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GPSS On Water

Updated 1400 Thursday 23rd April 1998

"Hey Stuart ! That was a hell of a party last night... are we in the right boat ?"

Well Done Crew of Brunel Sunergy !
I just had to put this up, when I heard the news just now... Stuart Quarrie, an old friend and flatmate from 1971, is Navigator for Brunel Sunergy in the 'Whitbread'. Steve - who shall not be identified further, to protect the guilty - was the third in the flat, and just called to give me the news... Brunel Sunergy just won the leg up the US east coast from Fort Lauderdale to Baltimore. More details can be seen on the web site www.whitbread.org
The picture on the left is a from a few years ago, with Stuart minding Michelle at the helm, across the Solent. A shared memory of Stuart, Steve and Robin, was our first flight in a 'straight-six' 1950's vintage Wolsley, at 65mph off a hump backed bridge designed for nearer 5mph. Steve was at the wheel, with Stuart Navigating, and Robin cringing on the back seat. Best Wishes for the sail home Brunel Sunergy - we hope to be there !

- and now the rest of the page ...
Watch this space ! Robin is hoping to add more detail soon. Use of GPSS on water does not need to be the obvious !
This page may soon have more information on :

White Water rafting along Snake River in the USA.
Power Boat racing around the Channel Islands.
Yacht races across the Baltic.
or just finding the nearest pub on the river :-)

GPSS can, of course, be used on the water if loaded with the appropriate map data such as naval charts for sea-farers, or conventional maps - for inland waterways.
There are many ways in which GPSS might be used :

run on compact PC equipment designed to withstand salt and/or water.
provide an on-board system based upon a radio microphone link from above deck to a PC computer below deck which speaks back over radio or loudspeakers.
"The nearest mooring place is 250 yards ahead at your 12 o'clock"
Inmarsat-C based tracking and two way communications with or between a number of vessels - such as in the 'BT Global Challenge' round-the-world yacht race.
as an anti-theft GPS/phone device analogous to those for car-security.
GPS, and perhaps even the speaking PC, built into helmets for white water use.
just 'playing back' on maps where the GPS was carried, recording data itself.