When I heard the skipper say they were sailing over shoals, he sounded rather surprised to me. I came away thinking they were not expecting to be on soundings. The crew running out (one without pants) and staring over the rail forward reinforced that for me.

I don't understand why DR plots can't be maintained on electronic charts?

Are you suggesting this was all a nomenclature (shoal/reef) problem?

I'm not a racer, so if I see 3,000 meters of water coming up on a chart very suddenly to 20 meters, I typically don't aim for it thinking I will be safe because I don't see any little asterisks denoting obstructions. I suspect even racers who do want to aim for that will do a bit of further research before barreling straight out of 3,000 meters into 20 meters. At least they would zoom their chart around or look at the notices about the area.

I'm guessing you didn't click on those "!" symbols on that chart, as well as not explore the meaning behind the magenta outline on that shoal?

But I'm not a professional and you have convinced me. Apparently, any mistakes made by professionals are necessarily so subtle that only a paper chart could have possibly prevented it. Us mere mortals making bone-head errors don't stand a chance with electronic charting.

Mark