we rail on against automobile GPS's because some people are driving into lakes with them?

I realize this board is the mutual admiration curmudgeon society, but it is important to always aim for perspective anyway. Note that it was a professional, licensed skipper on a well-found boat who hit the rocks - not a yahoo searay owner with a beer in his hand. No one knows if the AP or chartplotter were even on, let alone integrated.

From what I see, the main error was choosing to run that rock-strewn passage - I personally would not have made that choice. If I did, I would definitely have the AP integrated and controlled by the chartplotter and be watching very carefully. This is one situation that an integrated AP shines, as long as you know the charts are accurate. If the charts are not accurate, you have the same problem no matter who/what is steering the boat.

Would you all like mandatory licensing and coursework for daysailing? A law forbidding certain electronics?

Mark(nl)