Module 10 of 17
Course shaping, course to steer, visual and electronic fixes, DR/EP, and waypoint strategies.
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Chartwork is the practical skill of plotting courses, shaping a passage, fixing positions, and solving navigational problems on a nautical chart. At Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Offshore...
Dead Reckoning (DR) is the process of estimating your position based solely on your course steered and distance run through the water — without accounting for tidal stream or leeway. It g...
A fix is a position determined from observations — it is more reliable than a DR or EP. Common methods include: visual bearings (take compass bearings of two or three charted objects and...
A running fix allows you to fix your position using a single landmark observed at two different times. You take a bearing of the landmark, continue on your course, and then take a second...
The course to steer is the compass course you need to follow to make good a desired ground track, after allowing for tidal stream, leeway, and compass errors. It involves constructing a v...
On longer passages the tidal stream changes direction and rate each hour. At Coastal Skipper level you must construct a multi-hour CTS by stacking tidal vectors end-to-end for the passage...
A waypoint is a position defined by latitude and longitude, used to mark turning points or destinations on a passage. Modern GPS and chart plotters navigate between waypoints and display...
Leeway is the sideways drift caused by wind pushing the boat off course. A yacht sailing in strong winds will make leeway — the boat slides sideways to leeward. The amount depends on wind...
A clearing bearing is a pre-plotted compass bearing of a charted object that defines a safe boundary. As long as your observed bearing of that object stays on the safe side of the clearin...
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