Losing Touch with the Basics: When Electronics Replace Seamanship

Let me be clear: I am not one of those old-school sailors grumbling about “the good old days.” On the contrary, I love what modern technology has brought us. GPS, AIS, radar, chartplotters, weather routing, polars—all of them have made sailing more accessible, more efficient, and in many ways safer. I use them myself every day and wouldn’t want to go back to the era of paper-only and sextant-based navigation.

But loving technology doesn’t mean ignoring the risks of over-dependence. More and more, I see sailors allowing electronics to take over the very skills that define seamanship. That’s where the danger lies.

From Support Tool to Crutch

Modern electronics are extraordinary. Used properly, they enhance safety and efficiency. But somewhere along the way, many sailors have crossed a line: instead of using technology to support their seamanship, they allow it to replace seamanship altogether.

Autopilot Instead of a Compass

Ask a sailor today to steer a compass course by hand—especially at night—and many will struggle. The autopilot has become such a constant companion that the ability to hold a steady heading is fading. Hand-steering is not just a skill; it’s also a way of staying connected to the boat and her direct environment—the wind and the sea. And believe me, it’s fun too: learning to feel the wind and the boat, being able to sail close-hauled with your eyes closed. Try it.

Lookout by Alarm

The same is happening with lookout. Rule 5 states: “Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper lookout by sight and hearing, as well as by all available means…” Yet on many yachts, the watchkeeper relies more and more on AIS and radar alarms. The screen becomes the lookout. Electronics can miss a fishing boat with no AIS, or a vessel with no radar signature. AIS can also be unreliable (often due to poor wire connections). A proper visual lookout—especially when approaching a port—remains essential, with radar and AIS there to assist.

Routes by Auto-Routing

Careful route planning used to be a craft: drawing a line, shaping it to wind, tide, hazards, and contingencies. Now, many skippers click on “autoroute” and trust the software. The risk is obvious: blindly following a digital line can bring you too close to shore and other hazards, while it often also ignores Traffic Separation Schemes and obstructions such as wind farms.

In pilotage—the delicate art of entering a harbour—phones and tablets often replace a proper pilotage plan. The helm stands, head down, staring at the screen, confused by comparing the observed reality with a phone display. By studying the port’s chart and pilotage notes beforehand, and using this information to draw a simple sketch you can take into the cockpit, you will instantly recognise what matters: where you are, where you need to be, and how to get there.

Situational Awareness vs. Technological Substitution

There is a difference between using technology to improve situational awareness—for example, overlaying AIS targets on a radar screen—and allowing technology to substitute situational awareness. The first makes us safer. The second makes us blind, because our own observation of the environment is the first, essential step of situational awareness and seamanship.

Conclusion

Technology is a gift to sailors, but only if we keep it in its rightful place: as an aid, not a substitute. The fundamentals—compass work, lookout, route planning, pilotage—are not optional extras. They are the core of safe and confident sailing. Lose them, and you risk becoming a passenger on your own boat.