I keep reference books near me because I can’t always access the net in certain places I got to and the dependency we have on electricity, electronics infrastructure and electronics makes me feel queasy. I can think of a thousand scenarios that could make internet access disappear in a flash.
Even sailing by electronics—interactive charts, realtime data location of larger ships at sea relative to my position with alarms, realtime GPS course tracking, electronic autopilot, radar with various alarms, sonar —gives me a feeling of over dependency. What happens if I lose my generator, my CPU burns, or my batteries get wet? I use these things only when I have paying clients aboard (insurance requirements). I also don’t want to lose my old school sailing and navigational skills due to disuse like I did with things like algebra.
So, I keep hard copy sailing references such as Chapman’s, charts, local rules of the road, medical texts and military manuals concerning field expedient medicine,astronomicals tables and star charts, mathematical texts and formulas, pencils, a protractor, straight edge and compass on board at all times. I even have a sextant. But I fear losing my old school sailing and navagatonal skills, so whenever solo, or only with a first mate, I sail under 1890’s technology like a real sailor.