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2025-04-08
This weekly 'virtual' course is composed of eight Tuesday evenings. A schedule of topics is followed for each session. "Virtual" means that the class is conducted on-line using a web conferencing system, such as MS Teams or Zoom, etc.. The students "attend" weekly meetings via web conference. Each class is 90 to 120 minutes long depending on topics to be covered that day.
Students "come to class" having already read the chapter(s) and reviewed other resources. Classes will start with a review of last week's activities, followed by Q and A, and the session will progress with short lectures and demonstrations.
At the start of the course, students will be mailed a package of study materials, including the hardcopy text book.
The two-part final exam consists of a cruise and a written exam, both of which will be in "take-home" format.
Dates: 2025 April 8 through May 27
Time: 1830 - 2030 hours (6:30 PM - 8:30 PM) Mountain Time
Instructor: Malcolm Bell JN sailthewest@gmail.com
Register on the CanBoat national website: https://www.canboat.ca/course-calendar/?cps_show_course_details_id=222
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Table of Contents
- Considerations and Charts
• Challenging conditions and unfamiliar waters
• Chart types and scales
• IALA maritime buoyage system
• Extended cruising considerations
• Sample cruise
• Digital charts - Electronic Navigation Tools
• Electronic navigation systems
• Chartplotter applications and features
• Computer navigation applications and features
• Other hardware supporting navigation applications.
• Pros and cons of chartplotters versus computer-based navigation system
• Sensors and other instrumentation
• GPS
• Radar
• AIS receiver/transponder
• Depth sounders and sonars
• Other sensors
• Autopilots
• VHF radio and Digital Selective Calling
• Planning and systems issues - Fixes
• Dead reckoning
• Fixes from bearings
• Running fixes
• Classroom exercise
• GPS fix accuracy
• Radar
• Classroom exercise - Avoidance Techniques
• Pre-qualifying a boating area
• Danger bearings
• Exercise 4.1: Danger bearing – visible landmark and GPS
• Crosstrack error
• Danger circles
• Exercise 4.2: Danger circles
• Collision bearings
• Putting it all together
• Other techniques using GPS
• Other techniques using radar
• Exercise 4.3: Radar avoidance
• Computer navigation using safe and avoidance areas - Positioning Techniques
• Plotting position
• Using GPS on the water
• Using radar on the water
• Navigating into the wind and waves - Working with Tides
• Tides
• Tidal definition
• Tidal datum
• Sources of tidal data
• Canadian tide and current tables
• Use of the tide tables
• US tide tables
• Caution for boaters - Working with Tidal Currents
• Tidal currents
• Canadian current tables
• Current solutions
• Duration of slack
• Velocity of current at any time
• Quick check to estimate current – the 50/90 rule
• US current tables
• Caution for boaters - Piloting with Winds and Currents
• Understanding vectors
• Determine current set and drift
• Determine course to steer
• Using GPS to stay on course