Navigation

[laomei]

I'm a wannabe CDory owner & I've been gathering info on all aspects of boating especially navigation.The more I check out chartplotters,navigation programs etc. the more confused I become & it's quite plain to me that I need to go to square one & learn the basics.Can someone steer me to a good BASIC beginning navigation book so I can build from there?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[smittypaddler]

1. "How to Read a Nautical Chart" by Nigel Calder, International Marine / McGraw Hill, ISBN 0-07-137615-1.

2. "Nigel Calder's Cruising Handbook" by Nigel Calder, International Marine ISBN 0-07-135099-3

3. "Chapman Piloting & Seamanship" by Elbert S. Maloney, Hearst Books ISBN 1-58816-089-0

I think very highly of Nigel Calder's books.

[volsman]

Your best bet is to take a few of the US Power Sq or Us Coast Guard Aux courses. Seamanship, Piloting, Advanced Piloting plus many others. You can take some online or in person at your nearest SQ or Aux. Here a link to the power SQ courses-- http://www.americasboatingcourse.com/index.cfm

[hardee]

Hi Richard, and welcome.

Gaston huh? I remember that. I spent 4 years in a school called Laurelwood, about 4 miles out of town, right at the base of the hill, (Bald Peak), headed east.

Don't let all the bells and whistles from the "toy store" stuff scare you off. You have probably been navigating for most of your life. From home to school, from home to work, from work to the store, to the post office, the bank and home. What is different about doing it on a boat? Much the same, much different ---> but learn it step by step. Just like learning to drive the car.

Yup, no yellow line on the water, and no stop signs and turn signals. WRONG. They are still there, just different. There is still a right of way, (sometimes called the "stand on" vessel). There are still lane markers, (channel buoys or day-marks), separation lanes, and there is still, the place where I am and where I want to go. On the water you can go in any direction, as long as you keep a lookout, and obey the signs.

I would first find a basic boating safety class. Either US Power Squadron or Coast Guard Auxiliary offer them. Then find a basic navigation class with one of those organizations. Take it and try and get a chance to see or put some of that into practice, doing little steps at a time. Try it and you might like it.

What is it about "navigation" that is bothering you? Is it all the buttons on the chart plotters, or the idea of converting numbers (lat and long) to a point on a piece of paper? There is considerable discussion on this site about the use of paper charts vs electronics. You can use the search button at the top of the page to find tons of info on that. It would be helpful to you and us to break down what it is that is most bothersome and then work down from that.

Harvey
SleepyC

[hardee]

Richard, harvey here again. I just found a parallel thread and copied this from it. I'll go back and put the link to the thread here also.

From Barry, on C-Cakes:

[hardee]

Also posted on another thread:

[laomei]

Thanks for the nudges in the right direction,I'm going to try the Nigel Calder books & take the Oregon Safe Boating course online.

[Sea Angel]

In Virginia there is a state run Safe Boating Course that can be taken on line that meets the license and insurance requirements;or, it is available in a class room setting.

I do not know if OR has such a requirement or resource, but it may be worth looking into for it could give you the working vocabulary and overview to the world of boating.

Good luck on your search and welcome to the site.

Art

[laomei]

OR does have the online course,I see it as a good first step.

Thanks for the welcome!