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Just kiddin'. Let's Wiki!
The new gCaptain wiki will offer a place for mate’s to share voyage plans, - it is already a recognised phenomena that the lower standards of bridge officer training when combined with electronic charting systems has resulted in published lists of way points which the navigator simply pumps into the ECDIS to create the proposed voyage plan. He does not even need to view the plan on the chart, simply punch in the numbers. Additionally, the practical manifestation is that several ships will all converge on the same waypoint coincidentally and furthermore may do so automatically if an integrated navigation system is available. Often, the tracks and course alteration points are adhered to religiously oblivious to the effect on surrounding traffic etc. the advent of an online source as described will simply exacerbate this already very real safety problem.
Regards,
Don
(Pilot, Port of London)
A problem I had not thought about...!
I'm removing the feature right now until we have the time to give this more thought but I would like to say it seems absolutely crazy to take waypoints from online resources and plug them in without verification. If you are a second mate PLEASE don't do this... if we offer this feature in the future please note it is only intended as a guide to enable you to see the various routes and ideas other mates have used in the past.
Anyway, it might be a moot point since we have yet to find a wiki editor willing to tackle this project.
Well done! What a pleasure to see people who are prepared to accept that in all inocence they have overlooked something or made an error. You have my professional respect! FYI, today I was aboard a ship where the passage plan actually had a copyright notice on it dated 1997! When I quizzed the second mate about it - much to the captain's amusemnent, the 2/0 explained that it was derived from a Filipino navigator who some years ago set up a significant database of waypoints and passage plans. It would seem that this is one of several that are available at a price......
Anyway kkep up the good work. One way or other we will drag the international shipping standards up to where they belong!
Best regards...
We are trying to make gCaptain the one small place wiht in the maritime community where common sense prevails.
We don't expect it to be easy so wish us luck ;)
Copyrighted voyage plans, wow. Unfortunately I'm willing to guess at lest a dozen 2/m's are reading your comments and going straight to google with credit cards in hand.
-John