Man means nothing he means less to me
Than the lowliest cactus flower
Or the humblest Yucca tree
He chases round this desert
‘Cause he thinks that’s where I’ll be
That’s why I love mankind
– randy newman

Let’s just get this right out of the way. I HATE navigation.  I mean, I LOVE maps and charts.  As a teenager I used to stare at maps for hours. Even now I enjoy examining them and imagining how to get from point A to point B by car or kayak.  What I hate is academic navigation.  The bit where we toss a bunch of labels on common sense ideas, get all worked up measuring this and adding that to come up with some magical, algebraical solution to paddling across a bay in conditions where most of us should never leave the beach.  Continue reading →