Navigation

3 credits · Undergraduate credit

The purpose of this course is to educate students in all aspects of marine navigation, from getting a vessel underway from port through open ocean navigation using both celestial and electronic means. The content of the course is divided into three major areas. The first section focuses on piloting, emphasizing the safe navigation of vessels in coastal waters. This section provides an introduction to navigational instruments and aids to navigation. The second section concerns celestial navigation, the ability to determine position through observation of celestial bodies. Students learn how to determine position based on the use of the sextant and various almanacs and mathematical tables. The third section of the course considers electronic navigation.