Marine Navigation Methods – Where Does Your Navigation Technique Rank?

 

A lot of boaters were quick to see the possibilities when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) started changing its paper navigational charts to electronic formats in the late 1990s. Now, quite a few demo versions of marine navigation software are available online, and boaters can also use marine GPS systems and other forms of technology to establish their position. Here are three techniques that will help with your marine navigation.

 

Most boaters prefer a stand-alone GPS with charts when selecting an electronic marine navigation device. However, you can download boat navigation software such as SeaClear II if you own a laptop or netbook computer that you use on the boat. SeaClear II is a free GPS-based navigation package designed specifically for boats, and it can be used along with the necessary free NOAA charts in electronic format.

 

Many boats don’t have the space for a dedicated display for every instrument function. Lowrance, Garmin, Raymarine, Furuno and other manufacturers each make a combination chart plotter for marine navigation that lets the boater show several functions on a single display, keeping space requirements and cost within limits. You can also get a dedicated chartplotter from any one of these manufacturers, featuring high-resolution LCD displays in water-resistant housings.

 

In this technique, you advance a prior position using your boat’s course and speed. It begins with a known position, or “fix,” which is then advanced, mathematically or directly on the chart, by means of recorded heading, speed and time. Dead reckoning positions are calculated at prearranged intervals, and are maintained between fixes. Dead reckoning was the primary method of determining longitude available to mariners such as Christopher Columbus and John Cabot on their trans-Atlantic voyages, before the development of the marine chronometer.