Electronic Charts - great but dangerous to rely on

9:09 PM Sun 29 Aug 2010 GMT

'..even if the chart is accurate there may be a GPS reading discrepancy' .

The introduction of electronic charting has been a boon to all leisure sailors, but caution needs to be exercised. The Australian Hydrographic Service (AHS) says that mariners may be putting their lives at risk by relying on electronic navigation charts that are not up-to-date. The AHS's director of charting services, Mike Prince has said that an outdated chart could have been the cause of the yachting tragedy last year that claimed the lives of two experienced sailors. Veteran skipper Andrew Short, 48, and navigator Sally Gordon, 47, both of Sydney died after they were swept from the deck of PWC ...

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by Sail-World Cruising