Dear readers,

It's exciting to see how experienced sailors react to an article about navigation tools. In YACHT 19, Sven M. Rutter presented the different variants of course rulers, manual plotters and compasses and outlined their respective advantages and disadvantages. We referred to this article on Facebook last weekend.

One of the first comments was: "How unrealistic can you be? We live in the age of tablets with navigation apps."

That is undoubtedly true. We ourselves regularly Navigation apps and also test GPS chart plotter. But does that mean that in return you completely turn your back on the analogue way of sailing - in this case navigating? And at the same time dismissing all others who still want to hold on to it as eternally yesterday's people?

Let me take the idea a step further: manually operated sheet winches or even anchor winches? Pah, who needs such things any more? These days you operate them at the touch of a button! Explaining harbour manoeuvres, possibly showing how to steam into the spring? Who is still travelling without a bow thruster? Watching the clouds in the sky or creating weather charts yourself - what for? After all, wind forecasts are conveniently available via smartphone, and some of them are even free of charge.

Yes, modern technology doesn't stop at sailing. And nor should it. But in return, we don't have to banish traditional skills from our minds or from the boat.

Not only do some people enjoy running their fingers over the paper chart, marking out courses, measuring distances and plotting positions. What is even more important is that you acquire the necessary knowledge in the first place - and refresh it regularly if necessary.

In short, it's about a basic understanding of sailing. It's about having an idea of what I'm doing. I don't get that, or at least it's much harder if I'm just pressing buttons and staring at small displays on which the computer tells me what course to steer. If it doesn't pass the corresponding command on to the autopilot straight away...

In other words, anyone who thinks they already know and can do everything they need to know to get from A to B safely by boat is welcome to rely on the various technical achievements. The main thing is that they can still manage if they are unexpectedly unavailable.

For all others, however, for whom analogue, "do-it-yourself" sailing is an important part of their hobby - and there are more of them than some might think - please continue to do so. At least I wouldn't want to miss any future articles in YACHT that explain to beginners and advanced sailors alike how to find their way to their destination without electronics, how to keep on course without an autopilot and how to moor and cast off safely without a bow thruster.

If you think this is superfluous, you can keep scrolling or clicking; no problem. Disparaging comments, on the other hand, can be safely omitted. Don't you agree? I look forward to hearing your opinion.

Pascal Schürmann,

YACHT copywriter

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