Boating Navigation

Learn boating navigation using your phone

"A compass and/or hand bearing compass: A compass tells you which direction your boat is heading in, north, south, east, or west, as measured in degrees relative to magnetic north. There are 360 degrees representing a full circle, with 0 degrees to the north, 180 degrees to the south, 90 degrees to the east, and 270 degrees to the west. A hand-bearing compass can be utilized to quickly take multiple “bearings” (the direction of a course, or the direction to an item or place) of multiple visible landmarks. Charts: Charts are nautical maps. NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association) produces charts of navigable US waterways, as well as many international charts. You can buy NOAA charts or view them online for free. Parallel Rules: These are a set of two rulers which are attached by swiveling arms. The arms allow you to open and close the rulers, “walking” them across a chart, while maintaining the same angle. Dividers: This tool (also sometimes called “compass dividers”) is used to measure distance on a chart. You can separate its two points more or less, to represent a nautical mile or a number of miles. An erasable pencil: A pencil is needed for navigation via chart so you can mark down important items like speed, location, and bearings. A wristwatch or stopwatch: In order to perform one of the most basic forms of navigation—ded reckoning (or ""deduced reckoning""), which we’ll talk more about in a moment—you need to keep track of time."