Use caution. Automation could prevail. One day we may sit happily at our computer in the comfort and protection of our homes, enjoying the view from the boats forward looking camera on our monitor, and send our boat out for a nice long cruise, ALL BY ITSELF. You laugh, well look at how much of that technology already exists. CHART PLOTTERS track our every move and AUTO HELM plugged into a GPS can take us where we wish without a hand at the helm. REMOTE READING ENGINE INSTRUMENTS displayed on our LAPTOP could include wind velocity and direction. HOME SECURITY systems offer miniature SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS that could be mounted all around the boat finally giving the skipper eyes in the back of his head. KNOT METER and ELECTRONIC COMPASS combined with GPS readings can combine over-the-bottom-speed and heading with through-the-water speed and heading. Not only can these show wind and current effects but also can compensate for them. Finally, a REMOTELY OPERATED WINDLASS can anchor us for the night. We need only apply some existing technology not yet applied to boating. REMOTE CONTROLLED MINIATURE BOATS where the skipper stands on the beach and directs his craft remotely. REMOTE AUTO ENGINE STARTERS exist to warm up your automobile (read boat) on wintry mornings from within your warm home. And the final link can be surmised from the technology implied by Military drone aircraft, (read boat) which suggests a transmitter that can send and receive data to and from a computer at the base (read home), Just picture the marketing angle. Buy Joe Marketeer's ROBOT SKIPPER Save by simplifying your boat. No need for a cabin, head, fly bridge, galley, bunks, and ladders. Hull main deck and engine only required. Boating has become a viable market for expensive items that some skeptics might even call superfluous since we used to do fine without them. All we initially needed was a boat and a compass. Wouldn't give up my GPS, though. Grinning, Ducking and Running for cover ;-) Jerry & Barb O'Neill GB 32 #677 ADVENTURE Annapolis, MD.

----- Original Message ----- From: <Jerrysail@aol.com> > > One day we may sit happily at our computer in the comfort and protection of > our homes, enjoying the view from the boats forward looking camera on our > monitor, and send our boat out for a nice long cruise, ALL BY ITSELF. > Hi Jerry, Several years ago a few of us were hanging around the dock and the topic turned to autopilots. One of our number related the following tale: Once upon a time there was a woman. This woman owned a boat that was located in southern California; she was interested in cruising in the northwest but had no desire to make the long run up the Pacific coast. Her solution? Take the boat out into the Pacific and lay in a series of waypoints for Tatoosh Island, rendezvous with a friend to take her off the boat, get to Neah Bay via air and ground transport, arrange for another friend to reunite her with the vessel, and complete the trip using more traditional resources. Possible? Maybe. Apocryphal? Probably. In any case, the truth of such a story is secondary to the pleasure of the telling and the amusement of the listening. Feel free to embellish as you will. On a more verifiable note; Jim Clark (Netscape) has a yacht that, while it does require a crew to sail it, allows just the sort of vicarious cruising you're describing. http://www.royalhuisman.com/p_hyperion.htm >Fromthe comfort of home the owner can view streaming video of virtually anything on board or visible from on board. He can also monitor all of the mechanical settings and gauges as well as the various states of sail trim all in real time. If memory serves his original goal was to be able to sail the vessel from home but he fell short for reasons both technological and practical (insurance issues). It should also be mentioned that he is building a larger and less high tech replacement. http://www.royalhuisman.com/p_ne2.htm Confutably yours, Alex