Unit 1: Navigation

What is Navigation?

• Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another

• It involves:– Gathering information from sources– Evaluating the information– Making decisions based on the

information

• Navigation techniques vary with the type of vessel, conditions and the navigators experience

• Navigation is both a science and an art that takes knowledge, skill and practice

Types of Navigation

There are 6 main types of navigation:1. Dead Reckoning2. Piloting3. Celestial Navigation4. Radio Navigation5. Radar Navigation6. Satellite Navigation

1. Dead Reckoning (DR)

• the process of estimating your position by advancing a known position using course, speed, time and distance to be traveled.

In other words figuring out where you will be at a certain time if you hold the speed, time and course you plan to travel.

2. Piloting

• Piloting involves navigating in restricted waters with frequent determination of position relative to geographic and hydrographic features.– This method is used when in sight of

land

3. Celestial Navigation

• uses "sights," or angular measurements taken between a celestial body (the sun, the moon, a planet or a star) and the visible horizon to locate one's position on the globe, on land as well as at sea.

4. Radio Navigation

• uses radio frequencies to determine position on Earth.

• The basic principles are measurements from/to electric beacons, especially:– Directions– Distances– Velocity (partly)

5. Radar Navigation

• Uses a radar to determine the distance from or, bearing of, objects whose position is known.

6. Satellite Navigation

• Uses artificial earth satellite systems, such as GPS, to determine position.

MAPS & CHARTS

Map

• A map is a visual representation of an area

• It represents selected features of the Earth's surface, drawn to scale.

Maps Include

• The graphic representations on maps may consist of:– Lines and symbols of various colors– Drawings of landforms– Photographs with the additions of

lines and colors to emphasize features

• Maps show land areas, political subdivisions, and topography.

Scale

• Many, but not all, maps are drawn to a scale, expressed as a ratio such as 1:10,000

• This means that 1 of any unit of measurement on the map corresponds to 10,000 of that same unit on the ground.

Political vs Physical Maps

• Most maps of the world or large areas are either political or physical

• Political maps show territorial borders

• Physical maps show features of geography such as mountains, soil type or land use

Political Map of Canada

Physical Map of Canada

Charts

• A chart is a special-purpose map, generally designed for a form of navigation, such as sea navigation.

• A nautical chart is a graphic representation of a sea area and adjacent coastal regions.

• Depending on the scale of the chart, it may show:– Depths of the water– Heights of land– Natural features of the seabed– Details of coastline– Navigational hazards– Locations of natural and man-made

navigational aids

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/NOAA_chart_25664_1976.png