Waypoints, Tracks & Course Design
Why good routes look boring — and bad routes look precise Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. What a Waypoint Really Is A waypoint is not a command. It is a reference point used to define a route’s geometry. The ship is not required to pass exactly over a waypoint. […]
No-Go Areas & Safety Margins
Why safe navigation is about where you refuse to go — not where you intend to pass Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. What a No-Go Area Really Is A no-go area is not simply shallow water on a chart. It is any area where, if the ship enters it, […]
Passage Planning – A→P→E→M Explained
Why plans fail without thinking — and why compliance alone is not safety Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. What Passage Planning Really Is Passage planning is often misunderstood as a document: a printed chart, an ECDIS route, a checklist signed before departure. In reality, passage planning is a thinking […]
Dead Reckoning and Estimated Position
DR & EP Knowing where you should be — when you don’t know where you are Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Why DR and EP Still Matter Dead Reckoning (DR) and Estimated Position (EP) exist because fixes are intermittent. Even in perfect conditions, you are not constantly fixing the […]
Chart Interpretation
How to read what the chart is actually telling you — and why misunderstanding charts sinks ships Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. Why Charts Are Different from Maps Most civilians approach nautical charts as if they were road maps or hiking maps. This is a fundamental mistake. A map […]
Running Fixes
How navigators turn movement into position — and why this method punishes assumptions Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. What a Running Fix Really Is A running fix is a position determined using one object observed at two different times, combined with the ship’s movement between those observations. It exists […]
Transits
When alignment means certainty — and why professionals trust a moment Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. What a Transit Really Is A transit occurs when two fixed objects briefly align as the ship moves past them. At the exact moment of alignment, the ship lies on a known straight […]
Ranges & Leading Lines
How two marks become one truth — and why professionals trust them Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. What a Range or Leading Line Really Is A range, also called a leading line, is created when two fixed objects are aligned so that, when viewed in line, they define a […]
Bearings & Lines of Position
How angles become location — and why one bearing is never “just one bearing” Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. What a Bearing Actually Represents A bearing is an angle, but operationally it is much more than that. When you take a bearing to a charted object, you are not […]
Visual Fixes
Finding where you are using what you can see — the foundation of coastal navigation Contents Use the links below to jump to any section: 1. What a Visual Fix Really Is A visual fix is a confirmed position on the chart, determined by observing real, physical objects outside the ship and relating them to […]