“Weekend Navigator”
“Weekend Navigator”, formerly Advanced Coastal Navigation, is a comprehensive course designed for both experienced and novice powerboat and sailboat operators. The course is designed to educate the boating enthusiast in skills required for a safe voyage on a variety of waters and boating conditions. Course topics include:
- What is navigation – Three steps of navigation and piloting without electronics.
- Fundamental of waypoint navigation – Practice using a sample cruise exercise, GPS, avoiding hazards, and using landmarks.
- The tools of navigation – Use of nautical charts including scales, chart symbology, ATONs, plotting tools, GPS, compass, and other electronics.
- Planning with GPS and paper charts – Planning and paper charts, chart plotting, and entering waypoints into your GPS.
- Planning with digital charts – Using digital charts, cruise planning software, chart planning software, working with digital charts, chart plotters, and PDA’s.
- Planning to avoid danger – Defining the area, marking obstacles, and marking landmarks.
- Underway with GPS and paper charts – Steps in waypoint navigation, staying on course, navigating a route with GPS, navigating in a region, marking objects, and keeping track.
- Underway with digital charts – Using a chart plotter underway, PDA’s and pocket PC’s, and the future of onboard computers.
- Double-checking with instruments – Making quick observations and more accurate bearings.
- Eye of the mariner – Use of headings, ranges, bearings, collision bearings, and rules of the road.
- What to do if the GPS quits – Knowing when to stop and regroup, plan before proceeding, and navigating without GPS.
- Planning as you go with GPS – Finding where you are and how to plot a safe path to a new destination.
- Tides, winds, and currents – Knowledge of tides and tidal currents, adjusting for tides and tidal currents, and winds, waves, and other unpredictable events.
- Navigating with radar – Range settings for recreational boaters, the radar display, collision avoidance, and navigating with radar.
- Using depth in navigation – Using depth sounders versus sonars and fish finders, and navigating with depth sounders.
- Using the radio in navigation – How to use a radio in an emergency, use of the weather radio, and fixed versus handheld VHF
- Using an electronic compass – Types of electronic compasses and using the electronic compass for navigation.
- Using an autopilot in navigation – How to navigate with an autopilot.
- Navigating harbors and channels with electronics – Importance of good visibility and operating under limited visibility.
- Navigating under adverse conditions – Operating under limited visibility and influence of the wind and seas.
- A last word in avoiding danger – Importance and use of electronic alarms and visual observations.
- Other instrumentation in navigation – Use of weather instruments.
- Connecting it all together – Basic electronic interconnection and high speed connection
