Capt. Dan's Coastal Navigation Course: Aids to Navigation and Charts

Knowledge checklist

These are the points you will master in the course of this course:

*Dead Reckoning: SOG, Track, COG, VMG

*Charts: scale, datum, symbols, interpretation

*Lateral aids to navigation

*Plotting tools and procedures

*Compasses: isogonic lines, deviation, variation, true and magnetic courses and bearings

*Lights: Luminous range, geographic range, use in DR navigation

*Fixes: lines of bearing, ranges, radar, running, estimated

*Set and drift

*Publications: Chart 1, Light List, Notice to Mariners, Rules of the Road, Coast Pilot, Cruising Guides

*Local Hazards

*Tides and current

*Rules of thumb

Home Study 1

Please download and print out Study Guide 1

Read through the questions and then start studying the documents cited on this page and the next.

All of the questions on the study guide are covered in the documents listed on this page and the next set at Nav 2

Note: throughout this course you'll find links to various agencies and documents. Depending on the preferences you've set in your computer and how the agency has loaded their files, these documents may open immediately or download to your default download folder.

My Powerpoint presentations should load automatically. All you'll have to do is push your right hand arrow key to advance slide to slide.

If you get a message that you need a Tiff decompressor or some sort of Capt. Midnight decoder ring, just hit the right arrow and you should be back in business.

Aids to Navigation (ATON)

We covered Lateral Marks (buoys, lights, day beacons) in ASA 103. Now that we're talking about to new and perhaps exotic places, let's review those marks and their uses. Download lateral marks.pdf then download the review quiz for a quick and relatively painless Powerpoint review of the marks and their functions.
Download:

Marks.pdf. Study it carefully, then take the Marks Review Quiz below.

105.1 Lateral Marks Review Quiz

Chart Currency

BEFORE

Charts are far from real-time images of the world.

Recall the Irving Johnson incident awhile back. A tall ship entered - almost entered - Channel Islands Harbor. With several captain-qualified folks in the crew, they managed to run aground near the south (or east, if you wish) jetty.

Cause?

Draft exceeded water available

How'd that happen?

The official report is that there was an unreported shoal

Once the Irving Johnson was slid off the sand (at a cost exceeding $1M), they did a couple of things:

*Posted shoal buoys (the white with an orange diamond and SHOAL written in 12 pt. type)

*Issued a Notice to Mariners

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Notice to Mariners and Local Notice to Mariners

AFTER

These pubs tell us what's working, what's not, what's missing and what has been fixed, replaced, renamed or relocated.

In the old days (two years ago), this was all on paper and not easily accessed, today you can get it right here.

This site takes you to corrections for ALL charts published by NOAA

ALL US Notices to Mariners

What I find most useful while sailing near home is the Coast Guard District 11 weekly reports - the Local Notice to Mariners.

CG District 11 LNM

This covers California. And these guys make it really easy for you to stay up to date - you can subscribe online.

Subscribe 11 LNM

LNM is divided into several sections, which cover chart changes, discrepancies in ATON, fixes to ATON, corrections to the Light List, other stuff, including LORAN status (who cares?), CG exclusion zones, dredging, hazards to navigation etc.

Each section is organized North to South i.e. All the light problems in San Francisco are listed in a bunch with us at the other end of the list. Likewise chart corrections.

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The Right Chart

How do you know you have the most recent chart?

Easy, go to Current Charts

Note: you can use the find function to locate the chart even if you don't know the number or the full name.

So what is the chart number, update number, and latest LNM for the Santa Cruz Channel Chart?

What did the last LNM do to the chart?

You'll have to know the chart number (from the last step) and go through a bit of bureaucratic stuff, but click Chart Updates to get the answer.

I was thinking about going to Santa Barbara Island. Unfortunately, I was doing this thinking about 0200. I don't have the chart at home, but really wanted to get a look at one. Seven-Eleven was closed - they're about as likely as West Marine to stock your chart - so I had to go elsewhere.

This isn't on the test, but it's one of those practical sorts of things that you can use for any trip.

Chart ViewerFind Santa Barbara ... again, this is organized north to south.

Find the anchorage on the NE corner of the island. What difficulties might you encounter there?

Questions? Capt. Dan

Go to Next page (day one cont'd).

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