NavList:

Jeremy:

Re errors mentioned regarding your efforts at MANUAL PLOTTING, as an old ex draftsman, the following comes to mind.

Assuming that you are using the old #2 pencil, the lead therein is pretty soft, sharpen it often, try using a "draftsmans pencil sharpener/pointer" and fine sand paper or a fine cut flat file. Also use a light hand when drawing lines.

If you use a "machanical pencil" actually a device that holds stick leads, again use a sharp point, along with a light hand. You might try a harder lead too. Leads designated H as in 2H, 3H get harder as numbers get higher, B series leads get softer, the HB lead is about equivalent to # 2 lead pencils. As I recall, 2B, 3B would be getting softer.

Should you opt for the "Pentel Pencils", actually lead holders, try the 0.5mm diameter, the thinnest offered, use a hard lead, with a light hand. With the smaller diameter leads, hold the pencil close to vertical, as these small diameter leads tend to snap.

I don't know what sort of a plotting sheet you use. For my purposes, the Power Squadron Constant Latitude Sheet (CLS98)serves, however as to reading latitudes, strikes me that the limit is .5 NM, though someone with younger eyes might be able to read to .25NM, though I think this is something of a stretch. As for the longitude scale, about .5 minutes seems to be a stopping point, though again, younger eyes might better this.

Of course, if using a computer program to "plot" lop's, the computer's read out is in coordinates, lat. and long. isn't it. Ergo, no problems with the thickness of a pencil line.
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