CLASSES FOR THE WINTER ARE BEING ORGANIZED. CONTACT SAIL THE SEAS, LLC TO SCHEDULE YOUR CLASS. email us at sailtheseasllc@gmail.com
COASTAL NAVIGATION USING GPS This four-session course is designed to teach the mariner the basic elements of practical coastal navigation with a GPS.The subject matter covers nautical charts and references, use of navigation instruments, basic piloting procedures, position determination with and without GPS, how to calculate a DR position, how GPS corrects a course for current and wind.Students will also learn to determine the height of tide at any time, and how to check their compass.This course will prepare the student to use basic electronic navigational instruments found on offshore boats and will review the operation of his own GPS to provide understanding of its full capabilities.Students will be required to demonstrate their ability to plot a safe course and predict their time for a typical cruise using a nautical chart, waypoints, and routes, with a GPS.On successful completion, students are awarded Coastal Navigation Certification by the SAIL THE SEAS, LLC ... School of Seamanship and Navigation.
TOPICS - Nautical charts - Nautical reference publications and almanacs - Aids to navigation - How to use basic nautical instruments - Converting Latitude and Longitude for GPS use - How your GPS works - How to plot a true course on a nautical chart - How to measure distance on a nautical chart - Critical GPS features - Calculating your dead reckoning position - Converting a true course to a compass course - The 24 hour clock (military time) - Selection of GPS waypoints - Taking and plotting bearings - Obtaining tidal heights at any time - Compensating your course for current, wind, and waves - Setting up a route on your GPS - Planning a cruise - Features of the GPS you own or want to buy...pros and cons
A RECENT STUDENT WROTE: Rich,
This is just a note to thank you personally and Sails The Seas, LLC, for helping me become a better sailor. Before I took your Coastal Navigation Using GPS class, I went from almost zero knowledge on the subject matter to a competent level in the use of navigation instruments and how to determine my positions (DR). I'm comfortable with plotting a course and I'm confident that I will arrive to a safely at my destination. Your personal insight from sailing your own 36ft. sailboat, cruising from Chicago to South America and spending ten years cruising the Caribbean was inspiring. I was impressed by how much I've gained from your practical teaching style.
I strongly recommend Sail The Seas, LLC as one of the best training courses you can get in the Washington Metropolitan Area.
Alfonso Vayra Owner of S/V IMAGINE Beneteau 393
TIMING AND PRCES The course is presented in four, two and a half hour sessions. It can be done in four or five weeks or in a shorter time. There is homework, so the student needs to decide the interval between classes. The schedule can be adjusted to meet students' needs.
Classes for up to three may be held in the SAIL THE SEAS classroom in Alexandria, three miles north of Mount Vernon, just off the George Washington Parkway....or at a venue selected by the student(s). Larger classes can be accomodated.
Price per student depends on the number taking the class: 1 Student......$ 400 2 Students....$ 700 Additional students in a group .... negotiable Experiences shared during the classes....priceless
Students are also required to purchase the course text, " Coastal Navigation Using GPS", by Frank Larkin, a paraglide plotter, a pair of dividers, and a full size practice navigation chart from Sail The Seas, LLC. The retail value of these items is over $75.00 A couple may share the above.
OTHER COSTS - NONE: All other class materials are provided.
