Near Shore Marine Navigation - Level 2

formerly known as Advanced Piloting / Boating 5

Prerequisite:  Near Shore Marine navigation – Level 1

Further expand your navigation knowledge by using a variety of electronic devices to chart your course and enable you to plan your course under tidal, current and windy conditions. By learning more about dead reckoning, fixes and running fixes, you will attain a high degree of proficiency in navigating through coastal waters.  A major assignment in this course is plotting a cruise on a paper chart and recording all pertinent information in a deck log.  In this course we cover GPS, Chart Plotters, Radar, SONAR, Autopilots and more.

Table of Contents

  1. Considerations and Charts
    • Challenging conditions and unfamiliar waters
    • Chart types and scales
    • IALA maritime buoyage system
    • Extended cruising considerations
    • Sample cruise
    • Digital charts
  2. 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
  3. Fixes
    • Dead reckoning
    • Fixes from bearings
    • Running fixes
    • Classroom exercise
    • GPS fix accuracy
    • Radar
    • Classroom exercise
  4. 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
  5. Positioning Techniques
    • Plotting position
    • Using GPS on the water
    • Using radar on the water
    • Navigating into the wind and waves
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. Piloting with Winds and Currents
    • Understanding vectors
    • Determine current set and drift
    • Determine course to steer
    • Using GPS to stay on course
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