Tor: Great article. If I were a magazine I would publish it. It sure struck a nerve with me and maybe lots of old school sailors. It reminded me of my purest days when I would sail in and out of the marina and dock just for fun… and then I quit doing it. It would also be a good wake-up call for many new, young high tech sailors who have never had the “opportunity” to sail with no engine, much less no GPS and Chartplotter. As great as all these new gadgets are (engines, AIS, windmeters, GPS, Chartplotters, 4G weather, etc) the prudent sailor should know and practice how to get along without them. You proved that case in your article.
Charlie