Navigation Workbook for Practice Underway: For Power-driven and Sailing Vessels

Use these practical exercises when underway to master the basic skills of marine navigation and weather observations. They use live situations as you confront them. They are designed to be worked in any waterway, power or sail, underway or at anchor, at various times during one voyage or many. Step by step instructions provided, as well as a suggested layout for work forms that you can make in your logbook or download for use with the ebook.

This exercise book has been used in onboard navigation training courses, power and sail, for many years. It was originally designed for students to carry on with practice when they were not on watch getting direct instructor training during extended training voyages. It can be used for day sails or long coastal passages.

Once you master the skills of these exercises you can be confident you have a practical working knowledge of navigation. These are skills and procedures that every navigator should know.

Owners of the Kindle version of the book can download a printable pdf file of useful plotting sheets, work forms, and personal logbook pages at starpath.com/workbooks. Main reference books cited are available in Kindle format.

CONTENTS

Overview and Instructions 5

Basic Chart Work 7
CW-1. Use of Chart Catalog 7
CW-2. Lat/Lon, Range and Bearings 8
CW-3. Depths and Soundings 9
CW-4. Buoys 10
CW-5. Lighthouses 11
CW-6. Coast Pilots and Sailing Directions 12
CW-7. Local Knowledge 13

Special Communications and AIS 14
COM-1. Securite’, Pan Pan, and Mayday Communications 14
COM-2. Broadcast Notice to Mariners 15
COM-3. Automated Identification System 16
COM-4. AIS Maximum Range 16
COM-5. AIS Communication 17
COM-6. Virtual & Synthetic Navaids 17

Tides and Currents 18
TC-1. Tides at Anchor 18
TC-2. Currents Underway 19

Radar 20
R-1. Basic Radar Controls 20
R-2. Confirm GPS Position Using Radar Range and Bearing 21
R-3. Distinguish Buoys and Moving Vessels 22
R-4. Closest Point of Approach 23
R-5. Relative Motion Diagram (Rapid Radar Plotting) 24
R-6. Radar Piloting 25
R-7. Position Fix with Radar 26

Navigation Rules 27
NR-1. Reading Assignments 27
NR-2. Sound Signals Underway 28
NR-3. Lights Underway 29
NR-4. Right of Way 30
NR-5. Rule 19d 31

Piloting 32
P-1. Bearing Fix 32
P-2. LOP by Natural Ranges 33
P-3. Fix by Soundings 34
P-4. COP from Vertical Sextant Angle 35
P-5. Three-body Fix by Sextant 36

Electronic Charting 37
EC-1. Basic Skills 37
EC-2. Route Monitoring Underway 38

GPS Navigation 39
GPS-1. Basic Skills 39
GPS-2. Route Monitoring Underway 40
GPS-3. Confirm Position Accuracy 41

Dead Reckoning 42
DR-1. Basic Terms 42
DR-2. ETA to Waypoint 43
DR-3. Magnetic Variation 44
DR-4. Compass Check on Range 45

Weather 46
W-1. VHF Weather Sources 46
W-2. VHF Weather Reports 48
W-3. Cloud Spotting 51
W-4. Apparent Wind to True Wind 52
W-5. Barometer Comparisons 53

Celestial Navigation 54
CN-1. Star Spotting 54
CN-2. Twilight Times 55
CN-3. Checking Watch Time 56
CN-4. Compass Checks from the Sun 57
CN-5. Sun line Running Fix 58
CN-6. Sun-Moon Fix 59
CN-7. Star-Planet Fix 60

Navigation Challenges 61
NC-1. Unforeseen Eventualities 61

Starpath Reference List 62
General References 62
Standard References for any Voyage 62
Personal Logbook 63
Plotting Sheets 68