Since antiquity, sailors and mariners of all stripes have been navigating their vessels over oceans, seas and lakes using simple tools like compasses, maps and charts. Nowadays, a boat operator is more inclined to make use of a digital GPS unit that gives highly accurate navigational readings using satellite coordinates. That doesn’t mean you can’t learn to navigate a boat on your own, though.
This skill becomes particularly important to have on a long-distance journey where you’re heading out on the open ocean or trying to work your way up a coast over several hundred miles.
You’ll need to be able to stay on a given course, factor in winds and avoid collisions. That’s where this guide by RVs and Boats For Less comes in handy! We’re located in Chubbuck, Idaho, so if you have any further questions about boating, come talk to us. We specialize in boats with an outboard motor.
Navigational Tools
Before GPS devices were developed and became affordable to the general populace, navigators used tools like paper charts and maps, compasses, stopwatches, dividers and parallel rules to figure out where they were going. Navigators plotted their courses on charts and used observational techniques and pace-keeping methods like lengths of rope with knots tied at intervals to determine where they were and how fast they were going.
Modern navigators use GPS (global positioning systems) to figure out where they’re going. Courses can be easily and accurately charted with every variable accounted for, thanks to the signals received from Earth-orbit satellites that feed data to the mapping software. Even a phone with a simple mapping app can be an accurate way to chart a course on a small boat.
Dead Reckoning
Dead reckoning used to be the main way that seagoing vessels navigated before modern technology. The navigator determined a “fix” or initial position using an external reference point, then figured out their boat’s predicted course based upon the speed and direction of travel. The unit of measurement used in dead reckoning is the “knot,” where one nautical mile was equivalent to 1/60 degrees of latitude crossed.
Although dead reckoning is no longer necessary thanks to recent developments in navigational tools and techniques, it may be useful if you’re truly stranded without a functional device. You can roughly determine your course by establishing a fix and keeping your rate of travel as constant as possible. This technique does have a high risk of error since it cannot factor in wind speed, currents, tides and other factors that may shift a boat’s direction. Also, if you inaccurately set your initial fix, then every data point used that relies upon it will be wrong, and the errors will compound quickly, sending you far off-course.
Creating Your Route Using Bearings
If you’re not traveling in one straight line, then you’ll have to plot a route to sail or cruise using a series of bearings. Bearings can be seen as small, spaced-out destinations between you and where you ultimately plan to end up. These can be plotted to allow you to get around peninsulas, islands and other obstacles that prevent you from sailing a straight course.
Start by plotting your current position on a chart as well as your ultimate destination. Figure out the bearings and place these between them. Bearings can be determined in several ways, but often they’re figured out with a magnetic compass. Next, draw legs of your route between them using a parallel rule, a tool with two rulers attached via a swinging arm. Take note of the distance between bearings and compare it to the scale on the map to know how many miles you’ll be traveling. Having determined your bearings and drawn your legs, you can note all the distances and be confident that you have a good idea of how to get from here to there, as well as approximately how long your trip will take.
If you need a boat that can take you anywhere you want to go on the water, visit our dealership today. RVs and Boats For Less is in Chubbuck, where we carry a full inventory of new and used boats for sale. We also provide boat parts and services so you can maintain your craft, including outboard motors. RVs and Boats For Less also serves the cities of Idaho Falls, Pocatello and Twin Falls, Idaho, as well as Logan and Salt Lake City, Utah.
