"We don't travel like this anymore." Dude I studied Mercator sailing on my first day of college, does she think we don't sail anymore or something?
I do fully approve of the change in map for the UN but I have been getting a little aggravated by everyone's ignorance in the reason that the Mercator was the norm for so long.
I think her point is that we don’t rely on a paper map and compass, alone, to travel anymore. Some may choose to but that is neither the norm or the best choice for commercial shipping.
Most vessels will still have large paper charts even with Electronic alternatives in use. Also on these Electronic Charts you will still see the Mercator Projection shown.
Are you a mariner? I am not meaning this in a bad way just wanting to know how I should best try to explain my point here. There is a type of sailing called 'great circle' which has been the norm for the past 180 or so years. That is still how we plan routes across oceans even if it is done with the help of computers.
All of the Charts you will see onboard are still Mercator Projections, even when plotting a great circle sailing you might use another sort of projection but to monitor it day to day you are still looking at a Mercator Projection.
If you could hop up onto the bridge of a vessel you could see but yeah, difficult to understand if not but the main thing I am trying to say is that 99% of the time you see a nautical chart, it is a Mercator Projection.
It’s ok, I understand your point. I’m just explaining her point and that there’s no need to be overly pedantic when it’s not necessary. Nothing more, friend!
•
u/Winndypops 18h ago
"We don't travel like this anymore." Dude I studied Mercator sailing on my first day of college, does she think we don't sail anymore or something?
I do fully approve of the change in map for the UN but I have been getting a little aggravated by everyone's ignorance in the reason that the Mercator was the norm for so long.