USCGAUX How to Read A Nautical Chart/Intro to Navigation
April 30 and May 7, 2008 - Somerset High School, Somerset, MA

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How To Read A Nautical Chart/Introduction to Navigation
A two session (5 hour) course - $20.00

• Introduction to Coastal Navigation - Course overview; names and definitions of various types of navigation; steps of voyage planning and underway navigation; earth's coordinate system and its use to specify location; how direction can be measured on the surface; conversion of direction (true, magnetic, compass and relative) to another.

• The Marine Magnetic Compass - Parts and principle of operation of the marine magnetic compass; concept of deviation and distinctions between compass north, magnetic north, and true north; "swinging ship" and deviation table preparation; rapidly and reliably solving TVMDC and/or CDMVT computations.

• The Nautical Chart - Characteristics of nautical charts, particularly Mercator and polyconic projections; plotting positions in terms of latitude and longitude; various chart types/scales and their appropriate uses; basic knowledge of chart symbols; rapid and reliable measurement of direction, distance, and location on Mercator and polyconic nautical charts.

• The Navigator's Tools & Instruments - Navigator tools used in everyday practice; basic skills and familiarity with the use of plotting instruments; use of other instruments and equipment used in the practice of navigation.